# To dye or not to dye



## sdmini (Jul 15, 2010)

I personally love the "frosting" and think it's sharp but others think it should all be dyed black as the frosting chops him up a bit. Thoughts


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## PaintNminis (Jul 15, 2010)

I would Personally Leave it, I love the Frosted Manes


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## ohmt (Jul 15, 2010)

First off, he is beautiful! Second, if you are planning to show him then I would dye it. The frosted part matches the color on his neck which could make his neck seem a little bit thicker than it actually is. I personally love the frosted manes and tails, but I know judges can get picky.


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## Devon (Jul 15, 2010)

Wow he is really pretty



For showing I would dye it I think it would look more cleaned up and also flatter him


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## Tami (Jul 15, 2010)

I have seen them both ways.....I personally prefer frosting on duns and buckskins......


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## Rachel (Jul 15, 2010)

Oooo pretty! I vote leave it as is


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## disneyhorse (Jul 15, 2010)

Since it is a natural color, I would leave it. I only dye manes/tails if they are bleached from the sun or damaged in some other way.

Andrea


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## Jetiki (Jul 16, 2010)

I've had a grulla stallion showing for the past several years, he had nice frosting so I left it on. I kept being told he'd show better dyed, I did that one year and he went from the 2nds thru 4ths to all firsts in color, and placed higher in his halter class competing against similar horses that he'd shown with all his life, he's 10 this year. This has been my experience with this color, we have a whole line of grulla's and dun's.

Karen


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## sdmini (Jul 16, 2010)

Well dang it looks pretty 50/50 on for and against but seeings how Karen has some first hand knowledge on it I'll give a try. Seems crazy that he would place better in color with it dyed but to be honest that's one class I never can read. Thanks for the replies everyone.

I actually have already dyed his mane and tail some time ago as the ends were dry and brown. I painstakingly sorted out the frosting the first time.





Dad use to always ride grullo horses (and mares to boot oddly enough) so I guess maybe it's sentiment that has me attached to the frosting.


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## SampleMM (Jul 16, 2010)

Your horse is beautiful Marlee! I love the frosted look but if I were showing him, I'd dye it.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Jul 16, 2010)

It drives me insane that the coolest, most unique colors must be reduced to the lowest common denominator for showing but the sad thing is it seems to be true. My silver buckskin has the neatest white over- and under-lays to his chocolate-colored mane but it really did wash out his overall color and I reluctantly clipped it off for the show season. Waaah! I had to admit it looked more dramatic though and I very carefully did NOT clip his lower legs before this last show so his socks were darker too and suddenly we were getting neck sashes. Hmm....

I'll admit I compromised a bit on my guy though since the ends of his mane where he's measured are all white. I blended in more and more white hairs towards the withers so the overall impression was still dark chocolate but it appeared to have neat roaning and blended smoothly into the light hairs at the withers. This let me keep some of what I liked while still meeting show standards and it seems to have worked very well.

You could try dying the mane at the front and back ends so it doesn't seem to blend into his neck so much and even shape the frosting so it actually accents the neck and enhances the curve you want the judge's eye to see. It would be harder than just dying the whole thing but I think personally I'd do the front, the back, take the black up higher, and then experiment with dying streaks or feathering the frosting over the entire mane so it's an accent and not a solid color block. It might be pretty cool!

Leia


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## Shadows Fire (Jul 16, 2010)

Frosting is important if you want to show color. I don't think it detracts from his beauty.


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## Mominis (Jul 17, 2010)

I apologize for piggy-backing on your thread, but I have a similar question. Shake is a grey and white pinto and his mane, which is black, is showing major graying out over the top, as is his tail. With Nationals coming, do you guys think I should dye it back black or let it go grey?


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## sdmini (Jul 17, 2010)

Most times, until a horse has total or nearly grayed out, they dye the mane and tail.

I have a sister in law that is a hair dresser and I told her I wanted the roots "shaded" black and the frosting trimmed back. She thinks I'm nuts but she's willing to try. What's the worst that could happen it not turn out and I have to dye the rest black?


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## Shadows Fire (Jul 18, 2010)

sdmini said:


> What's the worst that could happen it not turn out and I have to dye the rest black?


No the worst is that horse hair is tough to die and sometimes black dye turns the hair blue not black. At least that is what I have heard.

Hey why not instead of hair dye henna? The do make a black henna, and its GOOD for the hair.

I know every fall I threaten to dye my white horse a different color. She always looks so terrible when she is dirty, hairy, and muddy.


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## Mominis (Jul 18, 2010)

Shadows Fire said:


> No the worst is that horse hair is tough to die and sometimes black dye turns the hair blue not black. At least that is what I have heard.
> 
> Hey why not instead of hair dye henna? The do make a black henna, and its GOOD for the hair.
> 
> I know every fall I threaten to dye my white horse a different color. She always looks so terrible when she is dirty, hairy, and muddy.



This is entirely true. I did turn one colt's tail a very interesting shade of deep purple. You couldn't tell it was purple until the light hit it. LOL

Looks like Shake's mane is going to get a root job before Nationals. lol I kinda need one too, we are going grey together.


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## sdmini (Jul 18, 2010)

Guess the only time I've ever had a new "color" to my horses is when I left the purple whitening shampoo into long.





Quite some time a go a hair dresser who also is a prominant miniature breeder said the best dye was Miss Clairol #3 in the green box. I've got to say on all the different brands I've tried over the years she was right. Problem is I have a hard time finding it around here anymore. I live in a very rural area so trying a different store doesn't work I have to try a different town.


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## Marty (Jul 20, 2010)

I love it and I'd leave it alone. Makes for a very colorful horse. He'll catch the judge's eye like that even better.


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