Appaloosa colouring question?

zoon

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I am eyeing up an appy x TB yearling. Dad is a black TB and mum is what I'd describe as a roan (marble?), but has spots all over - leopard with varnish markings???? As you can tell, I'm not entirely clued up on the terminology! Colt is somewhere between a blanket spot and near leopard - blanket is extended along with withers and down shoulder, but also has a patch on his belly. No spots on solid colour up his neck, but white patches with spots on face. Not entirely sure what colour he is! Looks like a dark brown to me, certainly not black, but not lighter in tail or muzzle just doesn't have the depth of a black horse - make any sense?!

My question is - is there any way of telling whether he is likely to remain like this or lose his colour (I don't mean the spots, I mean the dark "background" colour fading)? Mum was apparently this colour when younger as well - her pics as a foal in her passport are the same.
 
If his dam 'roaned out' then it is likely he will as well. Any pictures?

Appy genetics is still a bit of a grey area, it seems to have a lot of things that affect it so one cannot be sure. A lot of blankets do seem to roan out to near leopard.
 
I do have pics, but don't want to put them on without breeders permission. Happily email them over if you really want to see them and see what you think.

What I meant to say about dam is that she hasn't changed colour - from what I wrote it sounded as if I was saying she was same colour as colt and had roaned out, but from the pics of her when she was younger there doesn't appear to have been any change.
 
Has he got white hairs in the solid coat coloured areas or around the eyes? Is he the same colour as he was as an older foal?
If the mother has not faded much then there is a good chance that it is a slow working version of varnish, some fade very quickly and others very slowly and others hardly at all so it is difficult to tell.


One of mine was solid with a few white hairs throught the coat until 2yrs then wallop, she is now heading rapidly for white, a few more years and I could pass her off as a few spot, though she has no spots at all and I suspect that all she inherited from her two snowcap parents are characteristics and varnish!!! Another faded quite a bit as a yearling but is still the same as a 3 yo yet her half sister did most of her fading in one go at yearling coat change!
 
It would depend what he's like at the moment, if he is solid with no roaning it's likely he'll only start to roan in his old age.

But if he's like my boy who was born bay roan blanket spot, he will roan out more and more with age, my boy is going to end up looking like his daddy when he gets old :)

Mines dad:
dance_1.jpg


Hope that helps at least a little?
 
He has very dark rings around his eyes - lots of white patches on his face with spots in them, but definate dark around the eyes, didn't see white flecks through coats, but he is quite patchy.

If he does end up fading, will the spots fade too or just the "background"?
 
If he's not already roaned then it's unlikely that he'll totally roan out [like that picture i posted] however it is possible he will roan slightly when he's older. But if he does roan out it will only be the background that will roan out :)
 
Row is a near leopard print who is getting whiter. He is dark bay initially and now black spots are coming more apparent on his face and the bits which are brown are turning white. So on his face it looks like ge is dark brown with black spots and slowly the dark brown is faded.
I should think that this yearling will slowly fade to white if he has the greying gene.
 
He has very dark rings around his eyes - lots of white patches on his face with spots in them, but definate dark around the eyes, didn't see white flecks through coats, but he is quite patchy.

If he does end up fading, will the spots fade too or just the "background"?

The spots should stay, unless the grey gene is present.
My boy has bred near leopard spot foals who have started life with solid colour on neck and shoulders and roaned out to 'white' background and black/bay spots so now leopard spotted. In fact I didn't recognise one of them when photos were sent in May having only seen her in March - wow.
 
Dots in September last year:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5240800&l=e26bdb9597&id=606503666

Dots in March:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7144663&l=a92728810b&id=606503666

Its not that clear from the pictures but hes got a lot whiter. Hes now got white flecks all through his coat, and black spots appearing on the white. I dont know anything about appaloosa genetics but hes only 3yr old and appears to be getting consistently whiter. Will he end up more white than black/brown?

Edited to ask what appaloosa pattern he is currently? Is he a blanket or something else?
 
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Dots in September last year:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5240800&l=e26bdb9597&id=606503666

Dots in March:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7144663&l=a92728810b&id=606503666

Its not that clear from the pictures but hes got a lot whiter. Hes now got white flecks all through his coat, and black spots appearing on the white. I dont know anything about appaloosa genetics but hes only 3yr old and appears to be getting consistently whiter. Will he end up more white than black/brown?

Edited to ask what appaloosa pattern he is currently? Is he a blanket or something else?

Hiya sorry been out riding and trying to miss the showers (HEAVY showers!). I would say your chap was a snowflake blanket. What is the breeding? Do you know?
I would have thought he would end up with more white going on what I have seen and have bred myself, but there are more expert peeps on here than me. Maybe they can answer. What colour were the parents do you know that too? Appaloosas are fascinating
that's why I love em but as I keep getting reminded it isn't all about colour but conformation and performance ability. Though a good handful of lovely big spots always helps if you are intending to sell.
 
Pink was chestnut when she was born, at 4 shes rapidly developing a blanket on top of her snowflaking.

I love that her passport states shes solid chestnut..
008.jpg
 
Hi...

with Appies you never know.. this is my stallion as a foal and now, (well last year) his mum was a leopard at birth and is still the same and dad has roaned out but is left with spot on his hindquarters..

colourchange.jpg


this is his half sister (same mum) and she is one now and is begining to roan out on her neck, leaving lots of spots...I think she was go full leopard..
last year....
amethystSmall.jpg


and this year...
DSC09533.jpg


I also have a mare that is leopard, but was born chestnut with a blanket, and a star..

below is Moonshine (the foal aboves dad) and he is 5 now and is just starting to roan out on his face, daughter is moaning as she prefered it dark..lol, but looks like he might go almost full leopard too..

moonie-1.jpg
 
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