# What colour is she?



## alforddm (Oct 1, 2010)

I will guess brown because you say the second photo is more accurate. It's really hard to tell from these photos though.


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## charrwhittxxx (Jul 30, 2011)

she looks like a light bay?


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

alforddm said:


> I will guess brown because you say the second photo is more accurate. It's really hard to tell from these photos though.


Yeah I know. My camera sucks and the sun was going down. I figured she is brown after reading some other posts on here. Thanks!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If she is brown with black points (mane, tail, legs) then she is bay.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Celeste said:


> If she is brown with black points (mane, tail, legs) then she is bay.


Brown horses can have black points. This filly looks like a brown to me - she is still coming into her adult coat though, and it will become clearer as time goes on.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

In my area, a brown (all shades of brown whether red or true brown) horse with black points is a bay. Apparently it depends on the breed whether you call it bay or brown.
Terms could also be different in different locations. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_(horse)

"Some breed registries (including the Jockey Club Thoroughbred registry) use the term "brown" to describe dark bays."


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

I think brown too. Her mane & tail don't look black to me... unless they're very sun-faded?


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

Celeste, brown & bay are genetically different colours. They are both caused by different varieties of the agouti gene.
http://www.horse-genetics.com/brown-horses.html


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Celeste said:


> In my area, a brown (all shades of brown whether red or true brown) horse with black points is a bay. Apparently it depends on the breed whether you call it bay or brown.
> Terms could also be different in different locations.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_(horse)
> ...


While this used to be the case, since using the term 'brown' went out of fashion, as Quixotic said, they have now isolated the gene that causes brown. On a genetic level, the horse is different. It is no longer a location thing, like sorrel and chestnut still is. Sorrel and chestnut are genetically the same - bay and brown are not.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Just like everything else.
You learn the game.
They change the rules.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Celeste said:


> Just like everything else.
> You learn the game.
> They change the rules.


lol yup. That's the problem with science - it keeps us on our toes :twisted:


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

ponyboy said:


> I think brown too. Her mane & tail don't look black to me... unless they're very sun-faded?


No they are frosted. Her dam is a buckskin and her sire is a black and white paint.


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

Chiilaa said:


> Brown horses can have black points. This filly looks like a brown to me - she is still coming into her adult coat though, and it will become clearer as time goes on.


 She's a yearling so she shouldn't be shedding it out anymore.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

jumanji321 said:


> She's a yearling so she shouldn't be shedding it out anymore.


Most horses don't reach mature colour till they are 2 or 3. Even then they may still be shedding out different.


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

Chiilaa said:


> Most horses don't reach mature colour till they are 2 or 3. Even then they may still be shedding out different.


You wouldn't think that her thin summer coat would still be changing but I guess it is.


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## OTTBLover (Jun 23, 2011)

Given the colour of her parents, could she be a smoky black?


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