ridecamp@endurance.net: re: [endurance] Horse color and distance

re: [endurance] Horse color and distance

Linda VanCeylon (LVanCeylon@vines.ColoState.EDU)
Wed, 3 Apr 96 11:26:05 MST

I prefer the greys. Contrary to what you say about scratches and sunburn,
greys are no worse than dark horses on the parts of thier skin that is
black. If the grey has white feet and a white nose, he'll be as suseptible
to those ailments as a dark horse with those markings.

If you look at the stats from the big rides like the Tevis, ROC, etc, where
they post the horse color along with the results, you will see that a
higher proportion of greys finish in the top 20 than their overall
proportion in the field.

For instance, lets say that the field is 50% grey (probably not as likely
anymore since nobody wants to breed greys) then, you would expect the top
20 horses to be 50% grey. However, consistantly over the years I've
calculated there have been a higher percentage of greys, than their overall
proportion, in the top 20 on these big rides.

Eighteen years ago, when I first started endurance riding, the greys had
the majority of the field in any given competition. But now all the
breeding is for color.

As for cancer, my 23 year-old grey mare never had a melanoma until last
year. I gave her immune system a boost with nutritional supplementation
and that tumor is gone now. I've never had a dark horse live this long so
I don't know if they tend to get melanomas or not.

Linda Van Ceylon
lvanceylon@vines.colostate.edu
phone: 970-491-1428
-------------
Original Text
>From loomis.102@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu (Shannon Loomis), on 4/1/96 6:06
PM:
To: endurance@moscow.com

hello,

I read a post saying that they want a dark horse in a check and a white
horse on trail. I am curious as to what people prefer. I noticed a wanted
ad for a grey horse for trail not to long ago. Does everyone prefer a
light-colored horse? My dark horse has never ever overheated and cools
down very nicely. I try to avoid greys for several reasons, even though I
really like dapples. First of all, I can't keep them clean. Secondly,
white legs tend to get scratches worse (of course, socks on a dark horse
are just as vulnerable. Third, sunburn, no explanation needed. Finally,
in the neoplasia course I had last year, every other signalment was grey
horses. They seem to get every cancer known to horsedom. My prof said
there is no such thing as an older cancer-free grey horse.

Any opinions?

Shannon Loomis and Quail Meadow Star (and Quark, the grey emergency back-up
Arab)

The following was included as an attachement. Please use UUDECODE
to retrieve it. The original file name was '96 6:06
PM:
To: endurance@moscow.com

hello,

I read a post saying that they want a dark horse in a check and a white
horse on trail. I am curious as to '.

begin 666 96 6:06
PM:
To: endurance@moscow.com

hello,

I read a post saying that they want a dark horse in a check and a white
horse on trail. I am curious as to
!````
`
end