>>>> This is Tosca (actually 1/4 Peruvian Paso). She is registered as black. >>>> Her sire >>>> was black and her dam bay. At five, she is getting lots of very >>>> noticeable white >>>> hair in her hair coat, especially over her rump. She really looks like >>>> she could be >>>> turning gray. I am familiar with gray Arabians who appear to be another >>>> color at >>>> birth, but they usually have grey or mousey hairs around their eyes and >>>> muzzles. >>>> Tosca's muzzle is shiney black.
I have a few Icelandic's that have what I generically call "roan-like" patches. Roan coloring is present from birth, so I know these aren't true roans. These include Cali (who has LOTS of white hairs, including an odd "dropped star" and apparently has had them for a long time), Bjola (Cali's half-sister...per registration AND by outward appearances!) and unrelated 2-year-old Tifa and unrelated Loftur. Tifa is the interesting one, since she's had a few white hairs in her "saddle area" and at two, she's never been ridden or had a saddle on her back. I think Tifa's mom has a few, but since she's light sorrel with pangere, hers aren't so obvious. Anyway, none of these are graying, none had a gray parent, and none of these are old enough to have age-related graying. I think it's just "one of those things" that don't have a genetic explanation, at least that's been identified. But, you know, I just plain enjoy these little unique quirks. I don't think there's any real significance to them, but it's fun to discover what makes all of our horses special, even in superficial ways. Now, with Tosca: please be sure to watch the "gray" to monitor how it changes. I'd hate for some innocent quirk to cause you to buy a new saddle at some point because of white marks. I suspect that MOST white marks under the saddle area are really and truly due to saddle problems, and many times they correlate to a specific pressure point on a saddle, but I know I'll have to watch Tifa carefully to be sure I don't assume her natural coloring is a sign of a saddle problem! Karen Thomas, NC
