Hi all.
I have a coming 6yo RPSI gelding who is half Knabbstrupper. When he was born, he was bay with black legs, mane and tail (and the hint of a blanket on his rump). By the time he turned 3yo, the blanket was well defined, the mane and tail were completely silver/blonde, his legs a chocolate color, and his whole body roaming out. I had him genetically tested for color, and it came back bay with the varnish roan, silver, and leopard pattern genes active. Fast forward to last year (5yo), and all the silver hairs are turning black again and the white hairs on the body are diminishing! The mane is completely black and the tail is at least 50% (and still darkening). When you look at individual hairs, it appears to be darkening from the root (versus new hairs growing in with the different color). I’ve always thought that these genes would cause progressive lightening…so, this pattern of darkening is truly unexpected. Has anyone with a leopard or silver gene expressed horse had this happen to them? Does the color cycle throughout life? Thoughts? TIA.
