# My first foal!



## Haviris (Mar 12, 2010)

Well my first miniature horse foal, born today and doing wonderfully! It is a filly!












So my first thought after looking her over was that she's going to go gray like her mom, her mane is all silvery colored, her points are alot lighter then I've seen and her tail is full of white (maybe this is normal for a bay miniature foal? I've had two full sized bay foals, they had light frosting around and through their tails, but not like this, but minis have odd colors sometimes). I've never had a gray foal, but then I realized that all I've seen pics of tend to be darker, not lighter (a black based gray foal is usually blacker then a black foal, and bay based seem to have really dark points for a foal). I was just thinking bay and gray were my only choices, but then I got a 'duh' moment her sire is a red roan (he's mostly white frame, so I guess I don't normally think about the fact that he's also roan).

Anyway I've only had one roan foal, a blue roan, and at birth she looked identical the her mom's previous foal, who was black, but you could kind of see some of the white hairs if you rub the hair backwards. Her mane is sort of what has me wondering, it was the first thing that made me think she'd be gray, it's not black, it's silvery, since I really just started questioning her color I didn't think to get a pic of her mane (I will tomarrow), but here are a few pics of her tail,











So anyone had gray foals born, does she look like she'll be gray? What about roan? Or is she just a typical bay?


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## AnnaC (Mar 12, 2010)

Dont ask me about possible colours! Just wanted to say congratulations she's very cute! Could we perhaps know the name of your mare and that of the sire? Have you got a name for the little cutie yet?

Again, well done you and Momma mare -- I shall be interested to read what others say about her colour!

Anna


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## Tiny Hooves (Mar 12, 2010)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! What a pretty little girl!

I am not an expert on colors, but I am guessing a silver bay. I own two, and from the picture's of them when they were foal's they looked the same color as your filly. I don't really know but maybe she will be a silver bay roan since the sire is a red roan.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN!!!!!


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## TheCaseFamily00 (Mar 12, 2010)

Congrats, what a cutie!!!!!


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## Mona (Mar 12, 2010)

Congratulations on your new filly! I would say that no, it doesn;t appear she'll grey out like her dam. She is bay, and usually when bays that are going to grey are born, their color os very vivid and out of the ordinary. What I mean, is she likely would have had black leg points showing rather than the silvery color. The silvery color in her tail and legs are typical foal hair, and will darken/be replaced with black as she ages. The black leg points of a bay are hiding under the silvery hair.


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## Haviris (Mar 12, 2010)

Her sire is 'Dreamweaver's Sample the Wild Things' and her dam is 'Whispering Oak's Chrystal Light'.

So w/ silver, doesn't one parent have to be silver, or is it recessive? I don't know anything about how the silver gene works, most of the foals that I have seen that this mare has had were either bay or bay tobiano (obviously when bred to tobi), and one gray.

If it doesn't rain I'll get her outside for some new pics today!


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## Haviris (Mar 12, 2010)

Here is a pic of her silvery mane,






So anyway to guess if she's going to be roan? I know w/ the one blue roan filly we had you could rub the hair backwards and see a few scattered white hairs, I checked last night and didn't think I saw any, but today in the sun light, I'm not 100% sure (because she has so much light hair), but I think I can see some! Her sire has a half brother that is bay roan, and he's gorgeous!

When I thought the choices were bay or gray, I really didn't care which, they're both pretty! But I have to admit I'd really love it if she turns out bay roan!


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## disneyhorse (Mar 12, 2010)

Congratulations!

She looks like a silver bay to me. Since her sire is red based, he could have silver? Silver can hide on red coats...

Andrea


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## MBhorses (Mar 12, 2010)

congrats

i would guess silver bay.

i have had a bay foal born that gray out.




our bay foal that gray out




google eyes









gray hairs coming in






her sire is gray and dam is bay.

i don't have current photos of her i hope this help

very pretty filly


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## Haviris (Mar 12, 2010)

Both HIS parents are black based, and neither are listed as silver, I've seen his dad who definately isn't silver. I guess it doesn't matter, she'll be the color she's going to be and I'll know soon enough, but I can't help but be currious!


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## minie812 (Mar 12, 2010)

Well whatever color she is cute and healthy


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## Allure Ranch (Mar 12, 2010)

_[SIZE=12pt]Congratulations.... Just precious.[/SIZE]_


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## Haviris (Mar 12, 2010)

MBhorses at what age did the gray start?

And thanks everyone, I think she's pretty special, no matter what color she is!


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## Mona (Mar 13, 2010)

Yes, she is definately silver bay. As to roan, in order for her to be a roan, at least one parent MUST be roan. Is either parent roan?


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## Haviris (Mar 13, 2010)

Sorry, I thought I mentioned that her dad is red roan, so yes, I know one parent must be roan, but I'm still not understanding silver, doesn't one parent have to be silver? I know it can hide in red, but both her sire's parents are black based and neither are silver. I may just not understand the silver gene, I did alittle reading up on it today and I thought that's what it said.


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## Mona (Mar 13, 2010)

Haviris said:


> Sorry, I thought I mentioned that her dad is red roan, so yes, I know one parent must be roan, but I'm still not understanding silver, doesn't one parent have to be silver? I know it can hide in red, but both her sire's parents are black based and neither are silver. I may just not understand the silver gene, I did alittle reading up on it today and I thought that's what it said.


Oh, maybe you did mention he was a red roan, and I missed it. Anyway, if he is in fact a red roan, then he is NOT black based as you say in this post. A red roan is a sorrel (red) horse with the roan gene, so the silver could be hiding there. The silver could also be hiding in the dam, as she is true grey, so even if black based that will hide the silver. A true grey horse with the silver gene often greys much faster, and they are also sometimes referred to as silver-whites. You'll know for sure about her being roan or not at least by the time she is weaned, and likely much sooner.


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## eagles ring farm (Mar 13, 2010)

congratulations

she's a little beauty


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## ShaunaL (Mar 13, 2010)

She's precious



Congratulations! I'm not sure with minis but from Arabians I remember foals (usually born rich bay or black) having gray hairs around their eyes at a very young age and many of them shedding out to a various shades of gray by 4 - 6 months. I remember looking out over pastures of gray weanlings, with the occasional bay or chestnut


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## Haviris (Mar 13, 2010)

No, I didn't say HE was black based, I said his parents are black based, but not silver. I think I'd be happy w/ a silver bay (I'd be happy w/ anything really, but silver bay would be nice! As would bay, gray, or bay roan!), and I do think now it would be obvious if she was going to be gray, I'd just never had a gray foal, so wasn't really sure.

So now I'm thinking maybe Chrystal is hiding silver, the oldest pics I have of her, she's dappled gray, don't know how fast she grayed, but she has a foal on her in one pic, so she was an adult before going completely white. To my knowledge she's never had a silver foal, so it's kind of nice that I got that little extra from her, epecially w/ my first foal!

Anyway, thanks everyone for your opinions and congrates! I am Very happy, and pleased w/ this little girl! I'm sure I'll post more pics as she grows, and from the pics I've been looking at it shouldn't take long at all for me to see what color she'll be. She may look like a different foal next time I show her off!


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## MBhorses (Mar 13, 2010)

Haviris said:


> MBhorses at what age did the gray start?
> And thanks everyone, I think she's pretty special, no matter what color she is!



Hey she is a doll

My filly foal starting graying out at about 4 mos or so. I knew she was going to gray out because she had the google gray hairs around her eyes at birth. I have a friend who has gray stud so she has had several born sorrel, roan, silver dapple and other colors that grayed out.

i have had to foals born here by the same gray sire that started graying as young foals.

i will post the other foal born here half sister to the one i posted eariler.this filly was born jet black she gray out as well. everyone taught she was roan because her back ground,but she also gray out. you can have her tested for $25.00 with animal genetics to know if sure. i have a palomino colt born in 09 by my friends same sire of the two foals i talk to you about. i had this palomino colt test for gray gene, he is neg for gray gene so he will not gray out. you have chance of 50% 50% of the foal graying out if one parent is gray. A horse gray out over a 5 yrs time frame.




black foal that gray out






when my foal that gray out they started graying out around the eyes but they don't always gray out around the eyes first






black foal as a yearling.




palomino colt of mind that has same sire as the the above filly. i had him tested he is neg for gray gene so he will stay palomino. palomino are hard to tell so i had him tested

i also had another filly that i brought that was gray born sorrel to day she has had two foals that stay their color haven't gray out.

i hope this helps. i look all colors including the grays.

i would test her for silver and gray gene to be sure.


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## targetsmom (Mar 13, 2010)

Congrats on your healthy filly! There is a test now for gray, so if you really want to know I suggest getting her tested. Or just wait.

The mare could be carrying silver as grays can be any color before they turn gray. Gray is a modifier, not a color. For example, our gray mare is genetically a silver bay frame overo (LWO+) and homozygous for black. Her 2009 colt (see photos of them both in my avatar) is also silver bay and carries frame (LWO+) and tobiano patterns plus the gray gene. While the mare was white by the time her first registration photos were taken (i.e. around weaning), her foal is still gray and white at 10 months. I had heard that the silver gene makes them turn gray faster, but clearly the rate of going gray can differ even with the silver gene present.


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## Horse-A-Holic (Mar 13, 2010)

Just wanted to throw in my "Congratulations" on a healthy little filly!!!






She is just absolutely beautiful. Please do keep us updated as her mystery color emerges.

I think that is all part of the fun, you just never know what you are going to end up with!

Enjoy her!


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## Haviris (Mar 13, 2010)

Thank you again. It won't matter to me what color, it's just fun guessing. I may eventually have her color tested, if nothing else it would be interesting to learn what's hiding, it may even be beneficial to know if she's LWO+ (sire's a frame). We'll see how she changes, and I'll try to post pics as she does!


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