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tips between silver chestnut

colorfan September 24, 2011 September 24, 2011

Forums

I am wondering if you could give me some tips on what to look for to tell the difference between silver bay(some are pretty obvious but some seem to be redder than others, and flaxen chestnut and red champanges. thanks

rabbitsfizz Mon, 09/26/2011 - 11:44

A Silver Bay will always have darker legs- a Flaxen Chestnut the flaxen often affects the legs as well and turns them a bit paler, but even when it does not you have lighter, not darker legs.
BUT (!)
If you have Dun in the mix it can really mess things up in discerning!
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/…]

This mare is a sooty + Red Dun + Flaxen, no Silver anywhere.
She has dark legs, a deep reddish coat and, when it is actually clean, her tail is as blonde as her mane.

Sometimes you just cannot tell by looking!

The first place to start is obviously "Is it possible?" This mare's grandfather, I have been informed, very belligerently, is quite obviously a Palomino, but, of course, he is not, he is simply Red Dun + Flaxen, no Cream in sire or dam.

So, with this mare, there is no Silver, so she cannot be. I find that is the best place to start off!

Daylene Alford Mon, 09/26/2011 - 13:32

The champagnes will have mottled or pinkish skin while the flaxen chestnut should have dark skin. Silvers can sometimes have slightly mottled skin but it won't be as extensive as the champagnes. These photo are in the gallery. They don't deal exclusively with what your wanting to know but I thought they might help.

This is a comparison between mottled skin caused by different genes. From left to right we have LP, Silver, and cream. Cream does not always cause mottled skin but it can.
[img]http://colorgenetics.info/equine_galler…]

Champagne vs LP mottling on the skin around the eye. The first photo is champagne and the second is LP. The first photo is open source the second is courtesy of Comet's Tail Arabians.
[img]http://colorgenetics.info/equine_galler…]

rabbitsfizz Tue, 09/27/2011 - 04:53

I also forgot stripey hooves- so long as you do not have high white legs, you should be able to see darker legs and stripey hooves- sometimes the hooves do take a little while to arrive, but they most usually do.

colorfan Sat, 10/08/2011 - 09:51

Ok, really good thank you.

Love the butt pics :grin:

The horse is question has unknown parents, now that I have seen him in person it is pretty obvious he is a flaxen chestnut.

Good to know about the legs being darker in Silver. I think I have seen lighter legs in Chestnuts, or is that a Champagne quality?

Really interesting hooves, surprising how much white they have when the legs are so dark.
LP really is a color unto itself hey?