How Is Bay A Solid Horse Colour???

[AprilBlue]

For those who know what a solid horse colour is (chestnut,black,brown and apparently bay), how is bay a solid horse colour if bay is made up of 2 colours: black and brown!!!!!!!

black and brown are 2 different colours so how is bay a solid horse colour if a horse of a solid colour is the same colour all over??!!

someone please explain.

thanks

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Because it's not piebald, skewbald or spotty.

Genetically speaking, a bay horse is actually a black horse anyway (the agouti gene fades the body to brown).

Have a look here.

http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/ecg_basics2.html

Base colours (black or chestnut) are talked about on this page.

http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/ecg_basics1.html

 

[Haha]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I have always been taught they are no such colours as white or blacks in horses colours they are either greys or bays

 

[KSR]

Chestnut and black are base colours.. Brown and bay are effects of dilution genes on black and chestnut base colours..

 

[KSR]

My Cleveland Bays are always coal black if I clip them in March as a pointless aside

 

[AprilBlue]

Chestnut and black are base colours.. Brown and bay are effects of dilution genes on black and chestnut base colours..

but if so, then bay should not be a solid colour because on a solid horse colour, we are looking at the coat not the colour of the skin. if so then why isn't fleabitten grey a solid horse colour because if the skin is dark then it should be a solid horse colour from what i have been told. this is really complicated

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I have always been taught they are no such colours as white or blacks in horses colours they are either greys or bays

As stated above, black is one of the two base colours. If there are no other genes acting on it - the horse will be black.

White horses do exist. Unlike greys, they have pink skin and are born white (greys are always born a 'colour' and then grey out over time, they have black skin). Sabino can cause a horse to be white.

Here are three horses with the sabino gene.

Minimal sabino - lots of the base colour (chestnut in this case) can be seen. Although, you can get less sabino markings than this.

This one has hardly any base colour showing

Bingo - the sabino has totally covered the base colour = true white horse.

 

[Haha]

but if so, then bay should not be a solid colour because on a solid horse colour, we are looking at the coat not the colour of the skin. if so then why isn't fleabitten grey a solid horse colour because if the skin is dark then it should be a solid horse colour from what i have been told. this is really complicated

Does this help

http://www.vetgen.com/equine-coat-color.html

 

[Meowy Catkin]

but if so, then bay should not be a solid colour because on a solid horse colour, we are looking at the coat not the colour of the skin. if so then why isn't fleabitten grey a solid horse colour because if the skin is dark then it should be a solid horse colour from what i have been told. this is really complicated

But the skin doesn't change colour between the black 'points' and the brown body of a bay horse.

Solid colour skin (leg/face markings don't count) = solid coloured horse.

Coloured horses have pink skin under the white patches and black skin under the base colour patches. Even a grey and white skewbald has patchy skin.

 

[AprilBlue]

Does this help

http://www.vetgen.com/equine-coat-color.html

NOOO

i dont get all those dots and stuff like that sorry

and all those eeAa EEAA ect.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Bay is a solid colour coz its not, piebald, skewbald, spotty, palomino, roan etc

Both palomino and roan are solid colours.

 

[AprilBlue]

Both palomino and roan are solid colours.

yeah but what about the mane and tail. that counts aswell

 

[JustAnotherNeddy]

Both palomino and roan are solid colours.

Seconded.

The only true non solid coat patterns are coloureds or spotted horses.
It is these because the skin does not remain one colour throughout the entire body

Fleabitten greys are still a solid colour too. As are roans and palomino's, cremello, perlino's and other dilutes. All solids.

 

[AprilBlue]

Seconded.

The only true non solid coat patterns are coloureds or spotted horses.
It is these because the skin does not remain one colour throughout the entire body

Fleabitten greys are still a solid colour too. As are roans and palomino's, cremello, perlino's and other dilutes. All solids.

yeah but solid colours is all about a horses coat colour not their skin colour!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Here's a nice simple example.

This is a lovely dapple grey. It doesn't matter that he/she has a black mane and black on his/her legs as the skin (ignore leg/face markings) is solid black

Here is a grey tobiano (skewbald). Can you see how the skin has pink patches and black patches? This is not a solid coloured horse.

Second example.

Here is a super palomino, this horse has black skin (see muzzle) and is a solid coloured horse. Again, ignore any face/leg markings.

Here is a palomino tobiano (skewbald). Note the pink skin under the white patches and the black skin under the golden patches (easy to see on the muzzle). This is not a solid colour.

 

[AprilBlue]

so in solid horse colours, does it only matter about the skin colour then???

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Basically, unless the horse is spotty (eg appaloosa) or piebald/skewbald, it is solid. But I wouldn't get too hung up on it.

 

[JustAnotherNeddy]

yeah but solid colours is all about a horses coat colour not their skin colour!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coat colours are caused by skin colour! Hence the difference. A flea bitten grey will have dark-light grey skin everywhere, not a pink base covered with black dots. Its a solid all over covering with different hair pigments (similar to dapples)

As those fantastic examples just given show, its the different coloured skin on the main body of a horse that entitle it to the label 'solid' or not.

It's just the way things are, i wouldn't try and challenge it AB, far too many genetics people and high level high knowledge colour people to try and convince otherwise. Hope that helps