# Blue roan or grey



## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)

Baby's sire is a blue roan quarter horse , dam is a flea bitten grey Percheron she is 4 months old . Was born black has white star and some white hair on face but black mane , tail and legs no white or light and around eyes is black 
What's everyone's thoughts idk anything about lineage except dam and sire sorry about burs there everywhere and can't keep them out lol


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Her body is definitely roan, but that doesn't mean the grey gene won't be expressed as she gets older.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

I agree with Irish Pixie. Definitely a blue roan right now, but that could well change to a grey later on. 

I have a grey filly with lots of roaning, but she will be white as she ages. Not for a while though, but eventually. I also have a bay roan that had a silver coat until this past summer when he really became more of a roan. It's hard to tell what a roan will do


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## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks that's what I'm thinking with the white on her face even though it's not around her eyes I'm guessing she will grey out since grey is dominate although I've read that flea bitten grey is heterozygous not homozygous most of the time


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Nice sturdy looking baby there! It's what's under the color that counts. 

Hard to say, but expect her to lighten...especially with the Percheron breeding.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

kassie said:


> Thanks that's what I'm thinking with the white on her face even though it's not around her eyes I'm guessing she will grey out since grey is dominate although I've read that flea bitten grey is heterozygous not homozygous most of the time


Grey is a dominant color modifier, but how many genes are inherited is what makes it hetro or homozgous. One gene = hetrozygous, two = homozygous.

You can try this color calculator: http://www.animalgenetics.us/Equine/CCalculator1.asp


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## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

Only her hairdresser and UC Davis know for sure!


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

If both the sire and dam of the gray Percheron mare were gray, there's a chance she carries two gray genes which would guarantee the filly going gray. Can't really see her head in the photo so it's pretty hard to tell but a lot of times you don't see them start to go gray until the spring of their yearling year.

When she was first foaled, did you notice her having gray 'goggles' around her eyes? That would be an early indication she will gray but they go away when they shed their foal coat.


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## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)

nope she was born all black no goggles


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

RideBarefoot said:


> Only her hairdresser and UC Davis know for sure!


Thanks for the smile, I needed it this morning.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

kassie said:


> View attachment 57237
> 
> 
> nope she was born all black no goggles


The 'no goggles' would seem to indicate she isn't going to gray, but the fact that she was foaled very 'black' rather than the usual mousey color of most black foals may indicate what they call 'hyperpigmentation' which is more or less an intensification of the base coat color which the gray gene seems to cause.

No ... bottom line ... anybody's guess. You can test for gray (I think it's $25) or you can wait and see if she keeps getting lighter. :huh:


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

If she was born solid black and is that color at a young age, she is graying.


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## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)

This is dams color up close she was purchased not knowing she 
Was bred I will ask owner about mares papers to see if I can figure out what color dams dam and sire were


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

kassie said:


> View attachment 57247
> 
> This is dams color up close she was purchased not knowing she
> Was bred I will ask owner about mares papers to see if I can figure out what color dams dam and sire were


That probably won't tell you for sure if the mare carries one gray gene or two since even if both parents were gray, they could be carrying either one or two gray genes. If both were gray, but only carried one gray gene, then there would be a chance she got one gray gene from each parent but she could also get a gray gene from one parent but a non-gray gene from the other parent.

Best option if you really want to know if the filly will go gray or not is to test. I've got two I will test for gray before I breed them, both are palomino and the sire carried one gray gene. Since you almost can not see gray on palomino or buckskin until it is pretty well advanced, I'm going to have to test if I want to know if they carry gray or not.


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## Stonybrook (Sep 22, 2007)

She has gone from all black to roan. I would anticipate her to turn gray given the progressive lightening in color already. Stout little baby!


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## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)

Update on roan / grey filly I deff say she's going to be grey but she has an amazing mind &#128522;&#128522;&#128522;&#128522;&#10084;&#65039;&#10084;&#65039;&#10084;&#65039;&#10084;&#65039;


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## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)




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## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)

One more lol sorry there dirty bad time of year lol but baby will be a year in May and my paint is 16 hands and draft mule a little taller she's gonna be a big girl lol


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

She is certainly a cutie!


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Really nice filly. With her breeding, should make a very nice driving horse - or heavy hunter type saddle mare. Lots of fun with a bobsled in the winter!

As I said earlier, color is not as important as what's under the hood, and she's got plenty.


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## kassie (Mar 23, 2005)

Updated pictures of filly doesn't seem to be lightning up much when she shed out this was her color mane and tail I think will always stay black


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks for the update! She looks like a pretty dark blue roan to me!


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Pretty girl Definitely looks like a Blue Roan right now. It will take a few years for you to really know what she is going to color out as. My horses usually have a permanent coat color by about 4 or 5. Especially my roans, they change every year for the first several!


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## CountryMom22 (Nov 27, 2014)

I vote roan but agree you'll need a few more years to be sure. But who cares what her color is ... she's cute!


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