# Equine Eyeliner



## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

I hope some of you have heard of Equine Eyeliner or Eye Tattooing. Blu has pink skin, his eyes water alot, and he gets occasional sunburn. I had some friends tell me to put tattoo ink around his eyes. I wondered..how does that work?! So I looked it up and discovered its a medical procedure that is awfully pricey. 

Just a thought...how ridiculous would it be if I put regular people eyeliner on Blu when I ride??? I thought it would look better in public anyway.  But he wears a flymask and baby sunscreen(SPF 50) otherwise.

..............................?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Have you thought about that stuff that football players wear? You know, that thick black streak on their cheeks. That might help though it would look a little funny. Maybe put it on top of the sunscreen.  Although if you show, that would probably not be acceptable.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Not Acceptable? 

Also, I can't decide between a brown the same color as his points or straight black...


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

Not accebtable, as in the show won't allow it


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Yes. I am aware of what 'not acceptable' means.. 

Anyways..

Is that like an every show won't or what? What makes it unacceptable?


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## Whipple (Feb 2, 2009)

I think it wouldn't be acceptable in such things as halter or whatever. I don't think they'd care if the horse was poka dots in barrels or something.

I think it would be a good idea, but I'd go with black. How much space are you looking to cover up?


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Hey Blu  
I think its one of those things that would depend on the type of show. I know many of them, that sort of thing is acceptable the same as twinkle toes hoof glitter and sparkle in the mane and tail. I think you would want to do a thin line around the eye not like the football player look. The stuff is called eye black and its fairly inexpensive. You could probably get some from a foot ball player at school or most sporting goods stores.


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## Fancygal (May 14, 2009)

hey my mare has pink around her eyes, I do paint shows and you may have the tattooing around the eyes. You may have to change his papers or something not sure you would have to check with the breed association. But my mare doesn't have the tattooing but I have thought about it. But when my mare is in the pasture I always put sunscreen on her nose cheeks and I put some on my hands and rub them together I little bit then put it on her eyes then I put a fly mask on her. Also at show I try to keep her in the shade as much as possible. But I would wonder if the stuff football players wear would run into the eyes.


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## Shawneen (Apr 22, 2009)

I don't think it would hurt to try regular eyeliner, I don't see how anyone would know the difference with that at a show unless you made him look like Tammy Faye Baker LOL (google her for a pic youngsters) I would think that would help him a lot, in fact. Just make sure that you keep the sunscreen going. You could probably try the eyeblack stuff too for when you are riding at home and whatnot. You might even take the eyeliner and/or eyeblack and put it somewhere else on his body for a day before you put it on his eyes, to make sure he wont have a reaction to it. Somewhere that would considered a sensitive place I would think.
The eye tattooing - I am not sure on the exact price, but I don't think it's too expensive. My mom was going to get her paint filly done, but then opted to just let her be her.


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## saint3meg3rlfc (May 16, 2009)

When I read the title I thought they had actually marketed makeup for horses


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

I read its about $850 per eye on average. That's way more than i can afford. I'm going to try regular eyeliner and see how that goes. I'm going out tomorrow and hopefully i can put some on him...Maybe his nose first. THANKS!


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## Fancygal (May 14, 2009)

eyeliner should work because a friend of mine used it on her horse, but becareful because he might or might not be allergic to it.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Definitely get a high end eyeliner that is hypo allergenic, non codmogenic, etc.. If you're going that route.


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## Chavez (May 18, 2009)

I have never heard of anything like this..good luck


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## Miss Katie (Dec 30, 2007)

Is it not common practice in America for showies to plaster their horses with makeup??


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

I really hope those that are recommending human eye liner are joking.

Sticking a pencil that close to a horses eye? The bill would be a lot more than $850 if the horse moves wrong.

Sunscreen or a fly mask is a lot safer. Think health - not appearance.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I would definitly go with the eye black and use your fingers to apply it. I think a stick type eyeliner pencil could be dangerous too. 
They have this at walmart


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## Shawneen (Apr 22, 2009)

How is applying eyeliner and different from clipping the hairs off their eyes? I have never tried eyeliner on a horse, but if you know your horse will stand I don't see a problem with it.


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## Whipple (Feb 2, 2009)

mls, I doubt anyone is reccomending that the eyeliner be used in that way. More like how football players put the black stuff under their eyes.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

I used a makeup wedge to apply it on his nose first. Turned out fine so I put it on his eyes. They stopped watering and I personally think it looks better. I'll post pics as soon as I can. 

mls - One reason I want to have black around his eyes is for health. Having pink skin makes him a huge candidate for blindness, skin cancer, and other eye damage. Thanks for the input. 

Miss Katie - I have used hoof polish once. And I will probably never use it again. We couldn't get it out and my old horse's hooves dried out and cracked. Not the best idea in my opinion. Hooves are hooves. As long as they are nice and clean, why polish them. ( I prefer Appy stripes.)


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

In my research of the equine eyeliner I learned that its true. Thats the main reason for the permanent tattooing is to help prevent blindness and sun sensitivity. Interesting stuff


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## maureenb (Feb 4, 2009)

I would just use the fly mask or equine sun screen. The eyeliner is unnatural and could cause other problems. Not to mention in the summer it could run and get in his eyes which would be painful.


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## ohmyitschelle (Aug 23, 2008)

Couldn't you get some black highlight makeup? Over here in NZ we have this stuff which you can get worldwide called... Champion Tails Highlight Makeup. It comes in several shades, including black and here's what it says: 

*Designed to darken around the eyes, muzzle and dark points of the legs, for that winning show look. Available in 75g soft squeeze tube with applicator nozzle, and 250g pot.*

We use it on all our show horses, whatever colour we desire. I think it'd be much easier to apply, and it is made specifically for horses. We just use a sponge, and apply it that way... 

Here's my pansy man with his makeup on (he thoroughly loves it over his eyes)... I know he's dark bay, but we use it to take his "mousy" look away, and even it up with the rest of the colour of his coat.
WITHOUT MAKEUP:










WITH IT:










x


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

That is very interesting Rochelle. I didn't know that they made things like that specifically for horses. Stunning horse by the way.


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## ohmyitschelle (Aug 23, 2008)

I didn't either, I laughed when my best friend told me she put makeup on horses... she did the above handiwork with my horse, Evo. I've seen it really enhance a horse who, for no better words, needs to stand out a bit more. Of course, if you put too much or too little on, just like with humans it doesn't look right. 
Showing is hardcore... I've seen so much that I never thought existed as a show groom haha!!!
x


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

I don't show halter but I have a baldie. I used maybaline brand, it worked fine. It wore completly off by day two. I ended up going the tattoo route. It's been almost two weeks, and the tattoo has faded alot. To a grey like color, but honestly it still looks pretty natural. 
Here's her befor pic. I don't have any recent one yet.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

what braind of eyeliner did you use? my mare has 1 baldie eye, andi honestly didn't know that having a non eyeliner eye could cause such health problems.


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

My second horse was an Appy who had that same sunburn issue around the eyes and nose. I used the same sunblock as the lifeguards use..the white cream; Zinc Oxide. Being a lifeguard myself at the time I had plenty of it around


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

Maybaline not sure the specific kind. But it was to help your lashes grow. I used it on my baldie because it went on smoothe. I got it at Target.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

any one have pictures so i can see how much around the eye i should do?


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## lucky2008 (Aug 17, 2010)

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/tattooing-horses-eye-107894/

Here is a thread about tattooing and I have a video on one of the pages I found of a horse getting its eye tattooed
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Light colors reflect light, dark colors absorb it. Putting black around the eyes would absorb the light rather than reflect it into his eyes. I have been told tattoos are somewhat painful, so the healing time might be upsetting for him. I would suggest getting a full-face fly mask that is made out of a material that will prevent the sun from shining through and burning your horse's face. Putting regular eyeliner on a horse is probably not an intirely good idea. It could work, but investing in a good flymask is probably a better thing.

As to why it isn't acceptable to have war paint on in some shows is the same reason you couldn't bleach a paint's hair to make it look better. Even if it is for health reasons, generally altering the animal's appearance is frowned upon if not against the rules. If you are going to show then you could just ride without anything and put it back on in the end. But with regular riding, it might be a good idea to see if there is any sort of bonnet or mask you could give him.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

saint3meg3rlfc said:


> When I read the title I thought they had actually marketed makeup for horses


There is loads of makeup for horses out there. I personaly use the Supreme products black makeup on horses but I have used the champion tails stuff and the gold label stuff.

The Supreme products stuff had sun protection built into it



ButtInTheDirt said:


> Light colors reflect light, dark colors absorb it. Putting black around the eyes would absorb the light rather than reflect it into his eyes.


It will also give some protection against burning and conciquently skin cancer.


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## horseanimal11 (May 19, 2010)

I have a friend with a paint mare. She barrel races, and during the summer she uses a black Sharpie around her horse's eyes. You only have to redo it every week or so, and it works pretty well.


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