Copper & Coat Color
We often talk about copper deficiency in horses, and specifically its role in coat color. Copper is part of an enzyme called tyrosinase which is essential for the production of melanin. Melanin is what gives the skin, hair and eyes their color.
So it makes sense that copper deficiency would cause a change in coat color! If an animal doesn’t have enough copper, they don’t make enough melanin and if they don’t have enough melanin they can’t color their coat.
Hereford cattle are my ‘copper deficiency canaries’… their coat color fades quite quickly when they become copper deficient. So they show me areas around the country that are low in copper (which is almost everywhere). Where herefords should normally be a rich liver red color, copper deficient herefords become a burnt orange color.

The ones shown in the photo here are on a farm not far from where I live. Having been in drought conditions for well over a year now they are likely deficient in almost everything, but certainly the copper deficiency is showing in their coats!
Copper deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies I see in equine diets. And unfortunately copper deficiency affects many things including hoof and joint health in all horses, increased susceptibility to uterine artery rupture in foaling mares and higher incidence of OCD joint lesions in young horses. Really recommend using FeedXL to check your horse’s copper intake.
Do you have a question or comment? Do you need help with feeding?
We would love to welcome you to our FeedXL Horse Nutrition Facebook Group. Ask questions and have them answered by PhD and Masters qualified equine nutritionists and spend time with like-minded horse owners. It’s free!
Click here to join the FeedXL Horse Nutrition Facebook Group
