# Another "Brown or Black?" question



## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

I recently brought home a mare that is supposedly solid black. I have no summer photos to compare - so just what she looks like now. I was thinking she might be seal brown with her light muzzle and the light around her eyes, but after my mustang's thread http://www.horseforum.com/horse-colors-genetics/brown-smoky-black-152993/  I'm just not sure.

She does have more pronounced brown I spots but her dark areas seem much closer to black than my gelding's. So here are some pics - what do you think?


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

One more pic - caught her on the edge of the pic but I think it show her brown area on her face well.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Hmm, just judging on those pictures, I would probably call her a brown. What makes me think that is that it appears the area around her flanks, between her hind legs,and underneath her belly back by her udders appears to be significantly lighter than the rest of her. Plus, she does have the very clear black points on her legs.


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

She's brown


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

Definitely not black. I would say brown as well


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## SaddleStrings (May 15, 2012)

My votes in, seal brown


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## CowboyBob (Feb 11, 2013)

Brown highlights I would say brown


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Brown! 

There are a lot of horses that look just like that that are referred to as black. Nuuu! It's brooown. I board with one of these particular sneaky horses. I actually board with a bunch of browns and I know almost all of them are misregistered. Sigh. These are the issues faced by those interested in color genetics.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

What gets me is that the one horse that everyone agrees is brown looks much blacker in person than the one majority claimed as black in the other thread. I really need to get a pic of these two together. LOL.


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## xlionesss (Jan 30, 2012)

I'd say seal brown but I'm definitely no expert on color!


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## Oldhorselady (Feb 7, 2012)

I would say brown too. This has been confusing for me too since everyone refers to my mare as black and white. I'm thinking because of the lighter brown on the muzzle and flanks etc.

In summer she sheds out her lighter brown...

















But it all comes back in winter...


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## Reno Bay (Jul 8, 2012)

I say brown as well.
At least to me, she looks noticeably agouti. I love her "highlights" XD


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## smarties (Feb 13, 2013)

I'll throw another color option in, black chestnut, although I agree this horse is most likely a brown.
Also, the coat could be darker depending on turn out. Horses turned out only at night during summer months do not get sunbleached. 
I owned a mare that was registered chestnut, had to do a color change after she had three bay foals by three different chestnut stallions.
She was actually black if I only turned her out at night.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Smarties, if the horse was a black or liver chestnut, then she would be lighter right along the coronet band. Even the darkest chestnut will be clearly red-ish along the coronet bands.

For example....this horse is genetically red, though he looks black. However, you can see the obvious red hair on his lower legs, especially pasterns and coronet bands.


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## hemms (Apr 18, 2012)

OP, your horse is identically colored to my hubby's gelding and we've always called him brown.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MillieSantana (Feb 17, 2013)

Seal brown or brown, definatley!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I don't know what color the horse is, but that black and pink saddle rocks! What kind is it?


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Thanks! Its a Rebecca Underwood Softrider. Love it! My husband is waiting for his - different color of course. LOL.


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## ryster2000 (Nov 27, 2012)

Brown. The unofficial "official" way to tell is the brown hairs on her muzzle.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

ryster2000 said:


> Brown. The unofficial "official" way to tell is the brown hairs on her muzzle.


Ah - but not always! In my other thread I questioned if my black mutang may be brown because now in the winter he was showing brown hairs on his muzzle. And most felt he was black because while there was some brown on the muzzle and lighter brown on his tail his other soft tissue areas really were not lightened. So looks like I have one of each. 

Now I do have another question. We know how the smutty/sooty gene can even make palominos look really dark. I wonder what it would do to a brown with it? And have they decided mealy does not work on black-based horses? I know they used to say what is now brown were blacks with mealy.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Cat said:


> Ah - but not always! In my other thread I questioned if my black mutang may be brown because now in the winter he was showing brown hairs on his muzzle. And most felt he was black because while there was some brown on the muzzle and lighter brown on his tail his other soft tissue areas really were not lightened. So looks like I have one of each.
> 
> Now I do have another question. We know how the smutty/sooty gene can even make palominos look really dark. I wonder what it would do to a brown with it? And have they decided mealy does not work on black-based horses? I know they used to say what is now brown were blacks with mealy.


The general feeling is that mealy does not act on black. I have my own theories regarding mealy on browns and bays, and also regarding sooty on black based horses, but without an extensive testing spree, I can't further my theorising :-(


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

But do share - I would love to hear your theories!


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