Rabicano or turning gray

[neversaynever]

I have an almost 6 month old foal. Started out bay, turned a very dark bay and now has flecks or tickings of gray primarily on his flanks, none on his face, with a few white hairs on his tail head and in his tail. He seems to change weekly. His dam is a gray (started out as a sabino chestnut), sire is black (never thrown chestnut), half sister (same dam, different sire) is a sabino chestnut.

Here is a link to some photos - his half-sister, him with his dam, and some of his face and flanks.

I would love to know if you think he is a dark bay rabicano or is turning grey.

[JB]

Going gray for sure.

His coloring is much too dark for a typical brown foal at that age, and the forehead shot looks to have gray hairs coming in.

[tbaymare]

My rabicano was born with all his white markings. Especially on his tail.

[Erin_Pittman]

I’m with JB - going gray!

[Nootka]

[QUOTE=Erin Pittman;6579331]
I’m with JB - going gray![/QUOTE]

mre too!

[Sonesta]

Definitely going gray.

[trafalgar]

we have one just like that one at out barn…most certainly gray

[Mistysmom]

Definitely going grey

[neversaynever]

Thanks for the responses! Personally, I would prefer gray to rabicano, but hate trying to keep them clean! I was hoping for a good “dirt-colored” horse.

Truly, there is absolutely no gray on his neck, chest area, and face, nor any in his mane - he is really shiny and what you see may just be reflection. It’s hard to get a good picture of a dark, moving target! I am really looking forward watching him change colors.

[andyvee]

I really don’t see the grey at all… In my limited grey experience every grey foal I’ve ever seen even the very dark slow to change types always had some sort of grey hairs around their eyes at the very least. To me that is a main determining factor that he will NOT be a grey. I don’t see any grey on the face, only light reflecting off the strands of hair on his face but no actual grey hairs. Grey hairs on the flanks just means that there could be a tad bit of roaning going on which is not unheard of in solid bays. To me he looks like he’s just shedding out to be a very dark bay, I had one of those. He was very dark as a foal too.

[Joie]

I think he looks grey. I’ve never had a grey with grey around the eyes.

OP, what color were his legs as a newborn/suckling? Were they black, like a mature bay? Or were they the same color as his body?

[sid]

Yep…going gray. Kind of early too in my experience, which is limited.

My only gray experience was a youngster by one of my stallions (gray mare bred to black stallion) – bred by one of my clients. But she didn’t start going gray until she was a long yearling, maybe even 2.

I’ve never owned a gray, but they are stunning. The red Virginia clay, however is no fun for those I know who own grays.:lol::lol::winkgrin:

[JB]

It’s not so hot here in NC either
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/184303_1628471148254_6415525_n.jpg

[ise]

Ditto - he’s gray

[neversaynever]

Here are some pictures of him at 10 days, 2.5 months, 4 months, and 5.5 months. You can see the change in color. He is now a little over 6 months old, very dark bay (getting winter fuzzies) with white flecks on his flank/haunches, and tail head and a few longer ones in his tail. There is no white on shoulders, neck, face or legs.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87713460@N07/sets/72157631716069439/

[JB]

Huh. Well, I must take it back - his 10d picture does not at all point to going gray.

In going back to start from the top, I see where my mistake was. I totally spaced on the fact that the first pics were of 6 months old. I don’t know how I got it into my head he was much younger.

Given all this - no, he is not gray The OP picture is after a good shed, which is why he’s so dark. If he were that dark and several months younger, it would have made sense for gray.

Given how un-saturated his 10d picture is, not gray.

[Nootka]

[QUOTE=JB;6596972]
Huh. Well, I must take it back - his 10d picture does not at all point to going gray.

In going back to start from the top, I see where my mistake was. I totally spaced on the fact that the first pics were of 6 months old. I don’t know how I got it into my head he was much younger.

Given all this - no, he is not gray The OP picture is after a good shed, which is why he’s so dark. If he were that dark and several months younger, it would have made sense for gray.

Given how un-saturated his 10d picture is, not gray.[/QUOTE]

Ditto ^^ I thought he was much younger in the pictures first posted also:o

[Joie]

Looking at his legs in the foal pics I would say NOT grey.

[JB]

Back to the question of - what’s up with all the white hairs.

If they are also forward of the shoulder, then I would strongly suspect Sabino ticking. Rabicano just doesn’t like to put white in front of the shoulder. Even the heaviest Rabs you see have it stopping by the shoulder area, and the barrel can be pretty white.

My dark brown yearling has a great deal of ticking through his entire coat - pretty noticeable now, VERY noticeable when he shed his coat this past Spring.

The ONLY white mark on him, if you can even call it that, is a teeny spot on a hind heel, and that hoof is white on the lower half of the front of the toe. Very, very odd. So in his case, it’s Sabino doing the ticking.