Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

My Connemara / Welsh colt has blue eyes!

Sport Horse Breeding
#1

He was born black and will turn grey. They aren’t crystal blue - more like a milky blue. I thought they might change but he is 3 weeks old and they look the same.

The sire is BALLENCRIEFFS BROGAN and the Dam is a Section B welsh mare OKTOBER SKIES BERENICE. The dam is sabino but no history of blue eyes in her pedigree that I know of.

Do you think they will change or will they always be blue? At first it worried me but now they are growing on me. Any history of blue eyes in Connemaras without the creme gene?

Here is a picture:

#2

Those gold ears make me think smokey black, but I’m no color expert. Is the dam a buckskin roan?

#3

[QUOTE=gillenwaterfarm;3152453]
Those gold ears make me think smokey black, but I’m no color expert. Is the dam a buckskin roan?[/QUOTE]

I’m thinking smokey black also.

#4

I am thinking of gettting the dam DNA tested. Her papers say bay roan but her mane and tail are red. Here is a picture (not a great one of her…) any thoughts on her color?

http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u244/mel030981/?action=view&current=bernie4.jpg

If he is smokey black will his eyes stay blue?

#5

Hey Mel
Could she get the creme gene through the mare’s sire, Dragon?

#6

Ive seen one Purebred Connemara Colt who was red bay with black points and a lot of white on his head…he had one very blue eye.

#7

I think his eyes are going to stay blue. When they are born with kind of a slate/dark grey-blue color – those always darken. But his look much lighter. I’d say he has blue eyes!

I never jump on the “it’s smokey black” bandwagon – because I never agree with the other posters, but in this case, he is a very odd color!! Maybe he IS smokey black! I’d get both him and his dam tested.

What is the mare’s breeding? I’m not familiar with that prefix.

#8

The mare is by Smoke Tree Silver Dragon and out of Pidcoke Pollyanna (by RosMel Cotillion)

Dragon is a palomino roan sabino, I am not sure what the dam was.

Her pedigree: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/oktober+skies+berenice

#9

[QUOTE=Mel0309;3152389]

Do you think they will change or will they always be blue? At first it worried me but now they are growing on me. Any history of blue eyes in Connemaras without the creme gene?

the blue eyes in the welsh have been there since almost the beginning…:slight_smile:

  and Dragon is a GREAT pony
#10

Cute mare - doesn’t really look like a dark bay roan to me, but it’s not really a close enough picture to tell. Mane looks maybe a little diluted, but it could be sun fading or just the light. Are her face and legs solid?

I would guess that his eyes would stay blue…

#11

Nearly guarantee he’s a smokey black - VERY cool! His eyes will likely darken some, but will most likely stay a blueish or greenish color because of the smokey black. They might, however, turn to a normal color.

Is the sire gray? If not, this foal isn’t going to be gray. I could believe the mare is a bay roan, but would also believe a chestnut roan. Need a test :wink:

The dam looks like she could be Splash, with her low, horizontal socks, and that can be contributing to the foal’s blue eyes. If that is the cause, they will stay blue.

Can you get a better (closer) picture of the dam, and a picture of the sire?

#12

The sire is not only gray but I believe he is probably homozygous gray as his whole pedigree is almost all grays and he has sired only grays to my knowledge. The colt also has white hairs on his nose, flank, and legs coming in.

#13

Ok, gotcha. I still think you have a smokey black foal :slight_smile:

#14

Mel0309, would you mind posting some new pictures in the next few days or so? I’m quite curious to see if/how his color will change.

#15

I would agree that your colt appears to be a smokey black. One of my 2007 Sec A colts is a smokey black (roan), we had him tested at UC Davis and they verified that he is indeed smokey black. Here’s a link to a photo that shows the golden coloring in his ears:

http://www.miraclewelsh.com/smokeyface.jpg

#16

We have a 4 yo pony gelding by Makuba our of our Welsh B mare - Gayfields Secret Rhonda V (Sleight of Hand). He is a black bay with four whites and blaze (his blaze does NOT come close to his eyes) and he has 2 blue eyes. The mare is a sabino and I know someone else with a Sleight of Hand gray pony that has blue eyes.

#17

The ones I know of have all been gray.
Your mare is cute!

#18

Oh he is DARLING!! Got any more pictures?

[quote=ise@ssl;3153936]We have a 4 yo pony gelding by Makuba our of our Welsh B mare - Gayfields Secret Rhonda V (Sleight of Hand). He is a black bay with four whites and blaze (his blaze does NOT come close to his eyes) and he has 2 blue eyes. The mare is a sabino and I know someone else with a Sleight of Hand gray pony that has blue eyes.
[/quote]

Your dark bay with blue eyes would get his blue eyes from Splash :slight_smile:

#19

Could also be smokey black that will turn grey… The grey would cover up his true color. That would be really unique combination to have a grey with blue eyes.

He shouldn’t get white hairs on his nose if he was going to roan.

#20

Thanks! There are several more photos on this page: www.miraclewelsh.com/smokey.html

I can’t wait until he finishes shedding out so that I can get some updated photos, he’s such a handsome guy. :slight_smile:

By the way, he was born with pale blue eyes, but they’ve darkened to a lighter (amber-ish) brown. Very pretty.

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $21.95 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse