# White hairs, Q for you guys!



## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

The more time I spend with him, the more I'm noticing lots of white hairs. Over his main body & neck, there are white tipped hairs and then I found white hairs on his muzzle, nose rim and eye. 

He has two white rear socks up to his fetlocks and a tiny star on his head. Most of his breed are chestnuts with minimal white, some blacks and bays. He's 6mo. Don't know what his parents looked like.

Have a 10yr and he got some white hairs in recent years. I believe it was sabino caused. 
I've heard some people see them get so many that they look kind of like they roaned out. :eek_color: 

Is it the same for this guy, just sabino working early or something else? 
If they start so early, does it mean anything? 
Will the white tipped hairs come back for spring shed?
Only color genetics I know are for rabbits.

Just simple curiosity. =)


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Hard to say what's causing it or if he has sabino or not without better pics. As far as the white it's common for horses (esp chestnuts) to have that "sort of not really roaned" look with or without sabino.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Better pics how or rather, which would you need?


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Like Yogi said, it's not uncommon at all for any horse and especially sorrels to have random white hairs. In the following picture you'll see what looks like a muddy spot near her last mane hairs. I bought that mare as a yearling and every winter she'd get that white spot. Not a sign of it in her summer coat.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Well, didn't aim for that second picture to show up and for some odd reason it doesn't when I try to edit. Ignore it.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

AWWW what a sweet face on that baby. Such a distinctive mark.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

secuono said:


> The more time I spend with him, the more I'm noticing lots of white hairs. Over his main body & neck, there are white tipped hairs and then I found white hairs on his muzzle, nose rim and eye.
> 
> He has two white rear socks up to his fetlocks and a tiny star on his head. Most of his breed are chestnuts with minimal white, some blacks and bays. He's 6mo. Don't know what his parents looked like.
> 
> ...


What breed is he? You list that most of his breed are chestnut but there are also bays and black. What about greys? Since you don't know what his parents looked like does that also mean that you don't know their colors as well? If one of his parents were a grey, he could be a grey as well and these white hairs are the beginning of the process. Otherwise, he likely is just more heavily roaned by sabino than most chestnuts as he does have heavy concentrations of white especially on his head at such a young age


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Corolla wild horse, Colonial Spanish Horse. I don't believe there are any greys out there, but I could be wrong. No one has shared any pictures of a grey in the herds, less than a hundred out there.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

So is it sabino? 
I want to correct a post they have, they think it's real roan or at least make it sound that way. 
If it's not caused by sabino, nor real roan, what is it?


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

I know it's not an answer, but the actual answer is that there are a lot of things people still just don't know!

Random white hairs like that CAN be caused by certain genes (sabino/roan) but there are a million times they are NOT. He has NO signs of either of those things.

Roan does not touch the legs or face.









I would expect a horse that shows roaning from sabino to have a LOT more white









Your foal isn't roaned, and he isn't pinto or anywhere close to it, he has very minimal white and just a few random scattered hairs.

Is every horse with a white hair here or there roan now? https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/Roan.php Roan is dominant, he would need a roan parent, and grandparent..

I own two pintos, one has a little roaning due to her genes, the other does NOT but she does exhibit the few white hairs here and there and almost "roans out" in the winter but it is NOT roan it's just an expression of her color (she is a light palomino, which remember is chestnut based).


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

There are many unidentified white genes out there that cause ticking. I've got a chestnut warmblood who has some variation of Wxx. In the summer his body is chestnut but once his winter coat develops he gets more ticking.

What do the edges of his socks look like? Can't tell great from the pictures. That can be an indication of _something _happening.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

I, myself, know he is not roan. None of them are roan. But they don't know and are guessing. 

Closest thing I can think of is sabino gene causing it or simply a mystery gene, the end. Lol.



I will get pictures of his little socks and the edge they meet the chestnut, hopefully tomorrow. 



I found out that the sire was most likely a chestnut and his dam had a bay colt the previous year.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Rain for a few days. So if you need dry pictures, it'll have to wait.


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