# Brown



## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

Can someone please tell me the difference between Bay and Brown?

And also, is there a difference between Black-Brown and Bay-Brown?


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## WesternTale (Jun 14, 2012)

Well, for bay and brown:

Bay: the horse is a chestnutty color or darker with black socks, mane/tale and sometimes muzzle.

Brown: well, if you look at Piaffes thread, that foal is a fine example of brown.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

WesternTale said:


> Well, for bay and brown:
> 
> Bay: the horse is a chestnutty color or darker with black socks, mane/tale and sometimes muzzle.
> 
> ...


Could you post a link to the thread?


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## WesternTale (Jun 14, 2012)

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-pictures/rhapsody-aeropostle-2012-wb-fillies-127829/

Rhapsodies the one I'm talking about. And the mother would be an example of bay.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

WesternTale said:


> http://www.horseforum.com/horse-pictures/rhapsody-aeropostle-2012-wb-fillies-127829/
> 
> Rhapsodies the one I'm talking about. And the mother would be an example of bay.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Thank you.

So, Bays have dark points and Browns don't?


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## WesternTale (Jun 14, 2012)

I guess you could say that .. But it all really depends...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

WesternTale said:


> I guess you could say that .. But it all really depends...
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


On what?


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## WesternTale (Jun 14, 2012)

Well... You seen what browns are.. Some can have different ... Color ... Patterns. They will always be that color, but they can have their dark points, but not as noticiable as bays. I used to have a brown that had darker legs then the coat pattern, and my friends horse ATM has darker mane and tail then the coat pattern. ( he's a brown )
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

WesternTale said:


> Well... You seen what browns are.. Some can have different ... Color ... Patterns. They will always be that color, but they can have their dark points, but not as noticiable as bays. I used to have a brown that had darker legs then the coat pattern, and my friends horse ATM has darker mane and tail then the coat pattern. ( he's a brown )
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Oh okay, so, Bays have darker points that are noticably darker than the rest of their coat. And Browns can come in a range of tones, have some faint dark points?


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## WesternTale (Jun 14, 2012)

Pretty much.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Browns have what they call "soft parts" that are shades lighter, sometimes almost a tan color. these are the muzzle, eyebrows, flanks, just behind the elbows, etc.

They can be basically the same color as a bay (and many "bay" horses are actually brown) all the way to black with the "soft parts" being lighter.

I'm sure the color gurus can explain it better ..........


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

texasgal said:


> Browns have what they call "soft parts" that are shades lighter, sometimes almost a tan color. these are the muzzle, eyebrows, flanks, just behind the elbows, etc.
> 
> They can be basically the same color as a bay (and many "bay" horses are actually brown) all the way to black with the "soft parts" being lighter.
> 
> I'm sure the color gurus can explain it better ..........


Oh okay, so Browns have light points and Bays have dark points?


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

It's the location that is important. Browns can have black "points" .. legs, manes, tails, .. but their soft spots are going to be the lighter shade.

Bays should be a solid bay color in their soft spots as well as their bodies..











^^ Notice the lighter areas around the muzzle on around the eyes .. brown.










Notice solid bay color ? ... bay.


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

texasgal said:


> It's the location that is important. Browns can have black "points" .. legs, manes, tails, .. but their soft spots are going to be the lighter shade.
> 
> Bays should be a solid bay color in their soft spots as well as their bodies..
> 
> ...


Ah, thank you. I have definitely confused the two in my lifetime :lol:


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Me too! And the closer the browns are to bay colored, the harder it is for me to tell... lol. It all hinges on those "tan" looking soft spots.. As far as I can tell.


And you've seen black horses that had a brown colored muzzle? They are brown .. not black.


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

texasgal said:


> Me too! And the closer the browns are to bay colored, the harder it is for me to tell... lol. It all hinges on those "tan" looking soft spots.. As far as I can tell.
> 
> 
> And you've seen black horses that had a brown colored muzzle? They are brown .. not black.


Yeah I always knew that a true black horse won't have any brown hairs, anywhere. 

I have always got confused with Brown and Bay, and I don't think it matters how much you type it out, you can still make mistakes in real life.


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Absolutely!


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

texasgal said:


> Absolutely!


I wish it wasn't so hard  haha. From now at, whenever I see a Bay/Brown I am going to try my very best to decide which it is! There are a couple at work that I can study too


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

If it's really convoluted, take a bunch of pics and post it for the color gurus on here .. they love a challenge!


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

texasgal said:


> If it's really convoluted, take a bunch of pics and post it for the color gurus on here .. they love a challenge!


I sure will!

Actually, I havn't got any new pictures at my new work... That's motivation for me to take some, finally!


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

In my experience, some blacks can fade and look like maybe a bay, sometimes called black bay but they are still black as genetic tests will come out "black" they just fade in the sun.

I used to confuse Cinny and think maybe he really was bay or brown but the gurus here say no, he's def black... especially since his winter coat, and his coat if it doesn't get too much sun stay jet black. Not to confuse you, but here is what he looks like faded.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

One of these horses is bay, one is brown...


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## ThirteenAcres (Apr 27, 2012)

First one is brown?


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

My guess is first is brown, second is bay


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Both correct. You can see the first horse in this thread.

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-colors-genetics/ruesters-variation-colors-128126/

As you can see by his winter pics, definitely brown


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

My boy is brown... can't see it in his summer coat but in the winter coat he is DEFINITELY much lighter around the muzzle.

Summer coat (old photo, terrible saddle, so excuse my position!):









Winter coat (you can sort of see it here, it's a lot lighter in real life):


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