# Is this even possible?



## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

Based on your description, they're lying.


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## daystar88 (Jan 17, 2013)

As a horse ages, they get lighter, not darker from my knowledge.. Seems like they are lying. Probably because he isn't registered and they want to try to sell him as a registered horse. I know some breeders who have done that in the past..


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I've seen foals born a buff color and shed off to black but the white markings are there to stay. They may change a little in appearance but a blaze and socks do not disappear. 

The current owners may be telling the truth as they know it but someone along the line stuck this horse with papers that don't belong to him.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I had a quarter horse colt that when born was a buff colour with only a small star. He turned a very dark brown almost black.
His registered name was ".... ... Dusty" because of the colour he was at birth.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Ditto everyone. The color may change but, "the spots" never change.

I can't believe the sellers think they are going to hoodwink someone into believing the horse lost its blaze and stockings as it grew up.

I would sooner believe a set of APHA papers as I have seen Paints born with only one big white spot on their bellies.

If the sellers are that brazen about the papers, I would have to wonder what else is wrong and how long have they really had the horse? Ten weeks is probably more like it.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yep, base coat can appear different (a brownskin, technically must be registered as a buckskin in most registries, but can appear black sometimes, especially in winter coats) but white markings never change.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Here is a photo from when they got him. He DOES have black legs and what looks to be a brown body.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Here is a photo from when they got him. He DOES have black legs and what looks to be a brown body.


The slight brown look to the body is due to sun fading only. 

White markings do not change. Period. 

There are 2 possibilities. 

1. Previous owner sold the horse as a papered purebred (papers belong to another horse) and they were convinced by that seller that the horse changed color and so are selling the horse as they bought it as (registered, just magically changed color and markings)

2. They are lying through their teeth because a registered horse sells for more money than a grade of equal age/training/skill

I actually saw a young horse advertised for sale by the breeders, selling the long yearling as a "blue roan" and justified the color by explaining how both sire and dam were blue roan and that is why he was "brown". Actually, the pictures of their long yearling was a bright chestnut with no roaning, which would have been the 12.5% chance of getting when crossing two horses that were heterozygous black and heterozygous roan.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

The only horse I have ever had "magically" change was a horse a friend bought at a thoroughbred auction. Big bay mare, ribby, wormy looking, dull, fried coat. The friend bought her because of her willingness and kind eye. Intended to put some meat on her bones and miles under saddle then sell her. I rode her most of that winter and presto chango when she shed she was an appaloosa complete with blanket. Aps were a dime a dozen and TBs, even those in poor condition were bringing better. The owners sold her as a papered TB in a TB auction. Needless to say the papers the auction house was shown were not to that horse and papers never came for the friend. She still was one of the best mares I ever owned. Those owners are either not very bright and had the wool pulled over their eyes or they are thinking you aren't very bright and trying to pull a fast one. ETA In my case the mare had been dyed. Lot of effort for a little more money.


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

While I have heard of the coat changing color drastically over time and seasons, I have NEVER heard of a horse losing its white facial marking. Clearly the horse they are selling is not the horse on the papers.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

smrobs said:


> Yep, base coat can appear different (a brownskin, technically must be registered as a buckskin in most registries, but can appear black sometimes, especially in winter coats) but white markings never change.


This was my first though too, a brownskin maybe looking black.. but that doesn't explain the markings.

OP, were you able to see the hooves in the foal pic? Were the hooves on the stocking legs white?

A place I worked at had a black filly born with such silvery legs that the owners thought for a white she was going to have 2 socks.. but the black feet told the truth that there were no actual white markings on those legs (and indeed when she shed she had dark legs).


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

^^Agreed, foal coats can be tricky, especially with leg markings. Can you share the foal pic you have?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

That wouldn't change the blaze on the face though. The OP did say there were also facial markings. Now if the owner had said that something similar was happening in one of the other threads where the white ams not underpinned with pink skin and it would lose the mark yearly then perhaps those things would combine. Sending DNA if you purchased on merit and not papers would tell you one way or the other.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I purchased a MFT in April. Owner was selling her as registered. Papers did not mean anything to me as I would never breed. It was not until the vet came out to do shots and pull coggins and asked for her Reg # from the papers that we noted that the horse pictured on her papers was definitely not her! Both were chestnut paints but the markings were completely off. Even vet said markings can fade but they never just "change"


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

I think the silvery legs on a black foal is an interesting point.

Here's a google pic of black foal:









Could definitely pass for a different color and marking can be very difficult to tell on a coat like that at that age.

Another thought is possibly smokey black that distorted the foal color but is hiding on the adult color.

But the OP saw the pictures and if the white was a very clear marking and the horse now does not have it I agree it is NOT the same horse. White does not lie.


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