# Color?



## Horses_Forever (Oct 14, 2007)

Here are some pictures of my yearling Bruno with his summer coat.

I am curious as to what you all think his color is?

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/shalako22/Bruno2/whinnybruno.png
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/shalako22/Bruno2/run.png
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/shalako22/Bruno2/cuteboy1.png
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/shalako22/Bruno2/cuteboy.png
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/shalako22/Bruno2/brunosmane2.png
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/shalako22/Bruno2/brunosmane.png
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/shalako22/Bruno2/brunoandannie.png

Thanks for reading.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Is one of his parents gray? It looks to me like he is either going to gray out or maybe he has a silver dilution with a black or bay base. IDK.


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## close2prfct (Mar 9, 2009)

He looks like he's going grey to me


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## Horses_Forever (Oct 14, 2007)

Yes his dam is gray.... but what makes you so sure he is going to gray out?

I just did some googling and from what I gathered horses that are going to gray start showing signs on their faces... not on their mane/tails... As you can see from the pictures he has no gray on his face or his body.. the light colors are on his mane/tail. I also saw it said that horses that are going to gray are born very dark..with dark legs.. and he was born brown with light legs.

I also realize that there is such a thing as gradual graying where he might not even gray out until he is 7, 8, 9 that is IF he even inherited the gray gene (50% chance). But, wouldn't you still see some gray on his face even as a youngster?

Maybe I'm completely confused.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

A friend of mine has a Morgan mare, about 15 years old, with coloring _IDENTICAL_ to Bruno's! She has a very dark chestnut body, with a mane and tail that look like they've been bleached or highlighted, lol. Some Rocky Mountain horses have similar coloring, I think their registry calls it chocolate with flaxen mane and tail. He looks really brown on his body, but maybe that's just the pics? I don't think he'll gray out, though. He's a beauty!


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

He looks like a chocolate or dark chestnut with a silver dilution. Are the hairs on his body shimmery?


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

What breed is he, & what colour is his sire? Do you know what colour his dam's parents were (or what colour she was before she grayed out?) Or do you have pictures of either of the parents? That would help narrow down the colour options.


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

too early to tell if his mom was grey. they can take up to 5 years to grey out, so a yearling could go any way. And, it doesn't always start on the head. It can start anywhere, and they can be any color before they grey. I've seen a gorgeous sorrel colt turn pure white by the time he was 4.


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## Horses_Forever (Oct 14, 2007)

*He's a Grade. His sire is a Tennessee Walker x American Saddlebred mix and his dam is a mixed gaited horse. I do have a pictures of his parents.

His sire Cloud is a chestnut (second image). Cloud's sire is a chestnut tobiano and his dam is a chestnut.*

*His dam Smokey is grey (obviously :lol Her sire is black and her dam is grey. I have no clue about her color before she greyed out. I do know that she greyed out before she was a year.
*
*Someone mentioned on another forum that he could be a black silver and sent me a picture of this foal.*









*He looks identical in color to that foal. So, what do you all think?*


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

It's possible that he's silver. He most likely would have had to inherit the silver gene from his mother, who would have inherited it from her mother. It's hard to say though, since you don't know what colour she was. It's possible that he got it from his sire, since silver doesn't show up on red based horses, so you'd either have to look at any other foals that the sire or sire's parents produced or see if he's been tested for silver to know for sure. Did he have white eyelashes as a baby? A lot of times, that's an indication of silver. Manes & tails of silver horses tend to have darker roots, while flaxen tends to have more of reddish yellow roots.
If he's not carrying the silver gene, I'd say he's a liver chestnut.


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## Horses_Forever (Oct 14, 2007)

*Ohh wow he did have silver eyelashes when he was born! I couldn't figure out why they were silver but, now it makes sense.

You can't really see how bright his lashes were because of the quality of the pictures but, they were white looking.

On the picture of Smokey and him you can kind of see the whiteness of his lashes.*


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

Actually, I think I'm definitely gonna guess that he got the silver from his daddy's side. If it's a long line of chestnuts, then it never would have shown up, but since his mom is black based, you got yourself a visibly silver baby. The light colouring on his legs right above his hooves in his more recent pictures is another good indication.


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## fontana1 (Jun 7, 2009)

I think he's kind of a dark chestnut/silver by the ways of the photos that you took.


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## Horses_Forever (Oct 14, 2007)

Just to update everyone. I had Bruno DNA tested and he is black! (a/a E+/e). He was also tested for cream, silver and gray and was negative for all three. Which means he's not silver, doesn't carry cream and won't gray out.

I was very surprised he was negative for silver, as I expected him to be positive for it. But, I was directed to a site that discussed "sabino roaning" by a member of another horse forum I participate in. The site said "sabino roaning" on a black based horse can be mistaken for silver dilution.

Another thing that makes me think it might be "sabino roaning" is he has little flecks throughout his coat (on his face, ears, neck and some on his body). They are small and you have to get up close to see them. But, according to this site (and several others I have visited) it along with his light/mane and tail is classic sign of sabino roaning. He probably inherited this from his dam, as she has one visibly classic sign of sabino, a "milk chin".

Thanks to everyone who guessed.


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## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

If he was a Mini he'd be a Chocolate silver dapple. Some Rocky Mountain horses and other breeds are this color as well. Very pretty.


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## barnprincess (Dec 17, 2009)

he looks like a liver chestnut to me. a stud my mare was bred to before i got her was a bay with a silver tail. its possible


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## Horses_Forever (Oct 14, 2007)

He might look like a liver chestnut but genetically he's black. I'm pretty sure the sabino roaning has turned his coat into a chocolaty color and/or he's just a fading black?

Also, if I am remember correctly doesn't a horse who is chocolate silver dapple have to carry silver? Bruno was DNA tested and does not carry silver.


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

if hes genetically black then he will grow into it he'll look black


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## Horses_Forever (Oct 14, 2007)

So, you are saying that as he matures his coat color will turn more of a black black rather than staying the chocolaty color that it is now? I have a mare (pictured in my avatar) and she is very black. If you were to stand Bruno and her side by side you can really tell the difference in their shades of black.


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