# Is he black or gray?



## NY Nickers (Feb 24, 2011)

Hi! My friend has a few questions, and I thought I'd voice them for her.

1) What color is this colt? Half Friesian, half Shire. Looks like a gray to me, but I can't be sure... Might have to DNA test, but what color do _you_ think he is? Attaching photos.

2) Have any names for him? Sorry, she and I were like, "Uh..." for, like, ever, so I need some suggestions.  He'll be a dressage horse (most likely).

3) This is actually my question, but what do you think of him? Conformation? Prospect diciplines? His breeds speak dressage, and it does look like he has great movement... What do you think?

Thanks guys!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Gray horses are not born gray. They are born a normal colour and turn gray. 

He might be black because black horses are usually born a mousy grayish colour like he is now. They shed out to be black. But it would depend on the colour of his parents. The Friesian was obviously black (unless it happened to be one of the chestnut friesians, which would be awesome )


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## vikki92 (Dec 18, 2010)

he is the cutest little baby ever! i want him lol!
as for names. here are a couple of names lol
1)Aces Diamond Rio
2)Catch the wind


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Was one of his parents a gray?  (obviously the shire half I mean :lol

Does he have any white hairs mixed in with the black hairs, sort of a subtle roaning? 

My foal is a gray and he never had those goggles and such they always talk about. But he is getting individual white hairs mixed in his bay coat. 

One of the characteristics of a gray is they are often born an "adult" color. Such as true black and not mousy, true bay without the tannish points, etc. That is what Poseidon is refering too. But I can't tell from the photos if he is mousy or actually black. He looks kind of black to me. 

If he is dark black, if he has white hairs (not including his markings) and his Shire parent is a gray, I would say odds are he is a gray.


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## NY Nickers (Feb 24, 2011)

His sire (Friesian) is black. His dam was a bay and white paint-patterned mare (I _think_). He does have two white fetlocks and a star and snip. Just attached some photos.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

If his parents weren't gray, then he won't be gray. He's black. His options for bayXblack are black, bay, or chestnut. He doesn't look chestnut or bay at all.

A lot of black horses are born a mousy colour and shed out black.


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## NY Nickers (Feb 24, 2011)

Oops. Already had.  My bad.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Yeah, he would have to have at least one gray parent to be gray. But black is lovely, it's actually my favorite horse color.


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## NY Nickers (Feb 24, 2011)

I <3 black horses too, but I haven't seen any so young before, so I didn't know he'd shed out.

Thank you SO MUCH everyone!


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

On the confo thing. No way to judge on any horse without proper conformation pictures. And I agree with everyone else, without a grey parent, a horse cannot be grey.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

My Friesian cross was born charcoalish then brown and shed to seal brown and black depending on the time of the year


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## xxRiaBeautyxx (Mar 7, 2011)

Black..so cute!!!


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