# Bald is Beautiful



## WildestDandelion (Apr 4, 2019)

I LOVE bald faces but the eyeliner is sad. The eyes are so sensitive. Why would anyone do that??


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

Why would you want to destroy natural beauty by tattooing on eyeliner and on such a sensitive part of the horse. Absolutely ridiculous!


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

I disagree. It's the *hairy* parts on these horses that are beautiful, not the parts that look like they have been irradiated.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I think the eyeliner is an attempt to keep them from getting eyelid cancer. Not just because someone likes the way it looks. I have no idea how effective it is though.


I did have a bald faced Paint gelding some years back but he had dark skin around his eyes. He STILL got a little bit of cancer in his third eyelid (and inside his sheath too) but he was already around 30 when I noticed it so I never got it treated and he died from unrelated causes in his early 30's.


But Paints are prone to some types of cancer and I think the eyeliner is to help with that.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I guess I should also mention I just love, love, love frame overos. And I love blue eyes. But I sort of have a dislike for pink skin around the eyes. It wouldn't keep me from buying a horse though! But if I had my preference I would have a super loud over but with colored skin around the eyes. Just a human preference on my part. 

I don't know why......maybe because the markings aren't as jagged, but I don't like splash as well as frame.


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

trailhorserider said:


> I think the eyeliner is an attempt to keep them from getting eyelid cancer. Not just because someone likes the way it looks. I have no idea how effective it is though.
> 
> 
> I did have a bald faced Paint gelding some years back but he had dark skin around his eyes. He STILL got a little bit of cancer in his third eyelid (and inside his sheath too) but he was already around 30 when I noticed it so I never got it treated and he died from unrelated causes in his early 30's.
> ...





That's a first for me, i've never heard of that being done before but i can see how it could help the horse.


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## WildestDandelion (Apr 4, 2019)

I have a white cat that has pink skin. I think he's gorgeous. You can just see it on the ears. He has one blue eye and one green. I love white dogs too. Just sad for all the health problems they have to deal with. There are currently two deaf and blind white pups at my local humane society.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

*I LOVE this sabino:*











*And this frame would make me do back flips! (I would guess he also has splash or sabino because of the bald face?)*









*
But plain splash is just sort of "meh." ( Sorry Gunner or whomever you are!)*











*It's the jagged markings I love. And blue eyes are cool too!*


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

WildestDandelion said:


> I have a white cat that has pink skin. I think he's gorgeous. You can just see it on the ears. He has one blue eye and one green. I love white dogs too. Just sad for all the health problems they have to deal with. There are currently two deaf and blind white pups at my local humane society.



We have a beautiful calico with blue eyes......I think it's due to her Siamese/seal point color. She is also polydactyl. ;-)


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## humanartrebel1020 (Nov 12, 2018)

I love bald face on a dark chocalate horse like pictures above. I wouldnt ever tattoo on the animal .. it ruins the natural beauty plus some horses already have dark coloring around the eye line .


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Links on tattooing eyeliner on horses:

https://thehorse.com/129323/sun-protection-does-your-horse-need-sunglasses/


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## JoBlueQuarter (Jan 20, 2017)

The eyeliner doesn't look very good imo and I can imagine how very painful that would be. But like trailhorserider said, I can see where there could be legitimate reasons, health-wise, do have that done.



I love bald faces, and I am totally biased!


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

If you have ever had to cate for a horse with that pink skin you'd know how careful you have to he to prevent burns and there just isn't any sunscreen Iwould consider safe to apply to that area. If you did find one you would then have to have an animal good natured enough to let you apply and pray it didn't sweat or drip in the eyes and cause other problems.


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## pasomountain (Dec 19, 2018)

QtrBel said:


> If you have ever had to cate for a horse with that pink skin you'd know how careful you have to he to prevent burns and there just isn't any sunscreen Iwould consider safe to apply to that area. If you did find one you would then have to have an animal good natured enough to let you apply and pray it didn't sweat or drip in the eyes and cause other problems.


That's true. You would have to keep a fly mask on all the time or keep them inside during the day. I still like the way they look but I do understand the problems.


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## pasomountain (Dec 19, 2018)

@JoBlueQuarter Your horse is soooo cute--I just love those blue eyes and soft pink noses!


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

the eyeliner is to protect the eye. just like the lines under a football players eyes it helps reduce the light reflection into the sensitive eye. it also is shown to help reduce eye cancer by reflecting the uv rays from the eye a bit. its done while the horse is under and normally only while a colt is getting gelding. cant be more painful they horrible eye cancer. persenaly i would have it done. tattoos hurt for maybe a day after then are fine.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

QtrBel said:


> If you have ever had to cate for a horse with that pink skin you'd know how careful you have to he to prevent burns and there just isn't any sunscreen Iwould consider safe to apply to that area. If you did find one you would then have to have an animal good natured enough to let you apply and pray it didn't sweat or drip in the eyes and cause other problems.



I actually had a Paint with a ton of white skin and didn't do anything special for him other than a fly mask and a 3 sided shed, the same as for my other horses.


Looking back on it I'm sure his nose did burn a bit in summer because I remember it peeling once in a while, but at that stage in my horse ownership I didn't realize that was what was going on. Now I would be more aware. But still, other than the tip of his nose, nothing else burned. No special care at all. He did have dark skin around his eyes though. (I'm sure pink skin around the eyes would burn really bad).


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

WildestDandelion said:


> I have a white cat that has pink skin. I think he's gorgeous. You can just see it on the ears. He has one blue eye and one green. I love white dogs too. Just sad for all the health problems they have to deal with. There are currently two deaf and blind white pups at my local humane society.


The reason many of those white animals with health problems exist is because people who love that color choose to create them, not caring about whether they suffer or not. 

However, a lot of blind deaf white dogs exist because someone wanted a merle or harlequin colored animal and either didn't know or didn't care that breeding two merles together means that a quarter of the litter (statistically) will be homozygous for that dilution, mostly white, probably deaf, and possibly blind. 

There are many special unusual colors of animals which are unusual exactly because they are unhealthy. But people choose to ignore that.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

There is a horse at the barn that SIL is at that has a bald face with pink around the eyes and an owner that seems not to particularly care. The blistering and peeling plus the scarring from repeated episodes is an open invitation to flies to aggravate and irritate an already insulted wound. The BO keeps the horse in a well shaded pasture if out during the day but mostly does turnout at night as there are more than one with similar markings on the face or large prominent white patches along the spine. Big interest in Paints in her area. Loud Paints. The blistering and peeling on the nose is bad enough but around the eyes to me it is cruel to let that happen when it can be prevented. Not knowing is one thing and many newbies make that mistake but make sure their horse is protected after the first round. Hair doesn't always make a difference as one there has ugly burns on the withers every summer.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

One of my horses is I guess semi-bald. I don't personally like the way it looks, but he was free and it's what's on the inside that counts. These horses look like they have skulls instead of heads. I mean, they could be horses of the apocalypse.

I am shocked that people would have their horses' lids tattoed. Unless it does protect from skin cancer, but even then I think I would hesitate. Seems like a lot of potential to hurt the horse when you got it done.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

I would certainly consider tattooing. White hair and pink skin around the eye in bright sunlight can be very problematic. A mare a ride has white around around one of her eyes. She squints in bright sun, whether in the winter on snow, or summer. She needs sun protection on the thin skin surrounding her eye or it burns. That eye gets weepy without a fly mask, and there'a small spot that we're watching-- if it grows, the spot will be removed as it's likely SCC. If that happens, the vet will tattoo liner around her eye at the same time. It's done under sedation, is quick, and safe. It will make her much more comfortable and hopefully prevent the cancer from returning. And we're in the midwest, where the sun is strong, but not nearly as strong as in other parts of the country/world. This mare has problems already due to her color, and she's four years old.... she does not burn on the rest of her white, just on the face and around her eye. 

She's on the left in the photo, and belongs to a friend. 

I will not buy a horse with a bald face/pink skin around the eyes. It's too much hassle and worry for a horse that lives out on pasture.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Caledonian said:


> Why would you want to destroy natural beauty by tattooing on eyeliner and on such a sensitive part of the horse. Absolutely ridiculous!


It's not done for looks. It's done to hopefully prevent cancer or a recurrence of cancer, and protect the horse. The horse in the top photo with the pink skin around his eye has carcinoma growing in the corner of the eye due to the white hair and pink skin. The photo with liner, the cancer is removed, and the liner was likely tattooed at the same time. White hair and pink skin hugely increase the risk of cancer in horses exposed to sunlight. Tattooing makes the horse much less likely to develop it, and keeps them more comfortable. Horses that spent every moment outside on sunny days squinting with watery eyes will stop it once the liner is done.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Speaking as someone that had to treat several horses (4 with repeat occurrences) with cancer in/of the eye (eventually one died, one had the eye removed - along with a large grapefruit sized tumor behind it, one had the third eyelid removed, one had repeated occurrences but after the third time no recurrence and one was a once and done. The cancer was not related to this subject. The treatment was intense, of a longer duration and the meds used were chemo agents that not unlike regumate had to handled with extreme care. There were injections into the area and drops in the eye. Fortunately all of the horse were rock solid on stand and very tolerant. Tattoos to me are something worth considering. They process is done under sedation and recovery is quick (about a week for swelling - slight and redness to resolve). It also lasts for the lifetime of the horse. You're protecting both the skin and the actual eye. Your only realistic alternative is a mask that you would need to have on when in the sun whether in the pasture or riding/driving.


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## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

I have come to love bald faces although they def increase the level of special care. Rodeo gets sunburned fairly easily, and he squints with his one eye, the one that has all white around it. It will also tear and goop up in bright/snowy and bright weather and the other eye that has color around it will not.

Basically, sunblock and fly masks majority of the time, well to an extent, spring and fall doesnt cause too many issues, summer and winter he has his issues.


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