Spotted horse colours

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Libbygrey

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I was just wondering if it's was possible for him to be a true roan and have a blanket.
I have always thought he is a bay blanket spot but I don't know if really is bay. His legs aren't really black they are dark choclate Brown when he has feather and kind of a steel grey colour when clipped. His mane and tail are mainly black with some silver in them.
I don't think he is varnish roan because even though the amount of white hairs in the brown coat varies from year to year it hasn't faded or got lighter overall.
Also when I first got him at 5 his mane was black with a lot of silver in it. He is 14 now and his mane is pretty much all black but he still has some silver in his tail. Never really heard of a horses hair get darker instead of lighter before. I don't know if that's anything to do with the spotted colouring.
I don't really know his breeding. I was just told when I bought him that he is appaloosa x cob.
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The bronzing on the legs can be Lp causing colour shifting they can look some really funky shades. There is a good article about it on the appaloosa project website.
Phenotypically he isn't 'varnish roan' because he has the blanket which is caused by an unknown genetic combination and Lp. But the varnish characteristics come from Lp and all horse with it will eventually show it to some extent as it is progressive (sort of) but the extent between horses and at what ages vary quite a bit.
 
Aside from the spotted modifiers, I think he looks more like liver chestnut or brown with black points than bay. I don't see roan there at all, tbh.
 
Thank you for your replies.
Thank you Cloball. I'll have a look at that. I didn't realise he couldn't be varnish roan and have a blanket.

Thanks Leo walker I think you are right. I had a look at some photos of wild bay horses and the black points on their legs are very similar to his.

Wow asmp he looks amazing.

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Here is a photo of him a few years ago when he had more white in his coat but he's gone darker again now.
 
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