Interesting color on new icelandic

[ShariN]

My new Icelandic mare is called Black on her papers.

However...once cleaned up she is just a super dark brown.
Her mane and tail are the jet black...she has a doral strip down her back, also jet black, High jet black socks/lower legs and clear and different tones/shades of color to her face. To me she looks Dun but have never seen a Dun her color.
Her inner ears are a soft cream color.
She might also have a cream gene and at some point I will have her tested.

Up close you can see the details of her coloring but is hard to get on camera.
If we get a good enough non raining day, will try to get a close up of her face and doral stripe.

The head shot one was lightened by me.

What do you think?

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i51/Bergere/Freydis/freywalkingsept06b-1.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i51/Bergere/Freydis/freystandingsept06a.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i51/Bergere/Freydis/freyheadshotsept06.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i51/Bergere/Freydis/freyeatingsept06b.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i51/Bergere/freysmallgoodpic.jpg

[galadriel]

For comparison, this guy is a grullo, a black base with a dun factor:
http://kelliesharpe.com/tig.htm

[chev]

Looks like smokey black - that's black with cream :)

Dun would be much more dilute than that, and she wouldn't have the black points.

The dorsal stripe is a bit misleading - it's more than likely countershading, which mimics dun dorsal stripes very well at times!

The creamy colour inside her ears is typical of the cream dilution, and she has no other dun factors either. She's black + cream, not dun. :)

ambatt has a smokey black Icelandic too, called Nott. She's posted pics of her before but I'm sure she'd oblige again if you ask! :D

[ambatt]

You can check her breeding on the Fengur database - it will tell you the colours of her ancestors. She may be a smoky black if either of her parents are cream/palomino/dun. Dorsal stripes are really common in Iceys and are not indicative of the dun factor being present, they appear to be more atavistic.

or she may be that marvellous Icelandic colour mobrunn!

My Icelandic is smoky black and has a clear doral stripe that goes all the way down her tail.

Here she is with my Spanish Lady Cueva

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a299/ambatt/000_0088.jpg

[chev]

Dun Central Station (http://www.duncentralstation.com/AdultShades.html) has some great black + dun pics - but as you can see, even their warmblood stallion who is teh darkest shade of black + dun I've seen has other, obvious dun markings, like the almost undiluted face (known as a mask).

[ambatt]

<chuckle> cross posted with you Chev - I have checked on my favourite Icelandic website and I think she is just a dear old black - the ears and thes dorsal I suspect are red herrings...

Ambatt's fav. Icelandic website:

http://www.icelandichorse.is/

[ShariN]

Thanks everyone. ambatt, I like Lukka's web site too.

After asking about a bit this morning, I found out another foal from her dam is dark smokey black..same color as my mare and she was tested for the creme gene. I was told the Dam's line can throw smokey Blacks.
Though all are stated as black on their Registry papers.

Guess her little bit different color is because most likely she is carring a cream gene. Should buckle down and just get her tested.

Was just that rather clear counter shading with a Lighter brown head caught me off guard.

[galadriel]

Dun Central Station (http://www.duncentralstation.com/AdultShades.html) has some great black + dun pics

Grin. The very first pic on that page is the horse I posted the pics for earlier in the thread.

[ShariN]

Why did I not think of this earlier?

She reminds me of a Seal Bay. Is there a color like super dark seal bay?

[chev]

Yes - I have a Welsh filly who is such a dark bay she looks visually black. The only giveaway is lighter brown areas around her eyes and muzzle; and the fact that she was born black, whereas blacks are generally born mushroom.

The brown colour you refer to has a particular name in Icelandics; the mobrunn ambatt refers to. If that was the case she'd test postitive for agouti in a genetic test.

She could also be a fading black... horses that are black but fade when exposed to sunlight. Monty bred a black filly who faded to almost bay in summer; but black she was.

[ShariN]

I thought of fading black....but she isn't faded like other blacks I have known.
If and when I get some good weather...will try to take some close ups.
In person,,,her coat really isn't black...not even a faded black.
I have had her in a rain sheet... so will see what she does next spring when she sheds. Should prove interesting.

Now my mini mare Maggie is a dark liver chestnut and she fades...
The way she fades she does lighten up but it dulls/bleaches her coat. So it is easy to tell.