Blue and white genes

[Jamboblue]

Hi, I'm new to this group so thank you, I have a blue and white mare and wondered if I were to put her in foal would it have to be the same colour stallion to get a blue and white foal? I'm clueless about colour genes and just interested, I don't know her parentage, big thanks Catherine

 

[Leo Walker]

Blue and white doesnt exist genetically. I suspect you mean a piebald horse who is greying out. The only other option would be a blue roan or a mare like mine who is black based with some sort of sabino type gene causing a roaning effect. Do you have a picture of the mare as knowing her actual colour affects the answer!

 

[Jamboblue]

Thank you, on her passport she's described as blue and white?

 

[Archangel]

Oh I say, she's gorgeous.

 

[ycbm]

Well she's lovely, but she's surely a piebald greying out and will end up white or flea bitten in time? A friend has one who is getting paler each coat change.

.

 

[Jamboblue]

Thank you, she's only young and having lameness issues so if she doesn't come sound I'll love a mini version

 

[Jamboblue]

Well she's lovely, but she's surely a piebald greying out and will end up white or flea bitten in time? A friend has one who is getting paler each coat change.

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Thank you, she's only 7 and is gradually getting whiter , I'm just intrigued what I could put her to?

 

[ycbm]

Thank you, she's only 7 and is gradually getting whiter , I'm just intrigued what I could put her to?

Anything, and you have a high chance she will throw a grey. You can test her for how strong that chance will be on a hair sample

https://www.animalgenetics.us/ABIUKNew/horse-dna/grey.html

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[BallyRoanBaubles]

Ive no idea about the breeding question, but this is my boy who is classed as a ‘historical coloured’. He was ‘blue and white’ when he was younger, but just looks grey now! (Bottom pic) You can only tell he’s coloured when clipped (top pic) or wet 😁 he’s 12 now

 

[Jamboblue]

Well she's lovely, but she's surely a piebald greying out and will end up white or flea bitten in time? A friend has one who is getting paler each coat change.

.[/QUOTE

View attachment 38251View attachment 38252

Ive no idea about the breeding question, but this is my boy who is classed as a ‘historical coloured’. He was ‘blue and white’ when he was younger, but just looks grey now! (Bottom pic) You can only tell he’s coloured when clipped (top pic) or wet 😁 he’s 12 now

Beautiful 😍

 

[Auslander]

Thank you, she's only young and having lameness issues so if she doesn't come sound I'll love a mini version

Why is she lame?

 

[Jamboblue]

Why is she lame?

Low grade lameness, hocks/si, she had a fall when young so think it stems from that.

 

[Auslander]

Low grade lameness, hocks/si, she had a fall when young so think it stems from that.

i'd be inclined to make sure it's not something inherited, if you're planning to breed from her. Be a shame to breed a mini-me that has soundness issues too!

 

[Jamboblue]

I know, she's still having treatment and would only think about putting her in foal if her problems weren't genetic, having worked on a stud farm I know breeding isn't the easy option

 

[Leo Walker]

Shes black and white with a copy of grey. She will eventually be completely white. She will either carry two copies of grey in which case every foal will grey out, or she carries one copy of grey so 50% of foals will grey out. The piebald, or tobiano gene works the same. Black isnt as straight forward.

If colour is important to you, dont breed a foal, buy one the right colour already! You can pretty much guarantee that you wont get the colour or gender you want, its always the way.

Otherwise start by picking a stallion that improves her weak points and has good stock on he ground, as well as having been a very sound horse over a long working life himself. I'd be tempted to go for an irish draught, something like Avanti Amorous Archie alhough hes bay, if you went for one of he grey stallions standing, then you would get the grey gene passed on, but it depends how big she is and what you are trying to breed.

Once you find the right stallion you can pull a hair sample and have her colour tested, I think it costs about £30. Once you've done that its very easy to work out what possible colours the foal will be.

 

[Jamboblue]

Thank you that's really interesting, if I did decide to breed from her the colour wouldn't be relevant as having a healthy foal and mum is all I'd ask for but just interested in colour genes as she's quite unusual