# What makes a buckskin a "true" buckskin?



## KatieAndZanzibar

My dad was telling me what makes a buckskin a "true" buckskin.
No dorsal stripe, no markings of any kind (only the black nose and legs), and they have to be more of a light-tannish color.

About like this;










Your opinions?


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians

From the ABRA site: 

BUCKSKIN: Body coat some shade of tan, from very light (creme) to very dark (bronze). Points (mane, tail, legs and ear frames) are black or dark brown. Dorsal not required. 

DUN: Body coat some shade of tan, from very light (creme) to a dull or smutty brown (earth tone). Points, dorsal stripe and other dun factor markings are dirty black or smutty brown. There are many shades and variations in the dun color. Dorsal stripe required. Note: The buckskin colored horse with dun factor (dorsal stripe, leg barring, ear frames, shoulder stripes, face masking and cobwebbing) is the ideal color that ABRA was founded to preserve over thirty years ago.


----------



## smrobs

Mmmm, yes and no.

Technically, a buckskin is nothing more than a black based horse that carries Agouti (_bay_ agouti: A, _not_ brown agouti: At) and cream. They can range in shade from dark golden to almost white. 

They can also have the appearance of a dorsal stripe due to countershading caused by the sooty gene (as far as I know, nobody has isolated which gene causes sooty yet).

So, this is a "true" buckskin









And so is this









And so is this. I'm sure there are other pictures out there better, but this is one of my horses. He is definitely buckskin and nothing more, but he does have a faint dorsal stripe at certain points of the year.


----------



## DeliciousD

Genetics.


----------



## Wheatermay

smrobs said:


> And so is this


:shock::-o:clap::happydance: 

OMG OMG OMG OMG!! My jaw dropped! How absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!


----------



## Poseidon

KatieAndZanzibar said:


> No dorsal stripe, no markings of any kind (only the black nose and legs), and they have to be more of a light-tannish color.




Why no markings?? What a hater. There are also brown-based buckskins (rather than bay, like your dad is stating) that are nearly black, like this guy: 










Most of these are still registered as buckskin because most registries don't recognize brown as a color, let alone brown + cream. Most of these are called sooty buckskin by mistake when they are actually smoky brown. Same definition as buckskin: Black + agouti + cream. Just a different agouti mutation.


----------



## KatieAndZanzibar

Poseidon said:


> Why no markings?? What a hater.



Like, if they were giving away a buckskin for free, just this color, markings and all;










He'd probably say he doesn't want it because of the face and socks. :-|

He believes that a "true" buckskin doesn't have any markings, and is just like this;


----------



## Poseidon

Shrug. His preference, it's just not the only definition of a "true" buckskin. I know a family that's the same as your dad: they were buying a horse and were adamant that it be a buckskin. They found a lovely little mare that is awesome for them..except she has mid-cannon socks caused by the splash gene. They were upset because they wanted black legs and were jealous of mine because she only has one small white pastern.


----------



## KatieAndZanzibar

Poseidon said:


> Shrug. His preference, it's just not the only definition of a "true" buckskin. I know a family that's the same as your dad: they were buying a horse and were adamant that it be a buckskin. They found a lovely little mare that is awesome for them..except she has mid-cannon socks caused by the splash gene. They were upset because they wanted black legs and were jealous of mine because she only has one small white pastern.



Wow :/

I don't really care what color the horse is.

A good horse is never a bad color


----------



## Peppy Barrel Racing

A horse can technically be both buckskin and dun (dunskin). Bay + cream + dun. Like lil Jackpot!








































_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## verona1016

KatieAndZanzibar said:


> He believes that a "true" buckskin doesn't have any markings, and is just like this;


He's welcome to his preferences on white markings, but "true" buckskins can and do have white markings. Black base, classic bay agouti, and single cream gene with no other dilution genes is buckskin. White pattern genes don't make the horse a different color.


----------



## Wheatermay

Yea, that's like saying a horse isnt a bay if it has white star or socks... It's just hus preference... Still loving that pic though... so pretty!


----------



## NdAppy

No they're TRI-COLORED!!1!!1!! [/sarcasm] :rofl:


----------



## haviris

What makes a 'true' buckskin is genetics, shade can range quite a bit, and white markings or no white markings, doesn't make a difference.

He is wrong! He may prefer a buckskin with no white, but that doesn't make his preference any more buckskin then someone's that prefers a lot of chrome.


----------



## Clayton Taffy

Pilgrim's Mama was a black Percheron and Daddy was a Palomino Quarter horse, so I was told.









View attachment 200257


----------



## Peppy Barrel Racing

I gotta say I'm guilty of preferring no white on dilute horses. One of the reasons I was drawn to JP when I first saw him on Craigslist I didn't even know he was dunskin. But if they have white one them that doesn't make them non buckskin or non diluted. Like Poseidon said they're tricolored...... (Loads of sarcasm) 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## NdAppy

*cough*. I said tricolor :lol:

Being a person who prefer Appaloosas I tend to gravity towards patterns.


----------



## Kayella

He would definitely NOT like Henny then cause he's got chrome out the hooha :lol: 

Henny is a "brownskin" though, or a brown based buckskin. He likes to change colors on me, that dang pony. I wish he'd pick a shade and stick with it. At one point he was almost black! He's shedding out a creamy tan color though. 


He looks so splotchy right now :/


Butt view to show countershading

This is what he looked like in October. He got a bit darker than that and as he shed his coat, he's been lightening up.


----------



## Wheatermay

I tell you I dont have a preference in markings. I do love bald faces and dapples, but I love to look at all the colors! Solids, some with a little chrome, some with a lot, paints, chestnuts, bays, greys! I love looking in our field we have a pally, black and white paints, brown and white paint, bay paint, chestnut paint, browns, and a bay, a smokey black pony, and overo mini with blue eyes! And funny thing is the bay is the one that pops out at you, bc the others are dark, and the others are paints. He is the only bay out there! And he's bright like a copper penny!


----------



## KatieAndZanzibar

I imagine my dad not wanting to keep Zanzibar just because his sire might've had a sock or a blaze. :lol:


----------



## KatieAndZanzibar

Kayella said:


> He would definitely NOT like Henny then cause he's got chrome out the hooha :lol:
> 
> Henny is a "brownskin" though, or a brown based buckskin. He likes to change colors on me, that dang pony. I wish he'd pick a shade and stick with it. At one point he was almost black! He's shedding out a creamy tan color though.
> 
> 
> He looks so splotchy right now :/
> 
> 
> Butt view to show countershading
> 
> This is what he looked like in October. He got a bit darker than that and as he shed his coat, he's been lightening up.



Oh, how beautiful! Can I has?


----------



## Peppy Barrel Racing

NdAppy said:


> *cough*. I said tricolor :lol:
> 
> Being a person who prefer Appaloosas I tend to gravity towards patterns.


Haha whoops. Mixed u two up lol  :lol: I should of checked the name again haha.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Kayella

KatieAndZanzibar said:


> Oh, how beautiful! Can I has?


You'd have to fight Bubba for him LOL. They're inseparable


----------



## Wheatermay

So I guess it's best for him to word it "The perfect buckskin in his opinion is....blah blah blah" lol...


----------



## CatrinaB87

I saw this one on The Morning Feed this morning and practically spit out my coffee. Want X infinity.


----------



## smrobs

Wow, he's definitely got some serious sooty going on! Gorgeous!

But, this is coming from the person who picked one of her favorite colors in the world as a brownskin.


----------



## KatieAndZanzibar

CatrinaB87 said:


> I saw this one on The Morning Feed this morning and practically spit out my coffee. Want X infinity.
> 
> View attachment 201977



Oh, wow! I'll take him!


----------



## Wheatermay

Drooling again!!! Grabby hands!!!


----------



## Casey02

Aside form his color, does he have a goofy left rear foot? Or is it just me?


----------



## stevenson

ooohhh.. pretty pretty.. The pony is just a plain buckskin. That dappled buckskin below the buttermilk buckskin is purrttee !! 
I like the " haha tricolor" bucky with the blaze and socks. 
the pinto I would call dun more than buckskin, and the one horse is a seal brown more than buckskin. in my humble opinion.


----------



## CatrinaB87

Casey02 said:


> Aside form his color, does he have a goofy left rear foot? Or is it just me?


Oh wow, yeah! What the deal is?!


----------



## Peppy Barrel Racing

I think it's the angle of the photo.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Kayella

stevenson said:


> ooohhh.. pretty pretty.. The pony is just a plain buckskin. That dappled buckskin below the buttermilk buckskin is purrttee !!
> I like the " haha tricolor" bucky with the blaze and socks.
> the pinto I would call dun more than buckskin, and the one horse is a seal brown more than buckskin. in my humble opinion.


My yearling Paint? I know for a fact he's not dun because both of his parents are genetically tested. In fact, his counter-shading(not dorsal stripe) only runs down from the spot on his butt, not along the entire length of his back. Definitely a brownskin.


----------

