Bay filly turning roan?

karenkarenn · Postby **karenkarenn** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:29 pm

Hello out there,
I have a color question. My mare Deaconess had a bay filly by Captains Rebel, you can see her on Pedigree Query. However since last week, her bay hair on her face is shedding and producing roan/grey hairs.

How can this happen after such a long time?
Karen

SouthernStar · Postby **SouthernStar** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:18 am

http://www.pedigreequery.com/sunday+belles
The filly is gray the same as her sire, there was at least a 50% chance this would happen. Different horses gray at different rates, so your filly just took longer to show it.

BlazingColours · Postby **BlazingColours** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:41 am

I had one mare when I was a kid who did not go gray until she was 3, she was a bay. I bought her at 1 and imagine my surprise when she shed out her winter hair and went gray on me at 3. :shock:

Back then I knew nothing about colour.

Lisann · Postby **Lisann** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:03 pm

My 2008 filly seems to be doing the same thing! She was born a med bay color, shed to dark brown, now is getting white hairs on her belly.

How does one handle this when registering with the JC?

SouthernStar · Postby **SouthernStar** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:12 pm

I would guess you just send the papers back in to have the color changed.
BUT it does not sound like your filly is gray, as the color change usually starts on the face. Pictures of your filly? She may actually be rabicano.

Lisann · Postby **Lisann** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:54 am

I will start my own thread with photos this weekend - don't want to steal this one!
Rabicino had crossed my mind, along with "funny colored".

SouthernStar · Postby **SouthernStar** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:30 am

Can't wait to see them! Bet she is probably rabicano, not funny colored :lol:

xfactor fan · Postby **xfactor fan** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:07 am

The filly may very well be a regular grey. According the latest research the grey gene works by causing the pigment producing cells to go into overdrive and burn out. They actually cause the hair to darken first, as extra pigment is produced. Then the pigment producing cells die, and produce no pigment (a white hair) and since the cells burn out at different rates, the coat grows progressively whiter.

Sounds like she started as a med bay, the grey gene kicked in, and her coat darkened, then started to grey. Photos would be lovely.

ireneinwa · Postby **ireneinwa** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:41 pm

FYI
Saw she's listed as NV bred. Was the mare bred after foaled at Harris Farms. If so the filly should be reg. as Cal Bred not NV