color hereditary

[JimP]

I am trying to register a foal before she turns a year old.
She looks like a bay but has a ton of white hairs mixed in
her coat. Her rump really shows red and gray hairs. She
is shedding but she sure looks roan to me. She has Cozzene
in the 4th generation on the top and a gray mare named Cam
Axe, by The Axe II on the lower side in the 4th generation.
There are no gray horses forward of the 4th. I am have
been using the Jockey Club website. When I put her color in
as Roan/gray they tell me it is not genetically possible. Her sire
is a bay and her dam a Chestnut. I don't want to screw this up and have
to redo papers somewhere down the road. Am I nuts or just seeing things?

[da hossman]

You are not seeing things but she is technically a bay - a gray must have a gray parent.

I have personally known 2 Stallions that threw solid coat foals with white hairs - Timeless Moment not infrequently sired chestnuts with white hairs throughout their coats - this was pre DNA testing and a gray stallion stood at the same farm, so the Jockey Club made a regular annual visit to inspect a few foals. The Roberto line has also thrown bay horses with white hairs throughout their coats. The Roberto line often throws some "sugar" in the tail as well.

[JimP]

Thanks da hossman for your help. I have been at this a long time
but this one had me stumped. I knew I could get help on this forum
and keep me from looking like a total idiot!

[camohn]

You can probably use bay roan. There is no actual roan in the TB breed, but the JC has used it incorrectly forever so might as well go with it. Are there white hairs at the dock of the tail too? If so it's a rabicano . (Not that the JC uses that term!). Rabicanos typically have a lot
Of white hairs in the coat.the Axe does throw a lot of roaning ( for lack
Of a better word) too.... My Hail The Pirates mare had it.

[camohn]

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j276/ ... tdpswz.jpg

Bay Rabicano tail: white hairs at the sides. Will be more obvious when he has more tail.

[JimP]

Thanks Camohn.