RebaRox
Member
I'm trying to figure out what pattern my classic Shetland, Smokey, is. I bought him at three years old from a kind lady who just didn't have the time to train him, and she had limited information on his background, as he was never registered. I do know both of his parents were double registered Shetland/ mini horses, and that his father is a grey. (She wasn't certain of his mother, but the likely mare was black with no visible pattern.) Recently, I stumbled across an old auction flyer featuring Smokey's father, that had him listed as also being roan (the grey gene "hid" the roan with age, apparently.) All this time I thought Smokey was grey, but the fact that he's 12 years old now (born April 2011), and looks almost exactly the same as when I got him at 3, makes me really doubt he has the grey gene at all. But he doesn't really look typical roan, either. So I was doing further research, and discovered something called "varnish roan", a type of appaloosa complex. I have a very basic and limited knowledge of horse colors/ patterns, and was wondering if this was a feasible possibility? Or does anyone else have any thoughts/ insight? Thank you!
(If he does have an appaloosa complex gene, it might explain his slightly scruffy tail too.)
![05.12.2020 Smokey.jpg 05.12.2020 Smokey.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/miniaturehorsetalk/data/attachments/44/44937-90c351e8e29e7157361d6eb13eb56eb3.jpg)
(If he does have an appaloosa complex gene, it might explain his slightly scruffy tail too.)
![05.12.2020 Smokey.jpg 05.12.2020 Smokey.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/miniaturehorsetalk/data/attachments/44/44937-90c351e8e29e7157361d6eb13eb56eb3.jpg)