# Dapple Grey Horse Supplement



## Jamzimm101987

I have a dappled grey Arabian in training currently and as we all know they typically get lighter with age. He is beginning to turn flea bitten, so I am wondering if there is any supplement out there that will help keep him dappled? 

I have heard of the Cheval silver horse supplement, but it is pretty pricey....also I have used paprika on dark horses and noticed a different because it changes the pigment of the hair when they are shedding out and growing new hair in. It won't work if your horse is already bleached out. 

I am baffled on what to use...any ideas?????????


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## NdAppy

There is nothing that you can feed your horse that will stop the greying process, which is what you are asking to do. Unfortunately he is just going to continue to get more and more flea bitten.


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## Jamzimm101987

What about just helping bring out the dapples more? I know he will go grey, but I've seen so many ugly greys...I've heard Boss makes for a nice shiny coat and helps to bring out the dapples.


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## NdAppy

There is nothing you can feed ti specifically produce dapples. 90% of dapples are a sign of good health/feeding program.


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## bubba13

I might suggest bleach if the fleabites bother you.


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## Buzzby

OP you may think they are ugly, but u can bet your life other people DON'T


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## Jamzimm101987

Buzzby said:


> OP you may think they are ugly, but u can bet your life other people DON'T


Hmmm, that sounded a little rude. I never said I thought they were ugly, but my "ugly" comment meant a dull, lifeless coat. Either way it does not matter what other people think, only what I and his owner think. He is a training horse and the owner loves his dapples and wanted me to research to see about enhancing them.


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## Speed Racer

I have a fleabitten gray Arabian gelding. He used to have dapples. There is absolutely _nothing_ that will keep those dapples from graying out.

He also doesn't have a dull, ugly coat. If you've seen grays with a coat like that, they're obviously not getting a nutritionally complete diet. 

Grays have a sheen to their coat. Oh sure, they don't shine like the solid colored horses but a_ healthy_ gray will glimmer, fleabitten or otherwise.

The only coat enhancer you can buy for a gray is a whitening shampoo like QuicSilver.


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## Jamzimm101987

Okay, forget that he's gray...I'm not looking for a topical coat enhancer, just a nutritional supplement. There are many out there and I've seen horses on coat supplements vs horses that are not and the ones on coat supplements always look better than those that are not. 

I am only looking for ideas to help enhance his coat a little. Elbow grease is most important, but nutrition is also a big part of it all.


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## Speed Racer

As long as he's being fed properly, there isn't a supplement you can feed him that's going to improve his coat.


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## 2horses

Omega Horseshine is healthy for them, and it does give their coats a nice sheen. My Haflinger got his dapples back after being on it for a while.


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## Buzzby

As opposed to you calling other people's horses ugly is not rude!!


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana

My horse (Relan) used to be a dapple grey. He is fully grey except his mane and he is gorgeous. Everyone that knows Relan thinks he is beautiful. I don't know what you see but maybe you shouldn't have gotten the horse if you don't think it will be beautiful in the end. Like I said alot of people like grey horses. Don't dis them .


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## Jamzimm101987

Buzzby & Kaylee...you should both go back and reread my post. I NEVER said gray horses are ugly. In fact, I used to own one. I simply meant that gray horses don't always have the shine that other horses have. Furthermore, I already stated I am not the owner of the horse. I'm his trainer.


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## Jamzimm101987

Furthermore, what does the post have to do with other people's horses?


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana

Jamzimm101987 said:


> What about just helping bring out the dapples more? I know he will go grey, but I've seen so many ugly greys...I've heard Boss makes for a nice shiny coat and helps to bring out the dapples.


 This is what I was going for. If you want a shiny It brought out the dapples in my other horse. Most likely your horse will not get the dappples again but the flax will get your horses coat super shiny.


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## Jamzimm101987

That's all I meant. I did not mean to offend anyone by saying gray horses are ugly. I just wanted to know if there's something to bring/keep the dapples, but obviously not...so then I went to my next hope...maintaining a shiny coat..


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana

Like I said I recommend ground Flax (just feed it per feeding) or this is a pretty good supplement. SmartShine® - Horse Skin & Coat Supplements from SmartPak Equine


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## atomic

I used to feed a cup of flax seed a day to my horses. I also used "Source" which is an excellent all natural additive that helps with the coat (and overall health). Now that I am feeding a ration balancer that includes many of those ingredients, I'm just sticking with that. My horse is blooming dapples, shiny, and has gained weight since I bought him. Oh, and he is a grey!


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## Jamzimm101987

atomic said:


> I used to feed a cup of flax seed a day to my horses. I also used "Source" which is an excellent all natural additive that helps with the coat (and overall health). Now that I am feeding a ration balancer that includes many of those ingredients, I'm just sticking with that. My horse is blooming dapples, shiny, and has gained weight since I bought him. Oh, and he is a grey!


Can I ask how old your horse is? Shareef is 7 and has lost a lot of his dapples this summer, but they seem to come back in the winter.


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## nicole25

Jamzimm101987 said:


> Furthermore, what does the post have to do with other people's horses?



You say this right after you say that you are only training this horse. Why are you asking about supplements for a horse you do not even own. I believe that it is up to the owner as to what to feed their horse and what they wont feed their horse


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## Jamzimm101987

nicole25 said:


> You say this right after you say that you are only training this horse. Why are you asking about supplements for a horse you do not even own. I believe that it is up to the owner as to what to feed their horse and what they wont feed their horse


The owner is a good friend of mine. Yes I am training the horse, but she lives a long way from where I do. She has asked me to look into this for her.


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## waresbear

Freeze brand or tattoo those dapples back on!


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## atomic

Jamzimm101987 said:


> Can I ask how old your horse is? Shareef is 7 and has lost a lot of his dapples this summer, but they seem to come back in the winter.


Midas is 3. He has dapples, but he has a lot of "everything else" going on too. It seems the grey, along with every other color, is really battling it out.










However, when I first bought him he was quite different looking. I've only had him for 5 months, so I really have no idea where his color is going. That's the beauty about greys... you constantly get a different horse 
People used to mistake him for being black, a roan, or an appaloosa. Still frequently many people just "don't know" what to call him.


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## WickedNag

Jamzimm101987 said:


> Hmmm, that sounded a little rude. I never said I thought they were ugly, but my "ugly" comment meant a dull, lifeless coat. Either way it does not matter what other people think, only what I and his owner think. He is a training horse and the owner loves his dapples and wanted me to research to see about enhancing them.


Well it read like it was "ugly" and not dull.... which I took your comment to be about so many ugly grays.... Just saying:roll:


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## Jamzimm101987

atomic said:


> Midas is 3. He has dapples, but he has a lot of "everything else" going on too. It seems the grey, along with every other color, is really battling it out.
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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> 
> 
> However, when I first bought him he was quite different looking. I've only had him for 5 months, so I really have no idea where his color is going. That's the beauty about greys... you constantly get a different horse
> People used to mistake him for being black, a roan, or an appaloosa. Still frequently many people just "don't know" what to call him.


Ahh only 3!! Just a baby!!  If it's the horse in your avatar, Shareef looked that way too when he was that age. Looks like a completely different horse now!!


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## atomic

Yup, he's just a little one ! He was born bay and has seemed to stay pretty dark, almost completely black, up until I recently bought him. Now he seems to be going through a progressive change - quickly. I've never owned a grey horse or had the opportunity to see a young one go through the routine, so its quite interesting for me to "have a new horse" every year .


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## Jamzimm101987

atomic said:


> Yup, he's just a little one ! He was born bay and has seemed to stay pretty dark, almost completely black, up until I recently bought him. Now he seems to be going through a progressive change - quickly. I've never owned a grey horse or had the opportunity to see a young one go through the routine, so its quite interesting for me to "have a new horse" every year .


He will probably dapple out and get lighter and lighter. Enjoy the dapples while they are there!! If you find any sort of magiv supplement to keep them, let me in on the secret!


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## atomic

I'll let you know if you're around in the years to come! However I live in Florida and even for any colored horse they easily get sunbleached. He's so dark now that its hard for me to think of him as being "white", guess I'll slowly get eased into it though lol.


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## Speed Racer

atomic said:


> He's so dark now that its hard for me to think of him as being "white", guess I'll slowly get eased into it though lol.


He'll always be considered gray even when he's gone completely white, so you don't have to get used to thinking of him that way. :wink:

I have a fleabitten gray Arab gelding. Have I mentioned that I despise fleabitten grays? He's an exception since he's_ my_ horse.


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## heartprints62

A good all around supplement for internals (digestion, etc...) and externals (coat, skin, hooves..) is Equipride. 

My filly is going gray, which was a little saddening at first because she is a beautiful grulla, but because of this I came to the realization that as long as she keeps her brain thinking on both sides and her overall sweet disposition, I don't care if she turns purple with yellow polkadots! You might want to have a converstation with the owners explaining that the graying process cannot be stopped nor slowed. If it's "the horse inside" they love, color outside shouldn't matter!


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## trailhorserider

I think grays are gorgeous, I don't know why people consider it sad that their horse is going gray. Even the other day, a friend of mine said it's too bad my colt isn't a roan. Huh? I am much happier with him gray than roan. Roans never floated my boat. 

Now do I wish he would turn the perfect shade of dapple gray and then I could "freeze" him that color, sure! But it doesn't work that way, and gray is a gorgeous color in it's own right. To me anyway. I will never make an excuse for my horses colors, no matter what shade of gray they are. The only negative about them turning white is they are hard to keep clean.


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## krixtina

I used black as knight on my flea bitten grey arabian. Oh man! she had smokey knee high socks, muzzle and eyes smoked and she got dapples on her butt. it has been years since I used it and her muzzle and eyes kept the smokey coloring. Her coat in the sun was sooooooo shiny but when the sun hit it it was like rainbow colors, like snow in the sun. I was very happy!






Jamzimm101987 said:


> I have a dappled grey Arabian in training currently and as we all know they typically get lighter with age. He is beginning to turn flea bitten, so I am wondering if there is any supplement out there that will help keep him dappled?
> 
> I have heard of the Cheval silver horse supplement, but it is pretty pricey....also I have used paprika on dark horses and noticed a different because it changes the pigment of the hair when they are shedding out and growing new hair in. It won't work if your horse is already bleached out.
> 
> I am baffled on what to use...any ideas?????????


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