# Just out of curiosity, what do you think Bliss's color genetics are?



## hillree (Dec 30, 2010)

Bliss is a flaxen chestnut. I thought she was roan because she has white hairs, but some research has told me she probably has rabicano instead.

Here are pictures (sorry about massive size!): 









She looks like she has the slightest dorsal stripe in this picture, but she doesn't really. Haha just at the base of her tail. 








Can kind of see the white hairs on her flank there!

But yeah, I'm not planning on breeding her or anything. I'm just curious haha.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Could you post a better picture of her from the side?

She's flaxen chestnut like you said, but since she doesn't have a coontail, she's not rabicano. I am definitely leaning towards sabino.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Can you get us a straight on side shot?

I'm leaning towards Sabino and not rabicano.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

*pokes Po*


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

*throws things at Nd*


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## hillree (Dec 30, 2010)

Play nice, you two. :wink:

Here's a decent side picture!









It's not very close up I know... I can try to find a better one if you need it. I wonder why I don't have many side shots of her? Haha


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

A closer shot not in shadow would be ideal.


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

Her "dorsal" is just counter shading.


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## arrowsaway (Aug 31, 2011)

coontail? Didn't know that was a trademark of a rabicano. googling now!


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## arrowsaway (Aug 31, 2011)

sorry for double post, but I read up on rabicano and looked at some photos... based on that, I think your horse is rabicano. The "coontail" effect doesn't have to be striped necessarily - it can be a flash of lighter color at the tail base. Your horse has this, as does the one below.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Arrows - the lightness you are seeing on the OP's mare is caused by flaxen. They are not white hairs caused by rabicano, but creamy hairs caused by flaxen.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Arrows, a coontail on a horse looks more like this 










That one is pretty loud, but it's the same kind of barring that you'd see on a raccoon's tail rather than chunks of lighter color hairs like the OP's mare.


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## arrowsaway (Aug 31, 2011)

A true roan will have white hairs all over the body, except the face and points. A rabicano has white that centralizes on the flank and spreads outward. 
OP, might be worth the $25 to get her tested? 
Also, this is another rabicano horse without barring on its tail:


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

That still isn't the same as what the OP has going on. Like I said in my previous post, the lightening of the tail in the OP is due to flaxen, not rabicano.

There is no test for rabicano. Sabino roan would not test positive on the roan test and it is highly unlikely she would test positive for sabino1. There are many, may forms of sabino out there without a test.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

This pony is a flaxen that has the same lightening going on as the OP's mare does. No rabicano on her either.


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## arrowsaway (Aug 31, 2011)

we'll just have to agree to disagree, ND :lol: too bad there's no test! I'm pretty convinced that horse is rabicano.

Regardless of what genetics are at play, she's a very pretty mare. and I definitely see the arab in her. What a face!


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

I have to agree with Appy. **** tails are caused by white hairs while the OPs horse has a flaxen tail which is being caused yellowy hairs.


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## hillree (Dec 30, 2010)

Arrows, I think we might have read up on the same stuff because that's exactly why I thought she was rabicano too! Though I also looked up sabino, and that also makes sense (especially with Bliss's huge blaze and leg markings). Ayy, that mare loves being complicated hahaha.

I went out to see her today, but the sun was setting so the lighting wasn't great for a picture. I'm going to see her first thing tomorrow though, so hopefully I can get a good one! 

Thanks all of you for your help!! And thanks for the compliment Arrows, she is very pretty indeed (not biased at all). :wink: She's got that expressive face and definitely got the Arab personality haha!


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

No way is this horse a rabicino. You can clearly see the tail is flaxen no white hairs in it to indicate rabicano.


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## Super Nova (Apr 27, 2010)

White flecking I thought can be caused by the sabino gene.

Super Nova


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

For the record - I had a horse with clear localised flecking around the flanks, he had very little white (a star, that was it) and no white in his tail. He could not have been sabino, he simply did not have enough white... the only options for his colouring are rabicano or simple flecking. His was so localised, rabicano is the only logical explanation.

And yet, no white in his tail, AT ALL. Maybe a white hair here or there but certainly nothing remarkable.

I think it is possible that the OP's horse might be rabicano, HOWEVER, looking at the white on the horse's face, I'm seeing a lot more sabino. Look at that chin spot, there is a pinto pattern causing that, and my money's on sabino.


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## hillree (Dec 30, 2010)

Finally got side shots! :twisted: Here you go!



















I also thought I'd get a leg shot, since she seems to have sabino-looking leg markings. 











Again, thanks everyone for your help!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

THIS horse is definitely sabino. There is no doubt. Those jagged "arrowhead" leg markings, the blaze that avoids the eyes and creates a chin spot. Classic sabino. The flecking will in this case be due to the sabino gene.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

What BEP said. She also has pangre/mealy (lightening of the lower legs and underside) along with her sabino and flaxen.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Oh yay, agreement from one of the experts! 

After checking out that face marking again, is there any chance there might be something on top of the sabino? There's that little spike going off towards her left eye that just makes me wonder, because a sabino blaze will, to my knowledge, more often than not avoid doing that.

Quick geek moment, don't mind me - colour genetics are so much fun!

edit; also, would that grey in her mane be caused by the interaction of sooty and flaxen possibly?


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

BEP - I want to say splash. That blaze is a bit heavier on the bottom than on the top, even if the rest of her markings aren't amazingly neat.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

That's what I was feeling too Chiilaa. I wasn't quite certain and didn't want to look like an idiot, but that was the feeling I got. Think I'm getting better at this business of guessing the genetics behind different markings.


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