Registry Services
Colour Coat Genetics - Red Roan
  

WHAT ARE THE COLOUR GENETICS OF RED ROAN?
For all practical purposes, the colour generics of a RED ROAN are identical to SORREL and CHESTNUT. The only exception is the expression of the ROAN GENE which is inherited from at least one parent. The ROAN GENE exists alone and is not associated with any base colour. This means that any of the base colours and their variations may also be a roan if inherited from a roan parent. More accurately, a RED ROAN might be considered a SORREL-ROAN or a CHESTNUT-ROAN.

On some pedigrees, older horses may have been registered in the past as RED ROAN but may actually have been RED DUN-ROAN. Since AQHA does nor have a specific category for RED DUN-ROAN, the colour choice of RED ROAN would have been made out of necessity. For registration purposes, AQHA suggests RED DUN as the better colour choice. AQHA then indicates the ROAN characteristic under the markings area of the registration certificate with the phrase "CARRIES AND EXPRESSES ROAN GENE."

Some horses registered as RED ROAN in the past would be registered as BAY ROAN today. Since a SORREL-ROAN or CHESTNUT-ROAN is genetically different from a BAY ROAN, BAY ROAN is now a colour choice separate from RED ROAN. Remember, BAY carries the black gene, whereas, SORREL and CHESTNUT do not.

WHAT DOES A RED ROAN LOOK LIKE?

The RED ROAN has a base colour identical to either the SORREL or CHESTNUT, including variations in the colour of the mane and tail. With the ROAN GENE added, the coat will also have white hair 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 (bur 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-but nowhere else on the ears. Concentrations may be found on the jaws as an extension of the white hair already concentrated on the neck. In its least expression, the RED 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. (See SORREL and CHESTNUT).

A SORREL or CHESTNUT 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 but 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 bands 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' RED ROAN and a SORREL or CHESTNUT 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 back once scraped off- only the base colour will grow back, in this case, 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 SORREL or CHESTNUT.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY HORSE IS A RED 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. This is true even if a GRAY horse started out as RED ROAN. The RED ROAN horse that has turned GRAY may keep its red points for an extended period of time, still retaining the colour genetic information to produce SORREL, CHESTNUT, RED ROAN, or GRAY foals. (See GRAY).

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