This has got to be the darkest bay ever

[LostandFound]

I know I probably should have been driving people nuts with Larry pictures, but my phone doesn't take great ones so I haven't. But here he is. At a week or 2 old he looked very bay. I got today pictured and boy he really is dark. I'm almost second guessing the whole bay thing. He did get clipped a few weeks ago, except his lower legs, but even the spots I did clip are still lighter than the rest of him.

 

[MaryFlora]

Great photos! Beautiful Larry! He reminds me a bit of that gorgeous grullo color seen once in awhile!

 

[Cayuse]

Are his legs black at all? I wonder if his mane will come in flaxen and he'll be a liver chestnut with a light mane and tail. Or maybe he's a smokey black? I dunno! Whatever color he choses, he's going to be a nice one!

 

[HersheyMint]

He is gorgeous!!

 

[LostandFound]

Looks like his feet are black right around the top of his hooves, the rest of the legs don't look black at all. Momma is buckskin and daddy is Palomino so smoky black is possible. But I read his inner ear hairs would be gold for that and they weren't.
Mane appears to be coming in dark but I'm not 100% sure it's black. I'm so curious, but he won't be reproducing so I guess it doesn't matter much.

 

[HersheyMint]

I'm sure100% he is beautiful

 

[LostandFound]

Well thanks! I think so, but I might be biased.

 

[chandab]

The brown/cinnamon color muzzle indicates he is dark bay rather than black. Clipping removes the colored portion of the hair shaft, so not a good indicator of color/shade.
My stallion is very dark bay to the point of looking black, except for his cinnamon muzzle and flanks.

 

[Standards Equine]

I believe on German registration papers (at lease for my verband horses) it's just "brown". I've heard the term "mule muzzle" for that lighter colouring on the face, but I think it's darling. When you shave a bay, often they look grey right against the skin, not black at all. Regardless, genetics are so interesting and he's quite a handsome little fella!

 

[LostandFound]

@chandab My guess is that my guy will turn out almost that exact same color! Although I'm not seeing any sign of the lighter patches on the body, just on his lower legs. Quarter horse and paint have an option for brown, but I searched for grandparents and don't see it.

 

[chandab]

@chandab My guess is that my guy will turn out almost that exact same color! Although I'm not seeing any sign of the lighter patches on the body, just on his lower legs. Quarter horse and paint have an option for brown, but I searched for grandparents and don't see it.

Sometimes they don't have the lighter patches on the body, just the light muzzle is the giveaway to bay. And, when you clip, you remove the colored portion of the shaft, so those light areas could be there, but have been shaved off.

 

[LostandFound]

True enough. It's grown back enough to be fuzzy already, but I won't know for sure what shade he will be until next summer.

 

[Kelly]

I know I probably should have been driving people nuts with Larry pictures

Totally agree!! You should be flooding the forum with pics of this cutie pie