# Black horses, and keeping them black!! ???



## PaintChicky (Jul 25, 2010)

Hey everyone, 

So I have recently purchased a new horse, he is dark brown/black.. 
Does anyone have any tips or secrets on what they feed/wash or do to enhance there black horses coats and darken it??

Any thing is really appreciated  

Thanks


----------



## JackofDiamonds (Aug 31, 2010)

*Show pony die! *hehe works _very_ well..Or *Globlack shampoo* (just were gloves). Im lucky my blacks were always *black. *Dont feed him livermole. You can also feed him tubes of Copper to help enhance his natural colour, just not to often as you could cause him to colic or stomach olsars. Diets with oil help to, so sun flower seeds,flax seeds or other high oil feeds. Some people say paprika, but ive never tried it...Keep him rugged 24/7. Its so much hard work, everyone wants a black horse until they get one! =P


----------



## PaintChicky (Jul 25, 2010)

Thanks SOO much!!  you said not to feed livermol, i am feeding him heaps at the moment, why is this not good for him ???/


----------



## JackofDiamonds (Aug 31, 2010)

PaintChicky said:


> Thanks SOO much!!  you said not to feed livermol, i am feeding him heaps at the moment, why is this not good for him ???/


No its _really good _for them(magic stuff). But it has an ingridient in it that Enhances Chestnuts, so you will find him looking very sun bleached and red or more on the browner side.. From my expeirence:lol: I know Friesian Studs use paprika, and there always freakishly black..


----------



## GCSM16 (Feb 6, 2010)

I have had great results with QuicBlack shampoo


----------



## MustangBlue (Feb 11, 2010)

My horse is very very black...so I've never had this issue. But I'm sure you could find somewhere at your local feed store or horse supply.


----------



## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

I have a brown thoroughbred, not black, but he gets close if I work at it
We give him the show safe BaK year round, but that's it. Before shows I like to use Quic Black shampoo.

Here is the before shot (Before we started using the show safe BaK and shown so heavily that we were unable to give him the regular BaK). Please note that I'm aware that he is skinny here.








And the after, a few months later, right before going into winter. A few months on it.


----------



## CB Ranch Horses (Dec 21, 2008)

Buy a fly sheet! You dont realize how much they cut the UV light, I had a bay Thoroughbred Filly who I used to keep one on and I took it off her for a week or so and couldnt believe how sunburned she got, also Spray on Sunscreens work well.


----------



## Tobyness (Nov 16, 2010)

Summer= Turnout at night only to reduce bleaching of his coat. 

I had a black/dark brown gelding and i had to do it to keep him black and keep him cool in the summer. Color enhancing shampoos work nicely too.


----------



## charlicata (Jan 12, 2010)

There is a supplement out that is called Black as Knight. I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard it works really well.


----------



## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

Sweat will also help them fade. Rinse them off after every ride and it will help too


----------



## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Great tips! I have the fading problem with my black mare. She has white socks up to her knees/hocks. What do the supplements to do white markings? Any effect? Thanks!


----------



## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

Ladytrails said:


> Great tips! I have the fading problem with my black mare. She has white socks up to her knees/hocks. What do the supplements to do white markings? Any effect? Thanks!


No affect, some people even use BaK on dappled greys so their dapples will appear more contrasting. If you show, make sure you get the show safe one because paprika will give a false positive.


----------



## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Very good info! My horses are pasture babes so keeping them out of the sun isn't an easy option. I'd never heard of some of these tips! Thanks!


----------



## BlueJayWay (Feb 8, 2010)

Wait, why would you color your horse black?


----------



## BlueJayWay (Feb 8, 2010)

I mean, from brown to black? 
Sorry, just wondering.


----------



## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

BlueJayWay said:


> I mean, from brown to black?
> Sorry, just wondering.


It's actually mostly for show. Most people prefer black horses to brown ones and sun fading is usually uneven and can look pretty ugly. It's really only a superficial thing.


----------



## PaintChicky (Jul 25, 2010)

thank you so much everyone, 

my horse is stabled 24/7 and if he goes out its only for a little bit of time in the nights, he only gets worked by my trainer in the early hours of the morning and late hours of the afternoon. He is in full show condition and is currently getting preped for the nationals which are next year, im really keen to feed him the paprika, but dont want it to show up on drug tests, how long does it stay in the horses system for and how much should i be feeding him ???


----------



## mumiinek (Aug 4, 2010)

I feed my horse paprika and BOSS but I'll only see the results in spring when he sheds his winter coat. I'm sure his coat will be as black as coal but what I'm really interested in is how long it will actually stay that way.


----------



## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

PaintChicky said:


> thank you so much everyone,
> 
> my horse is stabled 24/7 and if he goes out its only for a little bit of time in the nights, he only gets worked by my trainer in the early hours of the morning and late hours of the afternoon. He is in full show condition and is currently getting preped for the nationals which are next year, im really keen to feed him the paprika, but dont want it to show up on drug tests, how long does it stay in the horses system for and how much should i be feeding him ???


If it's like BaK you need to take him off at least a week (I would do a week and a half to be safe) I'm not sure about dosing though.


----------



## ozhorseman (Dec 1, 2010)

Keep him covered when in the sun, and well fed and he should glow.

Any high 'energy' feeds, like oils and sunflower seeds will help your cause


----------



## charlicata (Jan 12, 2010)

PaintChicky said:


> im really keen to feed him the paprika, but dont want it to show up on drug tests, how long does it stay in the horses system for and how much should i be feeding him ???


I would like to know how much paprika to feed also. Rook is out most of the time and is pretty much a reddish black by the end of summer. I don't show, so it's strictly preference. It was really hot this summer, so I don't want to keep him covered because he's a hard keeper and I don't want to risk him losing weight by sweating so much. (He's approx 1300 - 1400 lbs)


----------

