Gray OTTBs ....

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Originally Posted by Isabeau Z Solace

Well, melanoma might not kill'em, but I've got one who's been forced into early retirement. Sound as a bell, but being slowly choked. Already had surgery done on the throat latch area on both sides several years ago. Perfectly sound horse. Very annoying.:mad:

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I've known three that died before 15 from Melanoma complications, including a GP jumper. But also known as many with no issue....including the 32 year old pony who is my babysitter for the youngsters. Sorry about your horse, it can be heartbreaking to deal with it.

Personally, I've owned a few Gray horses. I have one gray OTTB (she was free). But not my ideal color...as it is PITA to keep clean. As a show groom though...the black horses were the WORST. They showed every line when clipping...and showed every speck of dust. At least the Gray horses once cleaned looked clean even if they got a touch of dust on them from the warm up!

My old Arab show horse was a stunning gray. He was 14 when I got him, so he was already "white". He was the HARDEST horse to keep clean. He would sniff out a mud puddle, and to this day was the only horse I've seen roll in standing water. In winter his neck would be a dirty brownish, while his body was shockingly white. However, he was absolutely gorgeous when he was bathed (three times and dressed from hoof to ear in sleazy sleepwear).

He had melanomas on his tail and some in his mane when we purchased him, and despite Cimetidine, the tumors grew and spread. He had the worst case of them three different vets had seen. When the ones on the inside of his lips got to the point where he was dropping grain, we made the heartbreaking decision to donate him to the Univ. of IL vet program.

I would LOVE to have a dark dapple, and I think I'm one of a handful of people who like flea-bitten grays, but seeing the melanomas grow to a point where his health would start to go was awful.

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Originally Posted by bornfreenowexpensive

Personally, I've owned a few Gray horses. I have one gray OTTB (she was free). But not my ideal color...as it is PITA to keep clean. As a show groom though...the black horses were the WORST. They showed every line when clipping...and showed every speck of dust. At least the Gray horses once cleaned looked clean even if they got a touch of dust on them from the warm up!

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Ah yes - one MAJOR advantage in gray horse grooming - they are SO easy to body clip. You have to be really awful with the clippers to leave marks. LOL!! :lol::lol:

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Originally Posted by Fox Wood Farm

Ah yes - one MAJOR advantage in gray horse grooming - they are SO easy to body clip. You have to be really awful with the clippers to leave marks. LOL!! :lol::lol:

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yup...loved clipping the dapple gray horses...it hid every mistake. Even white doesn't show the lines. Of course most of my horses are Chestnuts and dark brown. Chestnuts turn a pumpkin color that shows every mistake...and the dark brown ones can turn a funky grayish brown that highlights mistakes too :) You do learn to be pretty darn good clipping.....or just pay someone who is good :)

I am guilty of looking specifically for a gray OTTB mare over 16 hands. :o
My first horse was a plain bay appendix, my second was a chestnut QH with chrome (I didn't pick either one) so since I repeatedly fell in love with gray TB mares I decided for my first adult horse I would get what I wanted right down to her dapples.

I searched for over 2 years for my perfect horse and I couldn't be happier. When she first arrived she was spotless and stayed pretty clean even with 24/7 turnout. However, as she's settled into being a "real" pony this year she is quite the piglet. She's 7 still has dapples but already getting some flea bitten markings around her face which I'm happy about. (I'd rather own flea bitten than all "white")

I just wanted to fess up to being one of the sheep. Baaa.

I justify it by reminding myself that I refused to buy purely based on appearance. She had to meet all my requirements. :cool:

Meh. I don't mind greys. I won't turn one down if I like it, but I also don't seek them out. They are more work, but blankets and fly sheets with hoods help to a degree, as does good, daily grooming and good food. Stains don't stick so well on a well groomed horse.

I also don't mind, and in fact, have a soft spot for flea bitten greys. I think it is a conditioning from knowing many charming, good citizen greys who were flea bitten over the years. Now I see one and I go a little gooey. Doesn't help that my much loved BFG went from rose grey to flea bitten. Hard not to love a flea bitten horse when one of your most all time favorite horses is one. :yes::sadsmile:

I have a grey in my care now, though, with HORRBLE melanomas. He is still working and competing, but his vet, trainer, owner, and I watch him carefully for any sign that he may be uncomfortable with them. He has big ones high up on his neck and they definitely limit the lateral flexion in his poll. Funny, he IS a black based grey. The BFG is chestnut based (he WAS a chestnut in his foal inspection photos), and didn't have them.

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Originally Posted by Shagyas Rock

I've had three greys in the past ten years - I love the color. I haven't found they are any harder to keep clean than my bay mare. Really. When they are dirty, they just look - grey! They get hosed off after exercise same as any color horse and when you go to a show you have to bathe them regardless of what color they are. I have not had any issues with melanoma. And they look great it just about every color except yellow.

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I may be alone in this, but I RARELY bathe my black/brown horse before shows (rarely bathe him, period), and he is one of a long line of various shades of brown in my care that rarely got baths before competing. All the greys, on the other hand, definitely got LOTS of baths, and most went through a rigorous week of bathing and soaking the week or so before their first competition of the spring. They ARE more work, no doubt.

I never wanted a grey. Competing a TB mare who was snow white by age 12 cured me of that ill forever.

What did I end up with?

One very plain bay and TWO GREYS. :lol: Neither are OTTB's, though.

Well "Fat" is the best color. That said I have a cubby nearly White Grey horse. I Bought the beautiful brown eye when he was steel colored at 4! then again i go thru gallons of green spot remover!

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Originally Posted by yellowbritches

I may be alone in this, but I RARELY bathe my black/brown horse before shows (rarely bathe him, period), and he is one of a long line of various shades of brown in my care that rarely got baths before competing. All the greys, on the other hand, definitely got LOTS of baths, and most went through a rigorous week of bathing and soaking the week or so before their first competition of the spring. They ARE more work, no doubt.

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This is so funny. All my years of owning gray horses, I always thought that brown horses smelled different. Not bad. Just MORE horsey. It was only after the first year of owning my first bay horse that I finally realized why... Brown horses NEVER get as much bathing and shampooing as the grays. My own brown horses always smell horsier than the grays! Not that the bays haven't gotten groomed. And they probably get as much hosing off as the grays. But not nearly as much actual soap or shampoo... :winkgrin::winkgrin::winkgrin:

I think they're desirable because it used to be a rather "rarity" to see a gray amid all the bays and chestnuts at en event.

However, nowadays there is such a high interest in them that I find I see half as many greys in the warmup ring as as any!

:lol:

I once read someplace that greys are generally more unflappable than their bay and chestnut cousins; maybe that's why they're more expensive! The grey OTTB mare that I'm riding now certainly bears this out, anyway...

I've had three greys. One I got for free, another I paid $200, the last I paid 2k for. They were flea-bitten, all of them, no pretty dapples. ;) All different ages. Apparently I like greys??

Two of the three had melanomas. The old horse who was full of melanomas only had to be put down because his legs finally gave out at the age of 25. The one without melanoma is only 8 so I'm sure some will pop up on her, eventually...

I dunno, yeah they get melanoma and it can be a PITA. But I've known a looootttttt of greys who lived a really, really long time!

Not sure why they fetch more $, then again, I like chestnuts which are supposedly the "least popular!"

Ah I would easily pay an extra $1000 for a gray. I have always had bays and always wanted a gray. It there are two great horses next time I am shopping I will likely opt for the gray even if it's more expensive. They are a luxury if someone finds grays more appealing then why not. I have wanted one since I was a kid so my next one will be gray... oh who am I kidding it will be bay just like the others.

Sigh... I do love a grey horse, and the lighter the better. But I'd want a big dark eye and beautiful expression to go with it. I see lots of attractive grey horses at the track but a grey horse that's just grey without good conformation or the wow factor, won't really move me.

Owned one. Lost him at 14 to melanomas. Swore up and down no more, ever. Bought a dirt-colored horse ;) - bay mare. Now millimeters away from trading mare for, wait for it, gray TB gelding. Who allegedly LOVES to be dirty. Meh. Guess I'll invest in some Quicsilver. Fate is what it is.

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Originally Posted by Silverbell

I once read someplace that greys are generally more unflappable than their bay and chestnut cousins; maybe that's why they're more expensive! The grey OTTB mare that I'm riding now certainly bears this out, anyway...

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this made me laugh, b/c honestly, I thought it possibly might be true based on a saint of a gray a friend of mine use to have. But I am here to tell you that this is an urban legend:-) I don't have all the icons to make this filled with smiley faces.

But I own a gray OTTB that is filled with ... lets say ... lots of expressions and enthusiasm - very cheerful, cheeky, playful, childish, very sensitive. The good thing is that I am starting to learn what makes him tick, and his gleeful fun is more manageable. But he is far from unflappable!

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Originally Posted by Silverbell

I once read someplace that greys are generally more unflappable than their bay and chestnut cousins; maybe that's why they're more expensive! The grey OTTB mare that I'm riding now certainly bears this out, anyway...

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Lies from the pits of hell ;)

The one grey I owned was one of the spookiest damn horses I ever rode, and his reactions to being spooked were violent....and his reaction to you trying to ride it out were as equally violent (I had to develop completely new reflexes with him, because when he bucked, and he bucked HARD, riding him forward just made it worse. So. Much. Worse). He was a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket, though.

The BFG was/is a pretty incredible spook, too, but part of that was more sense of humor and being an ass than truly easily frightened.

I think that little myth is just one of those things. A good old wives' tale, but not at all true.

Grooming my parents 17.1 HUGE grey hunter at shows cured me of any desire to own a grey. The horse seems to take special pleasure in getting filthy. At shows, he sleeps flat out on his side for hours with his head on a fresh poop pillow. During the spring and fall, he's yellowish brown. During the summer, he gets grass stains that don't come off unless he's clipped. And that is a BIG horse to keep groomed. The only saving grace is that he's a complete doll, both under saddle and under ground. He just stands there!

Oh, I should add that I once had to remove a ball of poop out of his ear, then try to scrub the stain from inside his ear. That just takes talent!

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Originally Posted by Big_Grey_hunter

Oh, I should add that I once had to remove a ball of poop out of his ear, then try to scrub the stain from inside his ear. That just takes talent!

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I used to be a groom for Gem Twist....yeah, he did that all the time and HATED you to scrub his face. One of the most famous so also photographed jumper...and he LOVED being dirty. If you turned your back on him for a second before a class (after you had him super clean), he drop and roll making sure to plant his face in a pile of manure (often one he would make right before rolling...because we would have made sure his stall was clean too!). PITA...but he was such a good jumper, he was allowed to be a PITA ;)