Simple Color Question

[RealFolkBlue]

Probably a stupid question, but here it goes. Is it possible for a horse to be homozygous black and carry the grey gene also?

[cook1745]

No they have to have one grey parent. If he is homozygos black he will only throw black if I correct on this.

[SpotsNGlory]

Originally Posted by cook1745

No they have to have one grey parent. If he is homozygos black he will only throw black if I correct on this.

you are correct.

[taken from wikipedia]
The gray gene (G) is an autosomal dominant gene.[1] In simple terms, a horse which has even one copy of the gray gene, even if it has a gene for another coloring, will always become gray. If a gray horse is homozygous (GG), meaning that it has a gray allele from both parents, it will always produce gray offspring. However, if a gray horse is heterozygous (Gg), meaning it inherits one copy of the recessive gene (g), that animal may produce offspring who are not gray (depending on what color gene an offspring inherits from its other parent). Conversely, a gray horse must have at least one gray parent.

[Wolfie]

Actually, it is possible. The gray and black genes are seperate and unrelated. Gray is a modifier, not a color, so it wouldn't matter if the horses base color was homozygous black, palomino, sorrel, paint, or purple & green...gray would still override.

[Diamond_Y]

You can certainly have a horse that is homozygous for black and carry the gray modifier - the horse will be gray, not black.

[Orchid]

Originally Posted by Diamond_Y

You can certainly have a horse that is homozygous for black and carry the gray modifier - the horse will be gray, not black.

Yes indeed.

[RealFolkBlue]

Originally Posted by Diamond_Y

You can certainly have a horse that is homozygous for black and carry the gray modifier - the horse will be gray, not black.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if it was possible.

[Peter-John's Love]

The horse will be grey, if the horse has just one grey gene (as was already stated 2 genes make all foals grey too).

One thing to consider though is that some horses don't "turn grey" until later in years. One of mine didn't start greying until age 4. Our baby filly is already starting to turn grey at 2 months. So if your horse is not very old it could have a grey gene that has not "turned the horse grey yet"

Also it takes 2 to tango , so a foal will get genes from both parents, so what is actually produced is a product of the two.

Also some "roan" and "varnish" colors get called "grey" by looking at horses, so this is where lots of "registration colors" get life even more confused.

'Course the more they study DNA and learn the color genes, they may have new information that changes all this information...DNA knowledge is like an appy coat - ever changing . Now if they would just find the DNA to keep my brain learning it as fast

[RealFolkBlue]

Well the reason I asked was because my barn manager has a 3 Y/O Arab filly. She is black, but it is starting to gray out. Her full brother was tested homozygous black, and he is starting to grey out. I didn't think that it could happen.

[horses4me]

I have a framed paint mare, was thinking of bredding her, but scared of the lethal white. Her mom was tested for it and came back neg. But i would like to possible breed her one time, and not sure what to breed her too? SHe is the paint in the avater. The other is my Qh mare.

[Wolfie]

Originally Posted by horses4me

I have a framed paint mare, was thinking of bredding her, but scared of the lethal white. Her mom was tested for it and came back neg. But i would like to possible breed her one time, and not sure what to breed her too? SHe is the paint in the avater. The other is my Qh mare.

I think you have the wrong thead.

[breburtch]

Originally Posted by horses4me

I have a framed paint mare, was thinking of bredding her, but scared of the lethal white. Her mom was tested for it and came back neg. But i would like to possible breed her one time, and not sure what to breed her too? SHe is the paint in the avater. The other is my Qh mare.

yeah I think you have the wrong thread aswell but since its here I'll say this. Have your mare tested to make sure she's not a carrier of OWLs and then when you decide to breed her find a stud that isn't a carrier aswell