# Paprika for horse coat color enhancement?



## Tnavas

Yes I've used it and it definately made a difference to my mares bright Bay coat. It is a swabbable substance though so if you are competing then you can't feed it.

No-one seems to be able to advise what the withholding period is. I used it for a few months towards the end of winter when her coat was developing for the summer


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## paintedpastures

Yes Paprika can enhance a horses color. 
It contains Capsaicin that is testable drug in competitions. Capsaicin Causes Trouble for Olympic Horses | EQUINE Ink


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## HorseCrazyTeen

That's pretty interesting about it being illegal in competitions. I guess I don't show so it wouldn't matter, but that's good to know. I can see how consuming capsaicin could make a horse a little hot, but didn't realize that would work topically. Anyway, I'm just interested in making my horse's beautiful red coat even redder! If nobody else here has tried it, I might do a "before and after" next year and see if you can tell the difference!


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## Tnavas

Horsecrazyteen - the capsacin in the paprika makes the skin more sensitive hence the reason it is not allowed for competition.

Feed 1 tablespoon daily and you will notice a difference. If you cover the horse too the sun doesn't fade the coat


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## WSArabians

Huh. Interesting. I heard mayonnaise works too.


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## HorseCrazyTeen

WSArabians said:


> Huh. Interesting. I heard mayonnaise works too.


 Really??? That's definitely interesting. Does is redden the coat, or keep it from bleaching out? And do you feed it to them or..umm...slather it on? Seems to me it would take an _awful_ lot of mayo. LOL


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## BarrelRacingLvr

Yes....this is my mare when she was on paprika this summer...









and this is her after being off of the Paprika, I ran out and forgot to order more. She was off for about 3 weeks.......










JJ on the Paprika....









JJ when I ran out of paprika same time frame as Polly.....










So yes in my experience it works.....


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## paintedpastures

Good examples you can really notice the differences


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## Tnavas

Serious difference - off to buy Paprika again.

How much were you feeding them each day


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## BarrelRacingLvr

Tnavas said:


> Serious difference - off to buy Paprika again.
> 
> How much were you feeding them each day


I feed Polly 3 tablespoons and JJ 1-2 tablespoons
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## caljane

WSArabians said:


> Huh. Interesting. I heard mayonnaise works too.


Mayonnaise is oil and eggs - both make the hair shinier, I guess that is why it works. I give underweight horses a cup of vegetable oil twice a day and beside them gaining weight they get a beautiful coat. Not sure if eggs are easily digested by horses, but I give egg yolks to cats and dogs that need something extra.


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## HorseCrazyTeen

Wow. Those are great examples BarrelRacingLvr! Thanks for posting them; they sure convinced me. Guess what my horse's next additive is going to be? lol.


By the way, how heavy is polly? My horse is 15hh and 970 pounds so I'm not sure how much is the right amount. Thank you!


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## BarrelRacingLvr

HorseCrazyTeen said:


> Wow. Those are great examples BarrelRacingLvr! Thanks for posting them; they sure convinced me. Guess what my horse's next additive is going to be? lol.
> 
> 
> By the way, how heavy is polly? My horse is 15hh and 970 pounds so I'm not sure how much is the right amount. Thank you!


She pushes 16.3ish it has been forever since we measured her and it has slipped my mind. And I am not sure how much she weighs, but she is big boned and stout mare. I would do 1-2 tablespoons for yours, for Scrat who is 15.1 gets 1 scoop but he never really changes colors like the other two.


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## HorseCrazyTeen

BarrelRacingLvr said:


> She pushes 16.3ish it has been forever since we measured her and it has slipped my mind. And I am not sure how much she weighs, but she is big boned and stout mare. I would do 1-2 tablespoons for yours, for Scrat who is 15.1 gets 1 scoop but he never really changes colors like the other two.


Thanks! You helped me a lot. I'll probably start giving her one tablespoon and see how it does. Thanks again for all of your replies!


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## BarrelRacingLvr

HorseCrazyTeen said:


> Thanks! You helped me a lot. I'll probably start giving her one tablespoon and see how it does. Thanks again for all of your replies!


Ya I weaned mine onto their amounts as well (forgot to mention that).


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## ARTEMISBLOSSOM

Are there any side effects or dangers to this? Would you feed it year round or just spring to fall?


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## Fingerlakes

Darkens real good too. I made low carb cookies with about 1tbsp paprika per cookie. One cookie a day for my Perch/standardbred.

With...










Without


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## Muppetgirl

How hot does it make a horse......or should I say how sensitive does their skin get? Would love to do this with my guy....but he's pretty sensitive, would hate to get anymore sensitive:lol:


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## Tnavas

I didn't find any difference to be honest - I think its aquestion of try and see


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## Fingerlakes

Muppetgirl said:


> How hot does it make a horse......or should I say how sensitive does their skin get? Would love to do this with my guy....but he's pretty sensitive, would hate to get anymore sensitive:lol:



I incorporate mine into a cookie. No issues eating it that way.


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## HorseCrazyTeen

BarrelRacingLvr~ Oh yeah, that's a good idea. I'll definitely do that. Thank you!

ARTEMISBLOSSOM~ Maybe I'll just feed the paprika to my mare from the beginning of Spring to the end of fall; no real need to do it in the Winter, right?

Fingerlakes~ Thanks for posting those pictures! It really does make a difference on black horses too. And I have a question. How do you make those cookies you were talking about? What are the other ingredients you mix the paprika in with? It would be nice not to have the sensitive skin issue and the cookies would be easy to feed. Thanks again! :wave:


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## Fingerlakes

HorseCrazyTeen said:


> BarrelRacingLvr~ Oh yeah, that's a good idea. I'll definitely do that. Thank you!
> 
> ARTEMISBLOSSOM~ Maybe I'll just feed the paprika to my mare from the beginning of Spring to the end of fall; no real need to do it in the Winter, right?
> 
> Fingerlakes~ Thanks for posting those pictures! It really does make a difference on black horses too. And I have a question. How do you make those cookies you were talking about? What are the other ingredients you mix the paprika in with? It would be nice not to have the sensitive skin issue and the cookies would be easy to feed. Thanks again! :wave:


 
Some horses I found will eat the paprika right from your hand.

Mine does this when I feed him paprika. He doesn't like it plain.










I use this recipe and just substitute paprika for a little bit of the grains and bran. You'll have to figure out the amounts to put in vs the amount of cookies you want to make.

2 Cups Dry Oatmeal
3/4 Cup Grain
3 Cups Bran
1 Cup Molasses
Mix Oats, Grain and Bran together in a bucket. Drizzle in Molasses while
mixing with your hands (you're looking for a consistency a little thinner
than Play-Doh). Place dollups (about half a handful) on a cookie sheet
and bake at 350 for ten minutes or less. These have a tendency to burn - watch them!!!!. They never
get completely hard, but they store nicely.​


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## HorseCrazyTeen

Fingerlakes said:


> Some horses I found will eat the paprika right from your hand.
> 
> Mine does this when I feed him paprika. He doesn't like it plain.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I use this recipe and just substitute paprika for a little bit of the grains and bran. You'll have to figure out the amounts to put in vs the amount of cookies you want to make.
> 
> 2 Cups Dry Oatmeal
> 3/4 Cup Grain
> 3 Cups Bran
> 1 Cup Molasses
> Mix Oats, Grain and Bran together in a bucket. Drizzle in Molasses while
> mixing with your hands (you're looking for a consistency a little thinner
> than Play-Doh). Place dollups (about half a handful) on a cookie sheet
> and bake at 350 for ten minutes or less. These have a tendency to burn - watch them!!!!. They never
> get completely hard, but they store nicely.​


 Well, if my horse doesn't take it just mixed up in her grain then I will definitely do this. Thank you so much for your help!

Funny face! I wonder if my horse will do that when I feed it to her...

Edit: My mom said to forget the mixing paprika in her grain; she thinks it would be fun to make these cookies!!


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## Eolith

There seems to be a misunderstanding about just what capsaicin is and how it relates to paprika and horse shows. I'd like to try to clear it up. Capsaicin is the chemical compound that makes chili peppers hot and spicy because it is an irritant. Capsaicin is found in the fruit of any member of the Capsicum genus of plants. Paprika is a member of this genus, but it is typically a very mild pepper which means that it contains very minimal levels of Capsaicin (we all know paprika isn't typically all that spicy, right?).

When you feed your horse paprika, it *will not* cause your horse to have skin sensitivity or to be hotter. Capsaicin has to be intentionally extracted and applied *topically* to cause skin sensitivity. The reason it is banned is because it is an abusive practice -- it causes burning pain and sensitivity when it is intentionally applied in its concentrated form to a horse's skin.

Feeding your horse paprika means that he will essentially trigger a "false positive" if he were tested at a highly competitive show. Capsaicin will be present in minimal levels on his bloodwork and what the testers don't know is that you've been feeding your horse paprika to make bring out his color -- not burning his legs.

The bottom line: feeding paprika does not cause skin sensitivity or hotness


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## Tnavas

I find mine eat the paprika with no problem I grind fresh Flax Seed and Sunflowers each day and add the paprika to this mix. Then it goes in the feed with some sugarbeet.

Will definately make the cookies though as madam likes to have a special reward and this way I don't have to give her a proper feed. She really doesn't need to eat more than a cookie - she's a fatty!


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## Tnavas

Eolith said:


> There seems to be a misunderstanding about just what capsaicin is and how it relates to paprika and horse shows. I'd like to try to clear it up. Capsaicin is the chemical compound that makes chili peppers hot and spicy because it is an irritant. Capsaicin is found in the fruit of any member of the Capsicum genus of plants. Paprika is a member of this genus, but it is typically a very mild pepper which means that it contains very minimal levels of Capsaicin (we all know paprika isn't typically all that spicy, right?).
> 
> When you feed your horse paprika, it *will not* cause your horse to have skin sensitivity or to be hotter. Capsaicin has to be intentionally extracted and applied *topically* to cause skin sensitivity. The reason it is banned is because it is an abusive practice -- it causes burning pain and sensitivity when it is intentionally applied in its concentrated form to a horse's skin.
> 
> Feeding your horse paprika means that he will essentially trigger a "false positive" if he were tested at a highly competitive show. Capsaicin will be present in minimal levels on his bloodwork and what the testers don't know is that you've been feeding your horse paprika to make bring out his color -- not burning his legs.
> 
> The bottom line: feeding paprika does not cause skin sensitivity or hotness



Thanks for that - I've not been able to find ouot any information before


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## dreamsunwind

My mare fades horribly in the summer, I would love for her coat to stay nice! She lives outside and keeping her inside or covered isn't an option because I don't have stalls and it's too hot! I show 4-H, WIHA (Wisconsin Inter-Scholastic Horse Association), and open shows. I have never been drug tested. Would it be safe for me to feed my mare this even during the show season?


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## TaraBearaIsBack

I'm actually curious about using this as well, but I am planning on showing my filly and gelding in AQHA shows this coming year, would it be a problem? 

And Also, if I start using it now and then find a show on say January 14, when should I stop using it?


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## mls

I have never understood what difference a slight fading is. I'd rather have a happy, healthy horse than one who stayed the same color year round.


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## ARTEMISBLOSSOM

Mls are you saying that paprika cause some kind of a health issue in horses?


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## Eolith

If you are implying that paprika will compromise a horse's health Mls, that is incorrect. A horse will be no more or less happy and healthy if you feed them paprika.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NeuroticMare

What about a UV flysheet in the summer? I never used them because it seemed counter-intuitive to cover up a horse when it's hot, but I got my gelding a Weatherbeeta one and not only did it keep the buggies off him, it kept him dark and cooler than he would be without it. I boarded at a barn that had very bad flies.


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## Tnavas

Eolith said:


> If you are implying that paprika will compromise a horse's health Mls, that is incorrect. A horse will be no more or less happy and healthy if you feed them paprika.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Paprika contains Capsaicin which is a swabbable substance for competition so has to be withdrawn prior to competition.


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## Eolith

Tnavas said:


> Paprika contains Capsaicin which is a swabbable substance for competition so has to be withdrawn prior to competition.


I know that. My point is that paprika *does not* affect the horse's health or happiness. If you read my post a little earlier in this thread, you'll see my explanation of the capsaicin thing.

I can't say it enough: *paprika does not harm a horse in any way shape or form*. It's only purified capsaicin applied to the horse's skin that hurts them.


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## Smokum

I like using paprika on my black based horses. Even my blue roan appy gets some. It defiantly brings out the shine in my mares


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## Tnavas

Eolith - I think I picked up the wrong quote 

I meant to use ARTEMISBLOSSOM's quotehttp://www.horseforum.com/members/22623/


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## Smokum

I like to give my horses maybe a teaspoon each feeding


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## TheAQHAGirl

Paprika does in fact enhance the horse's coat. My friend uses it and it works.

However I would check with your local shows because Paprika is illegal in some shows.


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## Mercy

I've never thought about using 'supplements' ( like spices) for a horse's health or coat.

Well, now that I think about it, I did read that peppermint oil can be good to help a horse's respiratory system...


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## horsietori

HorseCrazyTeen said:


> I've heard that giving a sorrel horse paprika makes their coats even redder, and it is supposed to make black horses look blacker--kind of deepens coat colors, I guess. Does it make a noticeable difference? Have any of you used it or heard of it? If so, how much would you give a horse? I'm very curious about this as I would love to try it on my mare.


Kelp works MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH better!!!! Kelp is a great all around supplement that supports everything from coat health to reproductive health and more. And it isn't illegal in competitions!!!!!!!!!! I use kelp on my palomino mare. She turns gold in the summer like she should-even when out in the sun. Give him 2 ounces. You could probably do 3 and then move to 2 when you see a difference. Too much though can cause "Bend Or spots" supposedly... My mare has a few but it is common in palominos-I also give her 4 ounces because I'm trying to get her even more gold. The spots don't bother me so it doesn't matter. Paprika is stupid to use because you have to start and stop all the time before shows. Don't take the risk. Please! And I have noticed horses like kelp better too...


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## Tnavas

Be careful - you can overdo many vitanins and minerals if you over feed kelp


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## Lwhisperer

Subbing. Thinking of trying this on my bay paint to see what happens... I've always been fonder of the darker bay color.


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