# Pretty mare, color help!



## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

I know, I just made a similiar post like this one.. But this one is for my rescue mare.
Her name is Charm, she does carry the silver gene- you can see it in her mane- and her babys have all come out a smoky grey/grulla. Or at least all of them that I know of her having before we got her! I haven't bred her due to her build not being the greatest! She's slightly ****-footed. 

She looks kinda washed out or faded brown in her fall pics, but in the winter she is JET black! Drop dead gorgoues! The one of a braid is of her tail in a fishtail after it got washed and we got some of the urine stains out of it. 

So what do you guys think of her coloring? I really like it! I haven't found another like her yet!


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Not 100% sure, so im subbing to find out!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

Me neither, but i am guessing at silver


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I would say chocolate. Like you find in the Rocky Mountain horses... very stunning color! Pretty mare!


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

Remali said:


> I would say chocolate. Like you find in the Rocky Mountain horses... very stunning color! Pretty mare!


I love her! But now that its winter, she is jet black! Can chocolates do that? Go from brown/ black in the summer to jet black in the winter?


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

"Chocolate" is a breed specific term for a black silver. So unless she is a registered RMH, then she is not chocolate. What she is is black silver. The silver dilute causes the mane and tail to lighten in that silvery manner as opposed to lightening in a red manner. It also causes the black base coat to be diluted to a purple/brown colour at certain times of year. It can also cause extreme dappling, hence it being called silver dapple at times. In Australia and the UK it is often refered to as taffy or silver taffy.


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

Chiilaa said:


> "Chocolate" is a breed specific term for a black silver. So unless she is a registered RMH, then she is not chocolate. What she is is black silver. The silver dilute causes the mane and tail to lighten in that silvery manner as opposed to lightening in a red manner. It also causes the black base coat to be diluted to a purple/brown colour at certain times of year. It can also cause extreme dappling, hence it being called silver dapple at times. In Australia and the UK it is often refered to as taffy or silver taffy.


Thank you bunches!! I hate trying to figure out colors on different horses! I'm far better at conformation critiquing, than colors... 
I actually am trying to get ahold of this little mares papers! She is a registered quarter pony. She stands 56 and 3/4 when trimmed, and just over 57 inches when she needs a trim. 
So she should for sure carry the silver gene then right?? She had a smoky gray/ grulla kinda baby this spring..


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

Black silver horses, are often a light greyish colour at birth. 

Lizzie


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

If you want to confirm, you can always test for the silver gene. Having a grulla baby doesn't necessarily tell us much, especially without pictures, since grulla = black + dun. The presence of silver isn't always obvious on a grulla horse.


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

Here is a pic of one of her babys. Sorry its not the greatest!! But you can see her color at 2 weeks old. You guys are really good at colors! and she's alot darker than I thought.


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

Baby at 4 monthes old.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

What color was the sire? The foal looks like a very "adult" shade of black in the first picture, and looks like he might have "goggles" at 4 months- I'm wondering if he's actually black going gray? For that to be the case, the sire would have to be gray, since obviously the dam is not  I don't see dun or silver on the baby, but as a disclaimer I get thrown off by foal coats sometimes!


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Did you just get her? Her hooves are disturbingly underrun, long, and chipped.


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

Endiku said:


> Did you just get her? Her hooves are disturbingly underrun, long, and chipped.


She was a rescue, I am trying to get her hooves pulled back in :/ They were wayyyyy worse when we got her!


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

verona1016 said:


> What color was the sire? The foal looks like a very "adult" shade of black in the first picture, and looks like he might have "goggles" at 4 months- I'm wondering if he's actually black going gray? For that to be the case, the sire would have to be gray, since obviously the dam is not  I don't see dun or silver on the baby, but as a disclaimer I get thrown off by foal coats sometimes!


Her daddy was a chestnut overo paint... Very irresponsible breeding in my opinion! 

I'm just glad to have gotten the mom when I did!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

ImpulsiveLucy said:


> Her daddy was a chestnut overo paint... Very irresponsible breeding in my opinion!
> 
> I'm just glad to have gotten the mom when I did!


Why irresponsible? Do the sire and mare both carry frame?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Why irresponsible? Do the sire and mare both carry frame?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


The owner had 1,001 horses. And doesn't care well for any of them but her favorite. All of hers are either wormy, underweight, had badly trimmed feet, or a combination of all. She also was very abusive and rough with her horses... She sold the mare pregnant as a non-registered POA, promising the baby could be registered as a sport horse. Babys sire, is a registered paint. Then magicaly appeared with the mares papers, and turns out she is a quarter pony!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

ImpulsiveLucy said:


> The owner had 1,001 horses. And doesn't care well for any of them but her favorite. All of hers are either wormy, underweight, had badly trimmed feet, or a combination of all. She also was very abusive and rough with her horses... She sold the mare pregnant as a non-registered POA, promising the baby could be registered as a sport horse. Babys sire, is a registered paint. Then magicaly appeared with the mares papers, and turns out she is a quarter pony!


Ah, gotcha.

Just the way that other post was worded, it sounded like the breeding was irresponsible solely because the sire was an overo...and of course my mind went straight to OLWS. Lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Ah, gotcha.
> 
> Just the way that other post was worded, it sounded like the breeding was irresponsible solely because the sire was an overo...and of course my mind went straight to OLWS. Lol.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Oops! Didn't mean that at all!


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Poor dear. I'm glad you got her then. She looks like a very useful mare once you get her all straightened out, and her mane is beautiful!


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

Does the mare have appy spots on her rump, or am I seeing things?? Does she have mottling on her muzzle or her underparts?

The foal looks like it could be going gray or it is a brown. It is not a grulla. They are born a tan color.


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

Tryst said:


> Does the mare have appy spots on her rump, or am I seeing things?? Does she have mottling on her muzzle or her underparts?
> 
> The foal looks like it could be going gray or it is a brown. It is not a grulla. They are born a tan color.


I truly suck at horse colors! Yes the mare has appy spots on her rump, mottling around the muzzle/ eye/ underparts, and striped hooves.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Has she actually ever been tested for silver? Silver is extremely rare in stock type breeds. LP can and does mess with the base colors and with manes and tails.


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

NdAppy said:


> Has she actually ever been tested for silver? Silver is extremely rare in stock type breeds. LP can and does mess with the base colors and with manes and tails.


I haven't had her tested for anything. I've been too busy trying to get her weight back up, and her feet better! 
What is LP?


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

LP is one of the genes that controls apploosa type patterning. There are three identified at this time (LP, PATN1 and PATN2) and there is ongoing research. 

Testing is easy, you just pull some hairs and send them in.  Silver Dilution Testing or Silver - Horse Coat Color They both cost $25. 

This mare has tested as Ee aa Dd which means that she is black based, has no bay/brown agouti and has dun (which makes her a grulla). The appaloosa genes have caused her base coat to appear as something it is not. This is the hazard with trying to guesstimate base coats on appaloosa patterned horses without knowing for sure what colors are also in their back ground.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

This is that same mare when she was 3 and 1/2 months old.


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## ImpulsiveLucy (Oct 8, 2012)

Pretty mare!! Appaloosa coloring has always stumped me.
I will most definitely by getting her tested! I didn't realize it was quite so easy! Wish I woulda thought about it sooner, I JUST pulled and quartered her mane and threw away all the loose hairs. 
Thank you NdAppy for the links!


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Lol no problem! If/when you get her tested, please do post what the result are for what you test. It would be very cool to see. :grin:


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

Don't send in dead or loose hair. Pull from the root, one hair at a time so each has part of the root on it. Pull about 20. Place in a plastic bag and label the bag with tape, with your name on it and the name of the horse. Then send it in to the testing place of your choice.

Lizzie


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