ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] Re: greys
[endurance] Re: greys
Allen Randall (maven@foothills.eznet.com)
Thu, 4 Apr 1996 23:12:51 -0800
Well, let's see. I believe that I read that the "bay" has always been the
predominant color, not just now or in the '60's, but always. Also, grey is
not necessarily a "dominant" gene. If that were the case, when I bred two
greys, I probably would have gotten a grey foal. I got a "chestnut". I
would have to go back and look at the pedigrees to see who was heterozygous
or homozygous to properly explain what my theory is about the grey gene.
Anyway, grey horses can be born bay, chestnut, or black (really a bay gene)
and turn grey. I have first hand experience with a couple crosses, i.e.
grey with bay that produced 2 chestnuts, one bay and one grey. The mare was
the same each time. Two of the foals were by El Hilal (grey) and two were
by V Galaxey (grey). I do know that the "bay" gene is always dominant.
I think that the grey "aleal" sort of pops up at will depending upon
whichever gene decides to take it with it. Just for fun, when I get a few
moments, I'll
map it out with horses that I have first hand knowledge of and report back.
I'll let you know what happens when the above mentioned mare (heterozygous
bay) drops her foal this year by Bravado Bey V (grey) from Varian Arabians.
I will also check...well, I think that Huckleberry Bey was a chestnut, so he
(Bravado) should be heterozygous bay/grey (black mane and tail.) That means
that the baby should be heterozygous bay/grey or homozygous chestnut/grey or
heterozygous bay or homozygous chestnut. However, to answer your question (I
just looked back at your note.), Grey is not necessarily dominant, but an
"influencing factor" that associates itself with bay, black and chestnut. I
don't believe that grey has ever been the predominant color in the US. (I
would have to check The Registry database to be sure.) This could happen
because..."Mother Nature" can be cruel and "good horses" are "good horses"
no matter what the color and the people that have been breeding them take
what they get. Best regards, Al
>So, Al, if my perception in the 1960's was correct and at that time the
>predominant color of Arabs in the US was grey. And, if now the predominant
>color of Arabs in the US is bay. And, if grey is a dominant gene. Then,
>how did the bay become predominant if folks were not breeding for color? I
>cannot believe that all the grey stallions were conformationally inferior
>to the dark ones. How could this happen?
>
>
>
>Al Randall
>wrote----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Linda, I beg to differ...most of the quality breeding done in this country
>is for conformationally correct horses. Color is so far down the line with
>most of the foundation breeders of "purebred Arabians" that it hardly even
>counts. The exception would be those "few" that are trying to breed
>straight "black."
>"Mother Nature" can be cruel. We have noticed, over nearly twenty years
>that the ranches that have focused on "color first" have not done so for
>long. We believe that one should breed good horses to good horses and take
>what "Mother Nature" hands out in the color department. Just my thoughts.
>Best regards, Al
>
>
>Linda Van Ceylon
>lvanceylon@vines.colostate.edu
>phone: 970-491-1428
>
>