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High Whites September 20, 2011 September 20, 2011

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This mare is 26 years old, and the white around her eyes is just age. The white spot on her cheek is not age. Also the roany patch on her hip is natural, and not the result of any injury. The skin is normal. She does have some other white hairs sprinkled throughout her body, but no skunk tail. She has white socks behind, but her fronts are not white. They are silvery and the skin underneath them is black. I think she is pretty interesting. I have seen a stallion that was a true roan with only a patch like this on his neck. He sired a lot of roan babies out of non roan mares. Could she be a true roan? Thanks, Camille

Daylene Alford Wed, 09/21/2011 - 07:19

She "could" be true roan. Roans can darken as they age so it is possible however, it is unlikely. Most likely it is just a random patch of white hairs. They happen occasionally and it is not known what causes it. Usually they are blamed on Sabino.

My dad had a mare with a roan patch like this many years ago. She had quite a few foals and none were roan or for that matter had roan patches.

High Whites Wed, 09/21/2011 - 11:11

I don't know how many foals she has had.
I only saw one, and it was around 3 or 4
and was a gray, so no way to tell about
whether or not it was also roan.

Thanks for the reply. I was so excited
to find this forum.

Camille

High Whites Wed, 09/21/2011 - 12:49

Thanks. She is a really sweet mare.
I got her as a companion for my paint
when he was 2. She treats him like he
was her foal. She had been used pretty
hard by the time I got her, but she
bounced back and has done very well.
Good genetics :) She deserves a good
retirement and seems to enjoy it.

Glad I found you all. So many great
pictures and lots of knowledge!

Camille

rabbitsfizz Wed, 09/21/2011 - 15:37

She could be minimal Tobiano- I had a stallion who this was his only indication of Tobi- this was before the test, unfortunately- it could also be minimal Appy as I have a mare at the moment who has the twin of her face marking- my mare is spot bred all the way back, but solid herself, still have not got around to testing her!

Threnody Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:11

The red on the lower legs seems odd to me. resembles LP since that's the first place to turn red when color shift happens. Not showing signs of LP until old age isn't unheard of, especially for black based mares.

High Whites Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:21

Anything is possible, but it's highly doubtful,
unless she was misregistered. She is a foundation
bred Quarter Horse. If there had been any doubt
about her parentage, she would have been registered
as a paint.

Camille

High Whites Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:28

She is not black based. She's liver chestnut. She does
look black in late fall and spring before her coat fades.
In summer and winter, she looks red. Her lower legs are
very interesting though. They remind me of a calico
cat. They're very mottled. Here is a picture of her
towards the end of summer. You can see her red coat
here. Somewhere I have pictures of her legs. I will
try to find some.

Camille

Daylene Alford Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:29

Oh do you have her pedigree? I think she has probably a very dark chestnut and that is to blame for the lower legs but I would love to see her pedigree.

High Whites Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:38

Here is the information I was given. I didn't get her
papers.

http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/susies+…

And now that I have actually looked at the pedigree,
we can rule out roan! LOL Must be just a special
mare. She's special to me anyway :grin:

Camille

Daylene Alford Wed, 09/21/2011 - 19:48

Wow that is an OLD pedigree. I mean almost all the horses in the pedigree were old when they were bred. Look how close she is to Bert and Zantanon and even Joe Baily. You just don't see that anymore.

High Whites Wed, 09/21/2011 - 20:07

Yes those bloodlines are disappearing too fast.
I have ridden her a few times when she was a little
younger, and I can imagine she was a really nice
horse in her prime. I was told that she had done
a lot of different things - cattle work, reining,
and ranch work.

I wish i had gotten her papers, and when she was
a bit younger. I would have had a nice foal out
of her. As it is, I am happy to have her. She
is smart and sane, and takes good care of my
goofy gelding.

Camille

rabbitsfizz Thu, 09/22/2011 - 14:38

What I know about QHs is basically very little, what I know form FHOTD is that she is a very, very lucky girl to have an owner who not only loves honours and feeds her but also respects her. Kudos to you and long my she reign- whatever her colour!

Threnody Thu, 09/22/2011 - 17:23

The fact that she is that dark of a chestnut makes her even cooler. The white on her face could be caused by trauma to the skin at some point, I don't know of a pattern that would place white like that. She is a living piece of history with her pedigree and looks downright amazing for her age. ^_^

High Whites Thu, 09/22/2011 - 17:45

Thanks for the sweet words. She is worth a million
dollars to me. I am not much of a mare person and she
is the first I've ever owned, but she made a believer
out of me. I understand why these horses were so
well liked.

She is the smartest horse I've ever owned. I wish
I could have gotten a foal out of her, but alas,
I didn't want to breed a grade foal. She deserves
her peace as well.

Camille