# Any special health issues/care for Perlinos?



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Cremellos and perlinos tend to have the same range of shades for body color- the main difference really coming in just with the mane & tail. So they'd be the same regarding any potential issues.

Cremellos/perlinos aren't quite as defenseless against the sun as pintos; the skin under white pinto markings have _no_ pigment, while the pink skin of a double dilute (and the "white" hair that grows out of it) is still lightly pigmented.

I've seen my cremello's nose get lightly burned, but he has a white marking there (a real one, not just his cream coloration ;-)) so I really don't think that's a result of him being cremello. However, my barn doesn't offer a lot of turnout (2-4 hours/daily) so I don't know if I'd have more issues if he were in the sun all day. 

He does seem to squint a bit in really bright light, so I have a fly mask for him for turnout.

Regarding feet- white hooves are just as strong as black hooves. My boy is barefoot and has lovely feet that rarely chip (and have never cracked). My avatar image is him finishing a cross country course barefoot a few weeks ago


----------



## Misty789 (Jul 29, 2013)

Great! I keep a fly mask on her most days, because of sun and flies, but I was worried because I heard a lot of stories about white horses getting eye cancers, going blind, etc.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

As far as I know there are no issues with those colors. (With most colors)

There may be issues simply due to the coat being so light (sunburn)

If she doesn't sunburn then she doesn't sunburn. Just keep an eye out and if you see it starting jump on it quickly. It just means she's more likely to sunburn. Just like some people.

I've known horses with a lot of white who don't (more often then not) and minimal white who do. Just be aware and that is that.

The muzzle is the most vulnerable.

White vs black feet is a myth. Some say black are weaker. Again, individuals may have drastic differences but based on color alone there's no difference.


----------



## 2scicrazed (Apr 7, 2014)

I've had a solid white 'fewspot' apply that never burned - yet my 90% white ssh burns on nose. You just have to see how the horse's skin reacts and change your management accordingly.

It is always a wise move to put fly masks on all horses. Especially if they are in a mostly sunny pasture. Dark eyes can develop cataracts and cancer just like blue eyes.

As to white hooves - I've had just as much success competing barefoot with them as with dark hooves. Again, you just have to see what each horse needs.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

So long as you keep a fly mask on you shouldn't have any problems. 

I did read an article some years ago, I believe it was in EQUUS magazine, that horses with light colored eyes and lighter skin cannot reflect the suns rays as easily as a darker skinned horse and that can lead to blindness issues, but that a fly mask would help cut down that risk quite a bit.
I have noticed that exact thing with several blue eyed pintos with no pigments around their eyes, but I couldn't tell you that that was the exact cause.

Either way I do enjoy a well conformed horse, and a well conformed horse with a bit of color...yummy!


----------

