We need to talk about roans.

[TheresaW]

Not sure where I’m going with this, but I have a strawberry roan that I’ve owned for about 7/8 years. His colour changes are so drastic. I can’t say I overly notice them as see him every day, but definitely see it looking at pics. Today, talking to lady in field behind me, she said it was like one day she was looking at a liver chestnut, the next he was grey! We had another roan in one of the other fields that was sadly lost to colic last year, but although he looked a similar colour to Ollie during the summer, he never changed that drastically.

I have a million different colour pics I could post, but will keep it short.

Today.



Back in Feb


There is grass and hay in field, he’s in the meet up corner with the two fields around him!

 

[ycbm]

I love strawberry roans. One day ....

 

[TheresaW]

I love strawberry roads. One day ....

He looks like the moths have been at him close up! Shedding like nobody’s business, and very dark again underneath ?

 

[ester]

It's a roan thing, they like to mix it up not even the same at the same times of year often!

 

[TheresaW]

It's a roan thing, they like to mix it up not even the same at the same times of year often!

Was hoping you’d reply, but maybe with a bit more info. ? Colour genetics are beyond me, but how does it work? I think this year is the greyest he’s ever gone.

 

[TheresaW]

It's a roan thing, they like to mix it up not even the same at the same times of year often!

Same time last year.

 

[quizzie]

I bred from a chestnut roan mare, to a chestnut stallion....foal came out bright chestnut, then turned liver chestnut on shedding his foal coat.....rapidly became roan, until one day in a collecting ring, I heard someone say to their daughter “you are after the grey”...as I looked round at the other horses, I suddenly realised they were talking about my horse!!!!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Have you clipped him between the first two photos?!

 

[Spotherisk]

I love roans, I’d like a sane blue roan cob gelding please!

 

[TheresaW]

Have you clipped him between the first two photos?!

No. He’s been out all winter without a rug.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

That’s a very dramatic change! Like a different horse!

 

[ester]

Was hoping you’d reply, but maybe with a bit more info. ? Colour genetics are beyond me, but how does it work? I think this year is the greyest he’s ever gone.

that's all you're getting

 

[TheresaW]

Snow pic 10th feb, not snow 21st.

 

[TheresaW]

I love roans, I’d like a sane blue roan cob gelding please!

He’s anything but sane ?

 

[Gloi]

The undercoat is a different colour to the guard hairs which shed first so you get winter coat,undercoat , summer coat showing which can all be different.

 

[Jellymoon]

I had a bay roan once and the first year I had him I remember going on holiday, leaving a dark bay horse behind, and a week later arriving home to find a silver grey in my field! The change was very quick and dramatic! Love roans!

 

[Wishfilly]

Not the best photos and excuse the dodgy tail plait! Mine's a blue roan, and I do think his coat is gorgeous. He's shedding at the moment and is a lot lighter than this. I'll try and take some photos tomorrow!

 

[ester]

is yours roan roan, or sabino-type roan WF?

 

[Wishfilly]

is yours roan roan, or sabino-type roan WF?

Mine?

Embarrassingly I have no idea what this means!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M...

 

[TheresaW]

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M...

You know it ?

 

[TheresaW]

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M...

Ollie pic today, this was behind him

 

[ester]

Mine?

Embarrassingly I have no idea what this means!

Yes given his type sabino-like roan would be more likely
genetically roan (Rn) horses tend to have inverted V-s on the legs and less/no roaning on the head (but they don't always follow these rules either!)
whereas sabino -type roaning (I call it 'type' as there are a lot of genetically unidentified ones that look the same) tends to be more all over.

 

[Wishfilly]

Yes given his type sabino-like roan would be more likely
genetically roan (Rn) horses tend to have inverted V-s on the legs and less/no roaning on the head (but they don't always follow these rules either!)
whereas sabino -type roaning (I call it 'type' as there are a lot of genetically unidentified ones that look the same) tends to be more all over.

It's pretty much all over, his head is mostly white, so it's harder to tell.

I've just done a quick google and the amount of white on him (face, three legs) suggests sabino I think. He's also got a blue eye, if that's relevant!

Full body shot here (from back when he was clipped out) if it helps!



I thought I was fairly up on colour genetics, but I have to admit I know very little about roans.

 

[windand rain]

WF he looks sabino he is commonly called blagdon round here

 

[ester]

yes sabino-esque, tends to come with the jagged socks as well .

 

[Lois Lame]

Does sabino commonly have ticking? I only know that sabino has white on the bottom lip (and I've learned today of their jagged socks).

I did feel suspicious of WF's roan as he looked nothing like the blue roan I had (colour-wise, of course). (Conformation-wise, my roan was like a donkey in some ways.)

 

[SEL]

 

[meleeka]

I had a roan that dramatically changed colour 4 times a year. Since he only shed his coat twice, I always wondered how this happened. I currently own a chestnut roan who never changes colour

 

[julesjoy]

I own a chestnut roan and I love the colours so much, although everyone else is very confused by my colour change ponies ?

Ester, is roan a dominant gene?