Color Question about Bays

[BeckyG]

I think I remember reading "somewhere" that often the lower legs of a Bay are light colored at birth..... and then darken.

I guess my 1st question is...... Has this been your experience???

(Or was that just bad info??)

Then, IF it is true......

- when do the lower legs begin to darken?

- and by when are they actually black?

Thanks for any "enlightenment" you can provide me.

-Becky

 

[Mona]

Yes, this is true. They are most often born with a cream colored look to the lower legs, but the black is underneath, and will show through(and remain black) after their first shed/clip. If a foal is going to grey out, it will normally be born looking a regular bay, with the dark black points.

 

[chandab]

My stallion was so light at birth, he was registered as a red dun. He is bay.

Here's a baby picture:

http://www.freewebs.com/hcminis/duncolt04%20-%20also%20Levis%20dam.jpeg[img/]

Here's a weanling picture (I believe he is clipped):

He was pretty much bay when I brought him home in January of his yearling year, although, he points are more of a deep chocolate brown with some black.

Here he is this past summer as a three year old:

I had him DNA color-tested. He is heterzygous black (Ee) and homozygout Agouti (AA).

I've been told he is wild-bay, and thats why his points are more chocolately and shorter on his legs. [i don't know.]

 

[BeckyG]

Thank you for the explanations!

Horse colors are so fascinating.

(Chanda, your guy is beautiful!!)

-Becky

 

[Joanne]

The hooves are a good indicator. If they are black the hair will be dark above. If they are white the hair will be light.

If you have a pinto however that has high white on their legs then you have to go by the mane, tail and ears.

There are many bays and especially silver bays that were incorrectly registered.

 

[flamingstar]

I alwys thought that my Arab gelding was going to bay out, but he is a dark liver chestnut/chocolate colour from his ear tips to his hooves, not a black hair anywhere.

 

[Riverdance]

A bay is born with its black points, they are just covered with light color hair, but as was said before, the black is always underneath. They also have black manes and tails, but may have some body coat color in the mane to begine with, by the time they are 6 months old, their color is there.

Unfortunatly there are many bays and silver bays with the wrong color registration. I am finding with the Minis that it is hard to tell sometimes for the first few months, what color they really are. In some cases it has taken a few years. My stallion WINDCHASER was regstered a dun because he has a stripe down his back. His breeder did not realize that buckskins can also have stripes. Each time he was clipped we questioned what color he was, but by the time he was a late 2 year old, it was obviouse he was a buckskin.

I had babies this year that I registered too early. They started out with buckskin colored coats, but finished off being smokey black. Or one that started off looking smokey black pinto and now I keep trying to guess if she is a buckskin or smokey black as she fads out to a buckskin tan. I can see where I will be changing some of the colors with AMHA. OH!

 

[Bluerocket]

Here is a photo of a foal born Bay - that is turning gray -- I believe we took this when he was 1 day old:

Here he is at 2 - fat and getting his winter coat - you can see he is greying out:

JJay

 

[chandab]

Thank you for the explanations!

Horse colors are so fascinating.

(Chanda, your guy is beautiful!!)

-Becky

Thank you. I think he's pretty special. [And, so does he.

]

 

[Dona]

Here is a photo of a foal born Bay - that is turning gray -- I believe we took this when he was 1 day old:

Here he is at 2 - fat and getting his winter coat - you can see he is greying out:

JJay

This one is interesting...as I see no signs of graying on his face at all, and this is where grays "typically" show signs of graying first. Does he have a true gray parent? His "roaning" on the body could be a result of the Sabino gene...as I do see he has some white marking down around his right front hoof.

 

[BeckyG]

Thanks Everyone!

I really appreciate the Good Info!!!

I have sooo much to learn

(And it seems the more I learn... the more questions I have OH! )

Thanks Again!

-Becky