Wednesday, May 30, 2012

What the heck color is he anyway?

The last working cowhorse show I took Semper to I had at least three separate people ask me "What color is he?" and  "Is he Appy or Paint?"  To which I respond "He is paint but to be truthfully honest... I have no idea what color he is."








I get asked all the time. At a clinic this weekend a nice lady asked me if he was some obscure breed from Europe - a Mangalara? never heard of it. I googled it and didn't even show the same coat color.

So today we are going to decide once and for all...What the heck color he is.

Look at the pictures and weigh in with your best guess and reasons.  Also...does he have a war bonnet or a medicine hat?  Now you should know that he has some white in between his ears - his color isn't solid across his poll.  Both ears are brown and there is a small bit of brown connecting them, but his forelock is white because the skin there is white.   He is registered Sorrel Overo but looking at pictures I would say he is Tovero. He was born solid white with brown ears. As he has aged he gets more and more roaning on his chest, flanks, and above his tail. 

Let the games begin! 


8 comments:

  1. There's sabino in there somewhere - the speckling . . . Anyway, a beautiful boy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. He is definitely not an overo. I think he is a sabino (the speckling) sorrel (? or is he really more chestnut) tovero. And I believe that even with white crossing over the poll, if the color still is connected across the top (so not two separate spots - one around each ear essentially, so maybe just a white dot or strip between the ears?) then it is a war bonnet because he also has color on the front of the chest called a "shield".

    ReplyDelete
  3. also, judging from the rear photo it looks like he has a strip down the tail- does it continue along the back? That too corresponds with war bonnet colorization. I believe that too relates with the sabino/tovero

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't know my paint colors, so I can't help you. But, he is so very handsome and eye catching! I love 'a horse of a different color'!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Over from Mugwumps...
    Definitely Sabino (one of the three sub-types of overo spotting pattern--all with different genetic markers). There might be tobiano in there, just because his roaning is on his chest and flanks, where toby is usually expressed first. If he had just the "medicine hat" he would be considered "maximum sabino"--mostly white, and he's definitely close to that designation.
    One thing I know for sure...He's probably hard to keep clean! ;-D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wellllll I have to say that Sabino fits. I am so "paint" illiterate that I still don't quite understand how to answer the big question.

    Would he be considered a Overo with Sabino markings?

    Dreaming... thank you - I think he is pretty special. :)

    Evensong... I try do work at keeping him clean but I find that feeding him quality feed and supplements that his coat produces a white film that kind of repels dirt. Even if he gets poop stains on him, you can usually brush them off. When you run your hands over him, your hands will have a white film on them. Weird.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I know nothing about paints. Our pony, Toby, was mostly white with sorrel "hat" and one biggish sorrel spot on his flank. He also had sorrel hairs in his tail. He had two blue eyes. Several people told me he was a "medicine hat" paint. He did not have any of the speckling. This about covers what I know about paints, but I think Semper looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Have you tried posting on http://colorgenetics.info/equine/forum? They all seem very friendly and knowledgeable, and do a good job explaining.

    ReplyDelete