# Guess the Bay!



## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

oh, and to double post, i meant to add, that she was a black foal. not sure if it matters but there is it


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

She's a brown  That's why she is so dark in winter, and so light in summer compared to her winter coat.


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## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

but, from my understanding, a bay has black points, and she has black mane/tail, and black legs. and a brown doesn't have black points, and while they usually have dark mane/tail its usually not as true black as that of the bays.


?? ahhh! colors!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

No. Browns can and do have black points.


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## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

so what is the difference between bay and brown? is it just that she's dark in the winter and light in the summer?


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

They are both caused by the agouti gene. Bay is caused by A, which restricts the black to the legs, mane, tail, and ears and lightens the body and head. Brown is caused by At, which lightens the soft areas of the body: flank, the area on the sides of the tail (I can't think of what to call that right now..), muzzle, elbow, etc. The areas that are not places that would lighten due to sunfading.


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## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

so would it also be safe to say that what most people call dark bay is really brown?

i do have some pictures from today, just waiting fo rthings to load, so i'll put some on here later, just cause i have them


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## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

Today:

head, bridle and halter rubbed some more hair away than in other places so you can see the new color better









Girlie's chest, her favorite spot to get rubbed, so lots of new color








She also has white hairs throughout her body, some on her neck, and some on her belly, but mostly on her HQ





































according to AQHA she's considered brown in the winter but bay in the summer?


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Don't ever go to a registry if you want to figure out a color. They are extremely behind in the world of color genetics. Your mare is brown all the time; her genetics do not change seasonally. Most horses change seasonally. I told my BO that her new mare was a brown rabicano because I forgot to account for the winter coat. She's a brown roan. My own mare is orange in the winter and then sheds out looking very sooty, then goes back to gold. 

The new pictures further prove that she's brown. The area behind her eye, her flank, and her chest would not fade in the sun. Also, the white hairs don't mean anything. Most horses have random white hairs.


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## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

Poseidon said:


> Don't ever go to a registry if you want to figure out a color. They are extremely behind in the world of color genetics.


 
what do you mean when you say they're way behind? isn'y brown and bay today the same as brown and bay years ago?
people are just starting to care more about the color of non-show horses more? <--(IMO)


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