Aidey
Well-Known Member
What is the difference between Dark bay - Seal brown - Brown 
Can you tell just by looking? Or is it down to DNA/colour testing?
Can you tell just by looking? Or is it down to DNA/colour testing?
All you colour experts..
- Thread starter Aidey
- Start date
Tickles
Well-Known Member
I *believe*...
Dark bay would have black mane/tail.
Brown would have brown mane/tail.
Not sure about the other.
Dark bay would have black mane/tail.
Brown would have brown mane/tail.
Not sure about the other.
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
It would be worth PM'ing KarynK as she often talks about bays and 'black and tans' and understands colour genetics alot better than I do! 
Bays are a black horse that has the agouti gene (fades the body colour).
http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/ecg_basics1.html
http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/ecg_basics2.html
Bays are a black horse that has the agouti gene (fades the body colour).
http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/ecg_basics1.html
http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/ecg_basics2.html
Eluana
Well-Known Member
All 3 are the same.
The 'proper' term is brown, but it largely get's called dark bay over here.
Browns are black based horses, which means they have at least one copy of the extension (E) gene. 'E' is dominant over 'e', so they are either E/e or E/E. If they are e/e, they are chestnut.
At the agouti allele (controls the distribution of black pigment), they have at least one copy of 'At', the other being either another 'At' or 'a' (black/no agouti). They cannot have 'A' (bay), as that is dominant over 'A+', 'At' & 'a'.
The phenotype is the 'soft'* parts have red hair, the rest black, but some can be so dark they pass for black.
*muzzle, 'eyebrows', flanks, girth, base of ears
Interesting links:
http://www.horse-genetics.com/brown-horses.html
http://www.equinegenetics.blogspot.com/
The 'proper' term is brown, but it largely get's called dark bay over here.
Browns are black based horses, which means they have at least one copy of the extension (E) gene. 'E' is dominant over 'e', so they are either E/e or E/E. If they are e/e, they are chestnut.
At the agouti allele (controls the distribution of black pigment), they have at least one copy of 'At', the other being either another 'At' or 'a' (black/no agouti). They cannot have 'A' (bay), as that is dominant over 'A+', 'At' & 'a'.
The phenotype is the 'soft'* parts have red hair, the rest black, but some can be so dark they pass for black.
*muzzle, 'eyebrows', flanks, girth, base of ears
Interesting links:
http://www.horse-genetics.com/brown-horses.html
http://www.equinegenetics.blogspot.com/