Roaning out???

CarolinaFilly · 12-20-2005, 12:31 PM

How do horses get the roan gene? I know nothing about genetics or anything.. but my mustang/arab mare has started to roan out over the past couple of years... I knew her a few years ago and have watched her throughout the years.. when she was born there was absolotley no white hairs in her. I got her a few months ago and noticed her white... and white hairs keep on popping up all over her. Lol. She's a chestnut. The white hairs are everywhere. Her belly is turning almost all white, and her feathers are white and her nose is white.. (Thats due to the winter too, I know) But even through the summer she's getting whitter and whiter.. all over her body little white hairs are sprinkled about... so is she roaning out? Her father was a mustang.. I think he was a bay. Her dam was a chestnut arab. Is roaning even possible? Or is she just getting some grey hairs. She's 6. Just thought I'd ask ya'll about it...

prettyqtrs · 12-20-2005, 01:05 PM

If the horse is a roan he/she must have at least 1 raon parent. If the horse is a grey he/she must have at least 1 grey parent. Roaning I would think should 'show up' at the latest weanling/yearling. The roan is always there...its just how much it shows....and by a weanling I would think they have pretty much shed out their foal coat and you'd see some roaning. Grey does and can take a little longer. Horses that are grey are generally born a different color(sorrel, bay, black, ect) and grey over time.

JBandRio · 12-20-2005, 03:07 PM

True roan horses are born roan. They don't "roan out" like grays do.

Mustangs are notorious for carrying the Sabino and Rabicano genes, so one of these, probably the latter, is likely responsible for the growing number of gray/white hairs in your girl.

True roan is different altogether from roaning or rabicano. True roans have a dark head and dark legs - the normal color pertaining to their base color. The rest of the body has some degree of white hairs throughout, but the head and legs remain the "normal" color.

UsaHrsRidr2000 · 12-20-2005, 03:12 PM

Oh she will be a gray...another way to tell if they will be gray is by there eyelids, i think its if the inside of the eyelid is pink then they will be gray. And i know alot of arabs that are gray.

Top Dun · 12-20-2005, 05:13 PM

There are several types of Roans.
TRUE roans with a dark head are born that way and look almost the same from birth on. And has to have at least one roan parent. Most likely NOT possible that she is a true roan

Rabicano and Sabino are not true roans and they can cause a gradual "roaning" like patern to occur.

Varnish roan in appaloosas is also a gradual changing roan type pattern. All it would take is for say the mustang stud to have the LP gene and nothing else and pass that on and Boom you have a varnish roan. Mustangs carry all three genes Rabicano, sabino and the LP appaloosa gene. But if the sire was not roaning out himself then this is most likely not possible either.

And to be a grey one parent must be a grey so that is not a likely possibility either.

Arabians also have the rabicano and the sabino genes. So it is a good bet that she is either Sabino or rabicano.

Shannon · 12-20-2005, 08:14 PM

This is kind of along the same subect, and I don't necessarily even believe the claim, but my friend (sort of) purchased a red roan overo colt. She claims that he was almost completely white when she got him, but now he has a lot of red. He is now a yearling. Is that possible, or is she just crazy?

Jess! · 12-20-2005, 09:00 PM

My old gelding roaned out, but he had a lot of go man go in him. I belive a lot of go man go's get roaned out.

S.HorseWoman · 12-20-2005, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shannond

This is kind of along the same subect, and I don't necessarily even believe the claim, but my friend (sort of) purchased a red roan overo colt. She claims that he was almost completely white when she got him, but now he has a lot of red. He is now a yearling. Is that possible, or is she just crazy?

He Looks Like A Sabino So It Is Possible. A Lot Of Foals Have Very Light Baby Coats (Bays Don't Have Dark Legs Or Anything, Etc.) So It Is Possible That When He Was Younger His Red Parts Were Much Lighter And Harder To See Under His Baby-Fluff, But Are Not Showing As He Gets Older And Darkens.

JBandRio · 12-21-2005, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shannond

This is kind of along the same subect, and I don't necessarily even believe the claim, but my friend (sort of) purchased a red roan overo colt. She claims that he was almost completely white when she got him, but now he has a lot of red. He is now a yearling. Is that possible, or is she just crazy?

Chestnut, sure. Roan, nope

He's a fairly maximally expressed Sabino. He may also have some Rabicano which can also explain the variation in white hairs throughout his life.

Shannon · 12-21-2005, 12:35 PM

Okay, thanks. We think he is a red roan because of the amount of white hairs mixed in with his chestnut portions. His mane is also a combination of "pink" and white hairs, which looks identical to the mane of my aunt's red roan leopard POA gelding.

12-20-2005, 12:31 PM	#1
CarolinaFilly Senior Member+ Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: NC, In the sticks!! Posts: 2,058 Images: 682 Blog Entries: 1	Roaning out??? How do horses get the roan gene? I know nothing about genetics or anything.. but my mustang/arab mare has started to roan out over the past couple of years... I knew her a few years ago and have watched her throughout the years.. when she was born there was absolotley no white hairs in her. I got her a few months ago and noticed her white... and white hairs keep on popping up all over her. Lol. She's a chestnut. The white hairs are everywhere. Her belly is turning almost all white, and her feathers are white and her nose is white.. (Thats due to the winter too, I know) But even through the summer she's getting whitter and whiter.. all over her body little white hairs are sprinkled about... so is she roaning out? Her father was a mustang.. I think he was a bay. Her dam was a chestnut arab. Is roaning even possible? Or is she just getting some grey hairs. She's 6. Just thought I'd ask ya'll about it... __________________ *"It's not always rainbows and butterflies* It's compromise that moves us along." Proud Member of the Paint Club!!

12-20-2005, 03:07 PM	#3
JBandRio Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NC Posts: 22,344 Images: 138 Blog Entries: 12	True roan horses are born roan. They don't "roan out" like grays do. Mustangs are notorious for carrying the Sabino and Rabicano genes, so one of these, probably the latter, is likely responsible for the growing number of gray/white hairs in your girl. True roan is different altogether from roaning or rabicano. True roans have a dark head and dark legs - the normal color pertaining to their base color. The rest of the body has some degree of white hairs throughout, but the head and legs remain the "normal" color. __________________ - JB Acres, owned and operated by Dynamite animals. - It's a wonder horses as a whole don't just kill us all and be done with their misery. - Keep your voice soothing and low - even when things get western (buck1173) - Rio feels good - he bounced an in-and-out

12-20-2005, 05:13 PM	#5
Top Dun Senior Member+ Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,686 Images: 178 Blog Entries: 1	There are several types of Roans. TRUE roans with a dark head are born that way and look almost the same from birth on. And has to have at least one roan parent. Most likely NOT possible that she is a true roan Rabicano and Sabino are not true roans and they can cause a gradual "roaning" like patern to occur. Varnish roan in appaloosas is also a gradual changing roan type pattern. All it would take is for say the mustang stud to have the LP gene and nothing else and pass that on and Boom you have a varnish roan. Mustangs carry all three genes Rabicano, sabino and the LP appaloosa gene. But if the sire was not roaning out himself then this is most likely not possible either. And to be a grey one parent must be a grey so that is not a likely possibility either. Arabians also have the rabicano and the sabino genes. So it is a good bet that she is either Sabino or rabicano. __________________ Cattle Producers DO NOT want NAIS: When asked if they thought NAIS should be a mandatory system requiring all U.S. cattle producers to participate, 21.22% of respondents said yes, 50.32% said no, and 28.46% were undecided.

12-20-2005, 09:00 PM	#7
Jess! Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 9,232 Images: 211 Blog Entries: 15	My old gelding roaned out, but he had a lot of go man go in him. I belive a lot of go man go's get roaned out. __________________ (¯`·._¤ Jess!·._¤ ´¯) A Thousand Mile Journey Proud Marine Wife - 21 days left in Iraq!

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12-20-2005, 01:05 PM	#2
prettyqtrs Senior Member+ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,962	If the horse is a roan he/she must have at least 1 raon parent. If the horse is a grey he/she must have at least 1 grey parent. Roaning I would think should 'show up' at the latest weanling/yearling. The roan is always there...its just how much it shows....and by a weanling I would think they have pretty much shed out their foal coat and you'd see some roaning. Grey does and can take a little longer. Horses that are grey are generally born a different color(sorrel, bay, black, ect) and grey over time.

12-20-2005, 03:12 PM	#4
UsaHrsRidr2000 Banned Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Aurora Colorado Posts: 553 Images: 84	Oh she will be a gray...another way to tell if they will be gray is by there eyelids, i think its if the inside of the eyelid is pink then they will be gray. And i know alot of arabs that are gray.

12-20-2005, 08:14 PM	#6
Shannon Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: So Cal Posts: 6,678 Images: 930 Blog Entries: 62	This is kind of along the same subect, and I don't necessarily even believe the claim, but my friend (sort of) purchased a red roan overo colt. She claims that he was almost completely white when she got him, but now he has a lot of red. He is now a yearling. Is that possible, or is she just crazy?

12-21-2005, 12:35 PM	#10
Shannon Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: So Cal Posts: 6,678 Images: 930 Blog Entries: 62	Okay, thanks. We think he is a red roan because of the amount of white hairs mixed in with his chestnut portions. His mane is also a combination of "pink" and white hairs, which looks identical to the mane of my aunt's red roan leopard POA gelding.