>>> It's not the blue eyes but the pink skin that does them in. Of course, >>> I have never seen a blue eyed horse that doesn't have pink skin but I >>> have seen brown eyed horses that also have pink skin (think >>> Appaloosa's). Any horse with pink skin should wear a long fly mask >>> and/or use sunscreen, especially in the sunny areas of the country. >>> It's just like skin cancer for us - getting much more prevalent.
You know, I normally complain about breed standards that favor (or disfavor) any particular color, but that said, I do understand that there was once some basic for the QH people excluding pintos (which became the "Paint" breed). I think that is the reason - pink skin is not the greatest asset for a working horse in the sunny parts of the world. I love Gracie (my QH x BLM Mustang - the pinto from the mustang side) but I hope to never have another horse with so much white on her/his face. Her white face is sort of in the area between "wide blaze" but not quite "bald face". I try to keep the ex-long flymask on during the summer, but it never stays on for very long. And she hates the smell of zinc oxide, which seems to be the only sunscreen that lasts very long. At least the skin right around her eyes is dark. Right now, I need to make an appointment for my white cat to have the skin cancers removed from the tips of her ears... Same cause: pink skin. Karen Thomas, NC
