# Help determine the colour of my mare?



## Chapter (Aug 25, 2014)

It never really crossed my mind that she was anything special until I posted a few pictures on another forum and was told that she had some rare coloration going on. The person wasn't entirely sure of what it was so I was interested to hear from some you c:

I've been told that her base colour is brown/bay with some sort of mutation on top? She has grey/white hairs at the top of her tail and mixed throughout her mane. Her colour changes pretty drastically throughout the seasons. Thank you!


----------



## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

I wanna say some type of roan.


----------



## celestejasper13 (May 16, 2014)

The white hairs on her face steer me away from roan..Could she possibly carry rabicano? That may explain the hairs at the top of the tail and the marking on her sides..


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Firstly, what breed(s) is she?

Second, I'm going to definitely go with brown as the base color, based on the cinnamon coloring on her muzzle and soft spots. 

After that...I'm going to reserve judgement until I hear what breed(s) she is. Do you know her parents' colors?


----------



## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I am in agreement with Drafty on her base color: brown or "seal" as indicated by the pretty soft cinnamon muzzle and pits. To me it looks like she is exhibiting an odd varnish roan pattern. How old is she and how long have you had her?


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

karliejaye said:


> To me it looks like she is exhibiting an odd varnish roan pattern.


That was kind of my thought too, Karlie. Looks an awful lot like varnish, to me. That's why I asked about the breed(s) and parent colors.


----------



## Prisstine (Sep 16, 2014)

Looks like my little fillies momma who was a bay varnish Appaloosa.


----------



## Chapter (Aug 25, 2014)

Absolutely no idea of parents colours. She is 18 years old and I've had her for 10 years. She's 12hh and no idea on her breed either, we are in Ireland if that helps at all haha. She was bought by my father who had no idea about horses so never asked about breeding/parents and never got papers and so he later gave her to me. She's just a companion for my riding horse.


----------



## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

Are there any appaloosa horses in your area?


----------



## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Has she changed color at all in the time you've had her.

I'm not inclined to lean towards varnish as it does not put white on the nasal bones before the rest of the face for one thing. 

I'm personally leaning towards grey of the slow progress variety such as Comico IV and Comico VI have. 

But then I could be wrong. Honestly OP, I'd pull hairs and just send in to check for grey if I were in your shoes just because I'm curious.

ETA a link that shows a really slow greying Connemara stallion with very, very similar coloring to the horse in the OP. http://equinetapestry.com/2011/07/ponies-dont-read/


----------



## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Actually, it does help to know you are in Ireland. This slow greying has been observed in two breeds - PRE and Connemara. It could be in other breeds, but the two families that have exhibited it and been documented are these two breeds.


----------



## Chapter (Aug 25, 2014)

I don't know of any close to me, however down the country I've visited a couple of shows and seen a few appaloosas. 

I found very very old pictures of her on my fathers computer a while back and she really hasn't changed much except the black on her legs used to be solid but it has started to lighten now. That's really all that I've noticed a change in.

But wow, I've never seen another pony that alike to her colouring.

edit;; So it is most likely that she is a connemara with slow greying?


----------



## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Honestly I think a lot (not all) of her greying is age. She seems to be one of those early and drastically aging (grey wise) horse.

I find her base color very interesting- the black is very flat and the brown is a surprise.

Agree she is brown and as far as the greying some is age and the rest some sort of roaning.

Can't say what and I think that's the big question here. I am not convinced the white on the nasel bones is part of that I think that's age. Has she always had that? I think just regular roan is the most likely. The slow grey is an interesting though.

As said there are rests for roan and for grey and the LP gene (which would cause varnish)


----------



## Chapter (Aug 25, 2014)

Thank you everyone for the replies, I don't think I will go as far as to do a test but it was very interesting to hear everyones thoughts! C:


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

she almost has the heavy looking drafty type of pony mix to me. 
She is greying out. 
She is an interesting color.


----------

