We had a filly this year with quite a bit of white hair scattered through her chestnut coat. It appears that she is getting more and more on both sides, flanks and her back. Is this just her baby coat changing or do horses with this ‘roaning’ continuously getting lighter? Thanks!
Well, first I am assuming she doesn’t have a grey parent or a paint or true roan parent…right…So you are talking about rabicano or sabino color traits. It is difficult to look at a foal and know what nuanced color you will have as an adult. Sometimes it can be hard to even get the base color correct in foal coats and you need to know the parents genetic colors to eliminate the impossible. Sabino roaning does increase sometimes as a horse ages(more differences between summer and winter coats) but it is pretty limited unlike a grey whose white hairs increase significantly over time. You are however also perhaps looking at just a change between a foal’s summer coat and winter coat. Some horses vary a lot between their seasonal coats. You probably could have some fun taking pictures of the changes in your foal’s various coat changes. When you get to the 2yo summer coat you will have likely know the true color and shade and intensity of the chestnut color she will have…just before it fades in the summer sun.
I am watching a markingless black yearling filly with white hairs in her burnt black coat. Her mother is a feabitten grey with an unknown base color and no discernible white markings in her 20s and her sire was a sabino rabicano chestnut with high white, a belly spot, a wide ragged blaze and many white hairs in his coat. The filly has a 50% chance of being grey. She has a sprinkling of white hairs in her coat with no real pattern. She does not have traditional greying patterns…no greying circles around her eyes…no greying patches coming up under her summer coat. Is she a very slow grey or is she a very mild rabicano? You can see how important it is to know her parents colors to even be able to guess what she might be. Even then we should know more by the time of her summer 2yo coat if her yearling winter coat hasn’t more signs of grey. Color is always interesting. PatO
My 8 yr old chestnut TB decided to “roan out” this summer. 
Massive amount of white hairs all over his flanks and rump and scattered every where else too!
Is it your Sir Gregory filly?
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/528046_10150897504787611_772767798_n.jpg
I see a good bit of white in her flank, and that is pretty indicative of Rabicano. And yes, it might get more pronounced, though might not
Yes, JB - that is her. Thanks everyone for the info. I’ll take a bunch of pictures as we go along. I’m excited to see how she sheds out in the spring.
[QUOTE=columbus;6572041]
Well, first I am assuming she doesn’t have a grey parent or a paint or true roan parent…right…So you are talking about rabicano or sabino color traits. It is difficult to look at a foal and know what nuanced color you will have as an adult. Sometimes it can be hard to even get the base color correct in foal coats and you need to know the parents genetic colors to eliminate the impossible. Sabino roaning does increase sometimes as a horse ages(more differences between summer and winter coats) but it is pretty limited unlike a grey whose white hairs increase significantly over time. You are however also perhaps looking at just a change between a foal’s summer coat and winter coat. Some horses vary a lot between their seasonal coats. You probably could have some fun taking pictures of the changes in your foal’s various coat changes. When you get to the 2yo summer coat you will have likely know the true color and shade and intensity of the chestnut color she will have…just before it fades in the summer sun.
I am watching a markingless black yearling filly with white hairs in her burnt black coat. Her mother is a feabitten grey with an unknown base color and no discernible white markings in her 20s and her sire was a sabino rabicano chestnut with high white, a belly spot, a wide ragged blaze and many white hairs in his coat. The filly has a 50% chance of being grey. She has a sprinkling of white hairs in her coat with no real pattern. She does not have traditional greying patterns…no greying circles around her eyes…no greying patches coming up under her summer coat. Is she a very slow grey or is she a very mild rabicano? You can see how important it is to know her parents colors to even be able to guess what she might be. Even then we should know more by the time of her summer 2yo coat if her yearling winter coat hasn’t more signs of grey. Color is always interesting. PatO[/QUOTE]
we had a chestnut looking (at birth) filly out of a blue roan mom and a palomino dad in June. she has had white hairs, and we just now noticed a dark blue patch up on her butt about the size of a silver dollar. but she is still liver chestnut looking on her regular coat–the baby fir is mostly gone. haven’t been able to figure where she is headed color-wise.
My liver chestnut Sir Gregory/ Balta Czar filly is starting to roan quite a bit. I didn’t realize til someone told me, that it’s a sabino trait. She also has a random white spot right behind her withers, and a white lower lip (and high white stockings). Funny thing is- that her dam, by Balta Czar, got almost no white from him. (and he is sabino) I guess it skipped a generation + throwing Sir Gregory into the mix = lots of flashy bling!
