I am still learning how to use the camera and this is the first time I have looked at hair under a microscope for pigment purposes so the images are rough. These are some that I think are interesting. I'll describe the colors of the horses in the images along with the name of the horse. Almost all of the horses have images in this post if you want to see the body color.
Chestnut (Tristan) on left, palomino (Bree) on right.
Fjord bay dun (Kvik) on left, bay dun (Kiddo) middle, bay (Harley) right
Both are bay dun (Kiddo)
Black (Kenny) left, Bend Or from a chestnut (Chubbs) middle left, chestnut (Chubbs) middle right and right
Black (Kenny) left, dorsal stripe from a grullo (Bandit) middle, grullo (Bandit) right
This image is super busy and has a purple fiber in it, but I kind of like it.
Black (Kenny) left, dorsal stripe from a grullo (Bandit) middle left, dorsal stripe from a grey dun donkey (Buckwheat) middle, grey dun donkey (Buckwheat) middle right, grullo (Bandit) right
White hair from a bay tobiano (Joe)
All are bay (Harley)
Two hairs of off a brown going grey (Jammer). He is three and in the dark, dark grey with some flecks of white stage of greying.
I have tons more pictures that I will post as I sort through them and pull out useful ones. The entire album is here.









Looks like the fine focusing is not quite right. It will cause a shadow behind the hair and give it that "uneven look. Also play around with th light as sometimes a brighter light also creates shadows where you dont want them. Can you go a stronger magnification? and use a few drops of water for the hair to rest on under a coverslip. :love
And I forgot when looking for dun.. you've got to roll the hairs (turn) if it's not apparent to begin with.
Here's a report I wrote a while ago for our national dilute society...
Bugger now the pics wont come up! Can I email it to someone to post up? is a word doc..?
I experimented some more with the microscope today and was able to get a little better focus. I actually use a sugar solution on the hair so they have just enough stick to stay in place when I move them to the position I want (plus, the sugar solution was sitting right next to me for when I run fecals so its handier than water :lol: ). I'll try my digital camera to take images so see if I can get better clarity.
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Really cool MP! How are you taking the pics? I mean, I'm imagining you holding your camera up to the lens of the Microscope LOL
I am using a microscope camera. It fits into one of the eye pieces on the microscope. My friend gave me the microscope as a graduation present and has been letting me borrow her camera to try and get pictures. I am actually having a lot of difficulty getting the colors to show correctly and as crisply. For example, most of the blue looking areas on the edges of the hair on the pictures are actually a deep brown color.
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That's what I do Jenks! You're more patient than me Monster I gave up after about an hour with on of those!!
Can I email one of you guys a word doc to post up? it has an explanation of the basic colors...
now I want a microscope.....LOL
very cool.
you can email me the doc hoofpick admin at equine-color.info
Thank's Admin!! I did send it to you in 2 formats yesterday I think... I'm just a pushy bugger eh! Monsterpony said she would so have sent it to her too. I will resend to you as well and you can use it however you wish too.
Would have done this yesterday but I had to reinstall windows and hadn't set up my equine-color email account correctly /blush Didn't even notice.
http://www.equine-color.info/hair%20repo..." onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thank you!!
So cool! I am going to study this and then look through my hair samples again. Can you tell the difference between a sunfaded black hair and a really concentrated red one? I have a horse that I am still trying to decide if he is black or dark brown.
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The darker the color the more likely the folicle will be pigmented..heavily in a non fading black...Brown poses a few problems as it can present like a dark chestnut or like that copper bay, but a true non fading black looks black if you know what I mean. You will start to see the differences in the colors ( and just when you think you've got it you'll get one that doesn't want to play nice). It took me ages and I'm still learning! I'd love to compare with you on your findings!!!