I love my silver bay stallion but I've found that he has produced only silvers. Of course he has only been bred to one mare, and she is not silver. His daughter has produced a black bay pinto. Non Z. My question (hypothetical) if bred him to a silver bay mare do you think we would be stuck with silvers forever? I love silver, it's a beautiful color, but I like variety too. I guess I should just get him tested for "homozygosity," then we'd know. I am definitely not a color expert but it's fascinating!
Color Possibilities
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Minimor
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if you breed silver to non-silver you have a 50% chance of getting silver (unless the silver parent is homozygous, then obviously it will be 100% silver offspring). If you breed silver to silver (assuming both are heterozygous for silver) you have a 75% of silver, 25% of non-silver. Unless you know that your stallion had one non-silver parent you should likely start by testing him to find out if he is homozygous silver.
I have a silver black stallion and he has not given us a huge percentage of silver foals. He has sired 10 foals for us, and only 4 of those are silver. Then there are 2 chestnuts, who may or may not be hiding silver. 4 are definitely non-silver--and two of those are out of silver mares. One of the chestnuts was out of a silver mare, and two of the silver foals also have silver mothers.
I have a silver black stallion and he has not given us a huge percentage of silver foals. He has sired 10 foals for us, and only 4 of those are silver. Then there are 2 chestnuts, who may or may not be hiding silver. 4 are definitely non-silver--and two of those are out of silver mares. One of the chestnuts was out of a silver mare, and two of the silver foals also have silver mothers.
Is the silver gene just like the gray gene in being a modifier? Same rule? 50% chance of producing a gray with one gray parent? Are there also homozygous grays (excuse my ignorance)? I have to say, silver is a gorgeous modifier, but I don't think anyone wants to have just silvers or just grays, unless they are a lippizaner breeder
The only problem I personally have with silver is clipping them and losing that rich shade.
Thank you for helping to clear this up!
Thank you for helping to clear this up!
Minimor
Well-Known Member
Yes, silver is the same idea as grey, 50% chance of the foal having the modifier if just one parent carries the gene. And yes, there can be homozygous greys, same as there can be homozygous silver.
I agree--it is a shame to have to clip the silvers & lose all the nice rich color. Silver bay or silver black, the horse gets clipped and turns to a dull grey color.
I agree--it is a shame to have to clip the silvers & lose all the nice rich color. Silver bay or silver black, the horse gets clipped and turns to a dull grey color.
paintponylvr
Well-Known Member
TAB -
There is also no way to tell, if you cross two single gene silvers - which silver the gene came from. I have a silver tobiano stallion(single gene) and several single gene silver and silver tobiano mares and two homozygous silver mares. ALL of my foals have been silver tobianos - but until this year, I'd always had single gene silvers. This year a filly that is so light in color as to look like a palomino, will be tested as well. I believe she may be homozygous for silver and could also be homozygous for tobiano. She can't be a cream - both parents are homozygous for black and do not carry cream genes.
Crossing our stallion on any of these mares except for the homozygous silvers, should result in other colors - either bay or black. Averages state that I should have had roughly an even number of bay or black. BUT I have not. With 3 foals out of a solid bay mare (now sold), I've had two with the silver gene (1 silver black & 1 silver bay) and she also has produced the only non-silver foal by him (bay) for us. He has sired 12 foals for us, one is bay. He has sired a couple of non-silver foals before we purchased him. I will have a couple of other mares to breed to him in the future that are different - 2 chestnuts w/ a bay gene & single tobiano genes, 2 bay tobianos - 1 homozygous black & tobiano w/ one bay gene, 1 heterozygous black, bay & tobiano mare. The color possibilities are intriguing. However, we've also slowed down on breeding ponies due to the market. The last couple of years I've bred quite a few and they are still with me. Next year we will have no foals...
I find the sliver gene a lovely color with it's many shades and possibilities. Other "silver lovers" enjoy coming to look at our ponies. Most of my neighbors, non-horse folk, consider us to have a lot of "ugly, tan ponies" in our pastures. There are definitely good times of the year to look at a pasture full of "silver" ponies! Here's a pic of several fillies in one of our pastures in April 2013. Shamrock and Wyndy are homozygous black, GG is definitely heterozygous black and Classy could be either (not tested yet)...
There is also no way to tell, if you cross two single gene silvers - which silver the gene came from. I have a silver tobiano stallion(single gene) and several single gene silver and silver tobiano mares and two homozygous silver mares. ALL of my foals have been silver tobianos - but until this year, I'd always had single gene silvers. This year a filly that is so light in color as to look like a palomino, will be tested as well. I believe she may be homozygous for silver and could also be homozygous for tobiano. She can't be a cream - both parents are homozygous for black and do not carry cream genes.
Crossing our stallion on any of these mares except for the homozygous silvers, should result in other colors - either bay or black. Averages state that I should have had roughly an even number of bay or black. BUT I have not. With 3 foals out of a solid bay mare (now sold), I've had two with the silver gene (1 silver black & 1 silver bay) and she also has produced the only non-silver foal by him (bay) for us. He has sired 12 foals for us, one is bay. He has sired a couple of non-silver foals before we purchased him. I will have a couple of other mares to breed to him in the future that are different - 2 chestnuts w/ a bay gene & single tobiano genes, 2 bay tobianos - 1 homozygous black & tobiano w/ one bay gene, 1 heterozygous black, bay & tobiano mare. The color possibilities are intriguing. However, we've also slowed down on breeding ponies due to the market. The last couple of years I've bred quite a few and they are still with me. Next year we will have no foals...
I find the sliver gene a lovely color with it's many shades and possibilities. Other "silver lovers" enjoy coming to look at our ponies. Most of my neighbors, non-horse folk, consider us to have a lot of "ugly, tan ponies" in our pastures. There are definitely good times of the year to look at a pasture full of "silver" ponies! Here's a pic of several fillies in one of our pastures in April 2013. Shamrock and Wyndy are homozygous black, GG is definitely heterozygous black and Classy could be either (not tested yet)...
