# What color is he?



## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

He's a buckskin spalsh overo.


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

*Agree with the poster above. *

*Further in depth, this is all according to the American Paint Horse Association webpage*

*APHA.Com - Welcome to the Association*

*Buckskin*
body color yellowish or gold, mane and tail black; black on lower legs; lacks primitive markings.

*Overo
*_(pronounced: oh vair' oh)_ 
The white usually will not cross the back of the horse between its withers and its tail. 
Generally, at least one and often all four legs are dark. 
Generally, the white is irregular, and is rather scattered or splashy. 
Head markings are distinctive, often bald-faced, apron-faced or bonnet-faced. 
An overo may be either predominantly dark or white. The tail is usually one color. 

*Splashed White *
Splashed white is the least common of the spotting patterns in horses, although it is increasing in frequency as breeders use more and more splashed white horses in their breeding programs. It occurs sporadically in a number of widely divergent breeds, such as Welsh Ponies, Finnish Draft Horses, Icelandic Horses and Paints. 

The pattern usually makes the horse look as though it has been dipped in white paint. On a dark horse, the effect can be that of an ice cream cone dipped in chocolate. The legs are usually white, as are the bottom portions of the body. The head is also usually white, and the eyes are frequently blue. 

The edges of the white are consistently crisp and clean, with no roaning. Some of these splashed whites have dark toplines, but on some the white crosses the topline. 

The splashed white pattern was originally studied in Finnish Horses, and was reputed to be a true recessive pattern. If this were the case, the pattern would be unlikely to occur unless two splashed white horses mated, which is not the case. 

Recent evidence is consistent with this pattern being caused by a dominant gene. The main problem in the past appears to have been that minimally marked horses were classed as nonspotted, which resulted in erroneous conclusions. 

Some people have observed that many splashed white horses are deaf. This is not much of a problem if the trainer realizes the limitations of the horse in question, and many of these horses go on to lead full, normal and productive lives. If trainers rely on many verbal cues, though, these horses will be labeled as difficult, stubborn, and can be psychologically ruined by techniques inappropriate for a deaf animal. 

No homozygous splashed white horses have ever been documented, leading to the suspicion that this is yet another gene that cannot exist in homozygous form. If this is true, the loss of hearing probably occurs early in gestation rather than at term, so this is distinct from the lethal white foal problem where defective foals are born. 

The best strategy for splashed white horses, then, is to mate them to horses without the splashed white pattern.


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

Ooo! I want him! lol


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Please, do not quote the breed registry pages. Their information is out of date/wrong 99.9% of the time.


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

Then put up some more info as to what exactly a splash is, a buckskin is and an overo is from a better source to educate the OP :lol: and me.

If a horse is registered as something in a breed registry, do you not have to go by the definition of the registry for that horse?


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

I really like the bit about no documented homozygous splash white horses. Since we don't have a test and all. They thought roan was lethal when homozygous too.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

No you don't. The registries are known to mis-register horses all the time. They are also known for not registering horses they think are not possible. JC registers greys are roans, greys are white, and other such color. 


It is much easier to explain colors than it is to spread misinformation about them. Color genetic research is always on the move and constantly changing. I don't know of any sites out there that are completely correct. My own site is under construction, but it has the bare bones there - Wix.com Equine Color Genetics created by ruffriderdesign based on Close Up


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

This is interesting. Sending you a private message so we don't derail the thread


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

Totally agree with the splash. But I know in the summer my bay changes to nearly that shade so I'm not positive whether this is buckskin or sun faded bay.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

It is possible for him to be buckskin genetically - his sire is a pally and his dam a bay. It is hard to judge from the photos provided since they have been very obviously and very badly touched up to bring out the golden hue.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Chiillaa I just found that he has a FB page that has a few more pictures on it. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colonels-Smoken-Chex/190437154350258?sk=wall


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

I want to see either a test, or a obvious cream foal out of an obviously not cream mare. Colour me skeptical.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Yeah he could go either way. I am leaning towards buckskin though. :/


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

I'm cynical of nature. If it is a could be this colour or could be that colour, and they are claiming the colour that is in fashion, I will go for the other one lol.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Hehehe. I normally do too. None of the pictures they have are good for judging color though. Alter, wet, and in bad lighting conditions. *sigh*


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