Colour genetics people

Nudibranch

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I am fairly ignorant on colour genetics, so can anyone answer this one?
I have a Fell, technically she is 3/4 Fell, 1/4 trotter. She started off black. Now aged 14 and has white hairs round the eyes, muzzle and flecked through the coat. She also has lighter skin on the muzzle (a sort of blotchy, spotty pale and dark effect) and pale hooves. Mane and tail remain black. The white hair seems to be increasing at each moult. Dad is a Lunesdale Fell and grey. Mum I don't know, but I assume she was black.

Basically, I assume it's too late to grey out fully now (I hope), but is she likely to end up some sort of roan eventually? Or just gather more grey hairs and look even more like a 30yo?! And is it likely mum carried some sort of coat altering gene, or is the grey hair coming from dad?
 

ester

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photos?

Late greying is a phenomenon but seems unlikely.

If she's blotchey on the muzzle, white sclera and has 'shell'/light coloured hooves without white markings LP would be the mostly likely.
 

Errin Paddywack

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Sounds to me as though there is some spotty breeding in there somewhere. White hooves on dark legs, white sclera and mottled skin are standard characteristics. I currently look after a solid bay mare, 19 yrs old. She has the same characteristics but in her case she is App x Qtr horse.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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How can she be 3/4 Fell and 1/4 trotter if you know her sire was a registered pony but the dam isn't registered, sorry but unless you have breeding noted on dam side then you have a 50% part bred Fell pony and can only guess at dam breed/type.
If you let me know who the sire is, I can check as there are a few grey entires in the studbook over the years who don't throw their colour to their stock but throw back or the colour comes through from the dam.
 

Leo Walker

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If you let me know who the sire is, I can check as there are a few grey entires in the studbook over the years who don't throw their colour to their stock but throw back or the colour comes through from the dam.

With grey its either a 50% or 100% chance of passing it on. Grey is a modifier. The pony is born black or bay etc then effectively grey goes over the top.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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With grey its either a 50% or 100% chance of passing it on. Grey is a modifier. The pony is born black or bay etc then effectively grey goes over the top.
I understand what you say, but 2 grey entires I know of in the studbook have thrown non grey stock, which have stayed non grey like their dams, so black or brown in these instances :)
 

Leo Walker

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Yeah, with fells I imagine that they all, or almost all only have one copy of the grey gene if they are grey, so 50/50 if they pass it on or not. Theres a grey fell on my yard. Hes a lovely steel colour at the minute. Its going to be odd when he's white. I imagine most people will think he's a highland
 
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The Fuzzy Furry

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Yeah, with fells I imagine that they all, or almost all only have one copy of the grey gene if they are grey, so 50/50 if they pass it on or not. Theres a grey fell on my yard. Hes a lovely steel colour at the minute. Its going to be odd when he's white. I imagine most people will think he's a highland
I've had 3 grey Fells which were mistaken for Highlands, till they moved......
Also bay and brown Fells mistaken for Dales or Welsh Ds. All the 3 non-black colours were/are on bloody good ponies of breed type :)
 

Nudibranch

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Dam is by a registered Fell but I don't have the details ? yes part bred obviously but quite honestly I'm not that nit picky. I've shown Welsh and Dales for 30 years so I'm not an idiot.

Sounds like LP is mostly likely by the sounds of it, presumably from the trotter side.
 
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