# Wavy Mane Genetics



## Filou (Jan 16, 2014)

I wanted to start a discussion to interact and hear other's thoughts on wavy manes on horses. 

A few horses I worked with in the past were dom white or sabino, (or both) who had wavy manes. One of those has 2 siblings who also have wavy manes. Of those two siblings one is max sabino and one is nearly solid with just a small white bit on the coronet, maybe min sabino... They were all thoroughbreds, clearly some of the lines had it and some didn't. 

My mustang has curly hair, it does form ringlets especially after getting wet, but it's mostly wavy. He has no white patterns in him from what I can tell, but he does come from a curly herd. 

What is your thoughts/experience with white pattern horses and wavy manes? What about their solid family members?

What is your thoughts/experience with solid horses, with no white pattern lineage, with wavy hair?

What breeds do you know that can have wavy hair?

Are there any breeds that more commonly have wavy manes? Any breeds that don't?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

My Belgians have roaning from sabino. The ones that display the most roaning have the curliest manes. Several were born with such curly foal coats you'd have thought they were curlies. A couple of them still have curling to their winter coats. We also have noted differences in texture in them. Half have a texture that those wavy manes knot easily and are a constant chore. The other half the waves are like silk and knots fall out. 



One Paint mare that has only a heel bulb with trim around part of the coronet and ermine spots in that little bit of white with a large patch of white hair on the bottom lip but no pink skin has a really wavy mane.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Ooohhh, I think about this when I work with my German girls....They are full sisters; chestnuts with flaxen manes and tails. Their dam is an Arabian carrying sabino. Their sire is a Schwarzwaelder Fuchs, no sabino. 
The first filly has sabino characteristics: a roan explosion out of her blaze, lace between her cheeks. Her mane hairs are straight, but there is a wave to the entire mane.
The second filly(deceased) had a straight mane. 
The third filly’s hair is a totally different texture. Each hair has a waviness, but it hands straight.
The fourth filly has completely wavy hair. 

Only the first filly shows any sabino characteristics.


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## Filou (Jan 16, 2014)

Seems like there might be some sort of link between sabino and wavy hair!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Maybe, but old-type Morgans are famous both for their luxuriant curly locks and their conservative colors: black, brown, bay, and occasionally chestnut.


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## Filou (Jan 16, 2014)

And of course bashkir / american curlys!


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## pasomountain (Dec 19, 2018)

My sister has a silver dapple rocky mtn horse with a wavy mane--no sabino.


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