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Colour Coat Genetics - Bay Roan
  

WHAT ARE THE COLOUR GENETICS OF A BAY ROAN?
Quite simply, a BAY ROAN is the ROAN GENE affecting a BAY horse. Other than this, the colour generics of BAY ROAN are identical to that of a BAY: As with any ROAN, the ROAN gene must be inherited from at least one patent known to carry the ROAN gene, and as with any BAY, the black points must be inherited from at least one parent that is BLACK or has black points. (See BAY).

In the past, some horses registered as RED ROAN were actually BAY ROAN, since the colour of the mane and tail were not taken into consideration at that time. However, since a BAY ROAN carries the BLACK gene but the SORREL and CHESTNUT do not, BAY ROAN is now a colour choice separate from RED ROAN.

WHAT DOES A BAY ROAN LOOK LIKE?

A BAY ROAN has a base colour identical to BAY. With the ROAN gene added, white hair is mixed in with the base coat, leaving the lower legs, the mane and tail, and the head typically unaffected. In extreme cases, however, a ROAN may have a concentration of hair above the eyes (but not located directly at the eyes nor immediately around them) appearing as though the horse had white eyebrows. The concentration may also be found at the polls or base of the ears-bur nowhere else on the ears. Concentrations may be found on the jaws as well but only as an extension of the white hair already concentrated on the neck. In its least expression, the BAY ROAN may have ROAN hair localized over the back and croup area, giving the horse the appearance of being slightly dusted with snow. These are sometimes called 'minimally expressed' ROANS.

A BAY may have white hair scattered throughout the body or have white hair concentrated in specific areas. These areas are usually the flanks, between the fore legs, the root of the tail and sometimes over the barrel, usually in vertical patterns directly over each rib. It is most often confused with ROAN bur is neither the result of the ROAN nor GRAY genes. This distinct pattern of white is sometimes called rabicano (pronounced rab ih CON oh), a word of Spanish origin meaning "brush tail;' referring to the hands of white hair at the root of the tail. It is also referred to sometimes as "ticking." One way to determine the difference between the 'classic' BAY ROAN and a BAY with white hair due to the rabicano or ticking trait is to notice the colour of hair once the 'roan' areas have been scraped or rubbed off. On a 'classic' ROAN, the ROAN hair does nor grow hack once scraped off-only the base colour will grow back, in this case, the base colour of BAY which is usually SORREL or CHESTNUT. On the rabicano affected horse, the hair that is scraped off will usually grow back solid white, the same that would happen if the horse was a solid BAY.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY HORSE IS A BAY ROAN OR A GRAY?

Some foals in the early stages of turning GRAY are often confused with ROAN. The foal turning gray will have gray hair immediately surrounding the eyes and muzzle and throughout the backs of the ears as well as white hair being scattered throughout the body. The GRAY hair may be slight or extreme and in the earliest stages of turning GRAY. Although it is considered an 'immature GRAY; genetically, the foal is still considered a GRAY and must be registered as such, even if the GRAY horse started out as BAY ROAN. The BAY ROAN that has turned GRAY may keep its black points for an extended period of time but will still produce GRAY foals as well. They still retain the colour genetic information to produce BAY and BAY ROAN foals, and in most cases, they may also produce SORREL, CHESTNUT, BROWN or BLACK foals, or any of these colours plus the inclusion of the ROAN gene which includes RED ROAN and BLUE ROAN. (See GRAY)

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