We need to talk about roans.

[Cloball]

Roan is dominant, one copy is phenotypically the same as two copies. The dramatic changes are a mystery ?

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?

 

[Cloball]

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).

This phenotype has been called sabino for a while, however, in the UK they invariably test negative for the sabino gene. There is probably multiple genes and other factors causing the appearance. Sabino-like is probably more correct currently but a total mouthful.

 

[Squeak]

So jealous of all these gorgeous roans. I learnt to ride on the most lovely strawberry roan and have always wanted a roan of some sort. Sadly I seem to only end up with bays or greys.....

 

[ester]

SEL I never realised your horse was roan! lol

 

[Mule]

A friend of mine has a bay roan. I'm always surprised by her regular colour changes.

 

[Clodagh]

Roan is dominant, one copy is phenotypically the same as two copies. The dramatic changes are a mystery ?

I thought you couldn’t breed roan to roan? Does that not cause feral death?

 

[ester]

Only in one breed clodagh, the name of which is eluding me right now let me check!

Brabants -

The reason it's not all is because there are several different Roan mutations for different breeds (all at the same position- KIT) so that brabant version is embryonic lethal. - Testing for Roan is a marker test that covers all of the variants.

Edit to add, and one line of minis apparently.

 

[Gloi]

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

The horse has two layers to the coat, more visible in heavy coated types. In roans the fluffy insulating undercoat is usually a lighter colour to the longer water-resisting layer. When they moult the layer with the longer guard hairs is shed first revealing the lighter coloured undercoat. When this is shed the new darker coat is revealed. You get this in all native types but it is most visible in roans where the undercoat has a bigger difference in colour.

 

[Gloi]

I thought you couldn’t breed roan to roan? Does that not cause feral death?

That was thought but now found not to be true In all cases.Sorry Ester explained better.

 

[SEL]

SEL I never realised your horse was roan! lol

He's rocking moth eaten right now - the crows keep plucking him!

For those interested he has a mammoth double coat which starts growing / shedding pretty much on schedule with the 2 solstices. His summer coat is bay, but the winter insulating layer is cream and then winter outer layer (quite coarse but v waterproof) is also bay. So about now and October you just see the cream coat. Apart from his head which stays bay.

Good fun when they graze near a footpath and you see walkers trying to work out if he's a new horse ?