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What color is my filly?

WindyAcres May 25, 2010 February 22, 2011

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My filly was born a deep red, with a reddish dorsal stripe, black intermingled in her white star on her face and a black mane and tail. She also has black on the tips of her ears and white frosting in her black tail. Her sire is jet black with no red gene. Her dam however, is classified as a Palomino (by UC Davis) and tested e/e (sorrel or chestnut), A/a with the agouti gene and N/Cr, one copy of the creme gene. The dam was tested for the Silver Dapple gene and she does not have it. So my filly cannot be chocolate, which is a very common color with Rocky Mountain Horses. Keep in mind that my filly was born a preemie and the shaved part on her neck was due to an IV. What color would you guess she is??

WindyAcres Tue, 05/25/2010 - 14:38

Thanks for the replies! We thought that our filly was a bay but what kept throwing us was the darkness of the hair that is under the foal coat. I will more than likely have our filly's tail hairs tested because we know she has the agouti gene. What we don't know is if the creme gene from the dam was passed on to her.

This picture is her dam. Classified as a palomino but the owner is wondering if there is a dun gene involved. There was no dun test when this mare was tested but apparently now, according to UC Davis, there is one. She has zebra stripes on her legs, a tri-colored mane and tail and a dorsal stripe. Not sure where all the dappling comes from but she does not have the silver dapple gene.

Thanks!

accphotography Tue, 05/25/2010 - 14:52

Dappling is common with cream. All of the other traits you are seeing or typical sooty. I see no dun.

If you know the filly has agouti why test her for it? There is no doubt she is Ee Aa. The only question is the cream, but I see no evidence of it.

The hair coming in dark like that is extremely normal. It will go back to red the following shed. It's a weanling thing.