# Do all brown horses have tan around the muzzle?



## budley95 (Aug 15, 2014)

I'm not good on colour genetics but I've always been taught dark bays have lighter brown points on ears, muzzle and sometimes hocks. I know some blacks can get sun bleached, but equally I know a black who had odd reddish bits and it turned out to be due to a copper defficiancy. 

But if you like the horse, who cares what colour it is! A good horse is never a bad colour!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## VaticanVice (Oct 28, 2012)

I completely agree! I really, really like him. He's consigned to a draft auction tomorrow and I'm all ready to bid. Super stoked on this guy, hope I get him regardless of what his color genes are! I was just wondering.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

From the description, I'd say he's a fading black. I've seen genetically-tested black horses who look like dark bays because they fade so badly. Difficult to say without a picture, though.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I know absolutely nothing about color. 
I own two brown horses and can say that the brown on the muzzle is dependent on the time of the year. Right now they both have the brown On the muzzle but will look black on the rest of their body. When they shed out for summer it will pretty much disappear but the coat on the rest of the body becomes lighter especially in the flanks. Some of that is due to sun fade too.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Subbing in case pictures come about


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## sueyy61 (Mar 12, 2015)

VaticanVice said:


> So, I went to look at a horse today that was advertised as black. He looked black in almost all of the sale photos, but in person he had a distinct brown shade to his coat, particularly in lower light. He has pronounced tan/reddish areas in some of his soft spots (noticeable primarily in his loins) but also appeared brownish on his neck and flank. He also has black points--his mane and tail are definitely black, as are his legs.
> 
> Based on this, I would have assumed that he is, in fact, a dark brown. But every brown horse I've seen has displayed tan around the muzzle--and this one doesn't. His face appears solid black.
> 
> ...


Id say by the sound of it possibly a seal brown normally a lighter muzzle and a lighter underside could be a seal brown color my horse is seal brown she has a black mane and tail almost looks black with her winter coat but her summer coat is a lovely chocolate brown color not bay .


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

sueyy61 said:


> Id say by the sound of it possibly a seal brown normally a lighter muzzle and a lighter underside could be a seal brown color my horse is seal brown she has a black mane and tail almost looks black with her winter coat but her summer coat is a lovely chocolate brown color not bay .


Unless your horse has a light muzzle and soft spots (elbow/flank) I would say that you have a fading black not a seal brown. :wink:








^fading black that looks chocolate in the summer, tested black (Ee aa)


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

A picture would help the best, obviously. I know of one horse would looks anything but black in the summer, especially when he starts getting sweaty in the sun. He's the nastiest shade of faded black, but still definitely black. 

On the other hand, I used to board with a mare that I 100% thought (with my pretty solid knowledge of equine color genetics) was a faded black when I met her in the summer. Come fall and she starts growing in her winter coat, I'll be ****ed if she's not the darkest brown horse I've ever personally seen.


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