What colour is she?

[LokiSofi]

At work we have a lovely little mare from Ireland. I adore her but wonder what colour you would say she is? She has a black coat but with white flecks throughout, a belly splash and a silver tail. I've not seen anything like her before. I'd usually say black but due to her tail and white flecks I don't think she can be. Would she be roan?

 

[LokiSofi]

The lovely girl

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

That's unusual colouring, isn't it? The person you need is @chev - there are various alleles which affect plain colours like black and she'll know which one is likely.

Could you post a picture of the mare side on so we can see her tail? She sounds so unusual!

 

[LokiSofi]

Keep trying to post side on it says file is too big so bare with me lol

 

[MrC]

Looks like sabino to me, Kia is a classic rabicano, I'm sure chev will shed some light

 

[LokiSofi]

@chev any help possible?

 

[chev]

Can't tell from pics but she doesnt sound or look like roan to me. Roans have undiluted manes tails and legs. She definately carries sabino which can cause roaning and belly splashes. I might have a picture that shows that. I will go look.

There are are a couple of things that can cause a silver tai like palomino colouring or silver dapple but rubicano is not really one of them. It does cause a 'skunk tail' !land roaning on the flanks.

I think that she's got gulastra plume. That's named after the Arabian stallion who first introduced the mutation. Its also called silver tail. This is a picture of one of ours who had silver tail.



And a better one...

ll

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

So she is a sabino (I got that) but with gulastra plume! What a fantastic phrase. I didn't have a clue what might have caused that silver tail.

Coo1

 

[chev]

This one (different mare) shows a small bely splash and sabino roaning.



I apologise for her indelicate position!

 

[ponylover88]

D has that belly splash, white knickers and white flecks on her body, and mane and tail. Does that mean she's sabino too? I've always called her dark bay but she's almost orange in summer and black in winter.

 

[chev]

Sabino is just a locus on the KIT gene or collection of genes that cause white markings like socks that can extend up the leg, blazes, belly splashes and roaning. Thing is we know that the phenotype differs from the genotype because not every apparent sabino tests positive for the gene. Shires and clydesdales tested negative for SB1 (the sabino alleles on the KIT gene). It's hoped that sabino 2 and 3 will be found soon.

I can go on like this for hours you know.....