Why do grey horses turn white

Uppsala University. Retrieved November 13, from www. Or does it? When white wines look cloudy it's a sign of But the domestic horse wasn't always bred for speed. Examination of skeletal remains from the impressive horse burials associated with the Deer Stone-Khirigsuur Print Email Share. Boy or Girl? Joined 11 December Messages 18, Stinkbomb, you must have been thrilled when Inky started going darker.

Bossanova Well-Known Member 6 November Joined 30 November Messages 10, My horse started out rose grey, changed to dapple grey and gradually he has started to go flea bitten.

He is now pink spotty. I hate it!! Yes i was especially when he started out like this!!!! But Inky is a yearling right? Will he not continue to evolve his color for a bit yet? OMG, you really ought to do a before and after post on Inky!!! Wow, I cannot belive the difference in just 14 months! Hi Jade, he will probably get a few more dapples as he ages but hopefully not change much in colour.

He certainly wont get lighter anyway!! Hows the little cashew??? Joined 16 October Messages Location Devon. This is my mare and foal, the mum used to be darker than her foal,with a black mane and tail and the foal will eventually go grey, in highlands, and I suppose all horses the grey gene is dominant. He is doing wonderful! They said he prances around like he owns the place and I am looking forward to seeing his babies in due time if all goes as planned.

I didnt know you had sold him. Joined 5 June Messages 1, Location La la land. Gray homozygotes are more likely to develop melanoma than heterozygotes. Many gray horses show depigmentation of the skin around the eyes, mouth, and anus, but there are no known additional health risks associated with this condition. Testing for this gray variant can help owners identify homozygous horses animals with two copies of the variant which will always produce gray offspring, and can assist in determining a foal's coat color, as gray is a progressive pigmentation pattern.

Pielberg, G. A cis-acting regulatory mutation causes premature hair graying and susceptibility to melanoma in the horse. Nature Genetics , 40 8 , Quick Summary The gray gene causes progressive depigmentation of the hair, often resulting in a color that is almost completely white by years of age.

The individual gray test will determine the number of copies of the gray allele zygosity. The coat color panel tests detect presence or absence of the gray allele.

Search Keywords. Andalusian with the gray gene showing progressive depigmentation Phenotype: The gray gene causes a progressive depigmentation of the hair, often resulting in a color that is almost completely white by years of age, and can act on any base coat color. Heterozygotes tend to retain some pigmentation.

Homozygotes usually progress to completely white. The skin does not change color, and continues to produce melanin. The Graying Gene and Melanoma The Graying gene has been linked with an unusually high risk of dermal melanoma.