Black and bay horse colors described in modern and classical literature, it is not difficult to imagine a horse of this color even for people who have seen these animals only a few times in their lives. But many people cannot imagine what gray horses look like. A foal may be born with this color, or the bluish coloring may appear gradually as the animal matures.
Origin story
A horse's color is a combination of shades of fur, skin, mane and tail, and eyes. Color is inherited genetically. Gray, or grey, is a gray color in which black and white hairs combine to form an amazing palette.With age, the animal's skin becomes lighter as there are more white hairs. Horse mane and tail Grey-colored dogs can remain dark - black or bay. The bright contrast is especially appreciated among breeders.
Most often representatives of the gray color are found among Oryol trotters. Count Alexey Orlov, the founder of this breed, brought a stallion in 1775, who received the name Smetanka for his amazing silver-gray coat color. The offspring obtained from Smetanka (5 foals in total) passed on a unique set of genes to the next generations, and the gray shade began to be often repeated in horses of the Oryol breed. Its appearance is due to the lack of coloring pigment in the hairs of the coat.
What does a gray horse look like: variations and shades
The gray or grey-gray color does not belong to the main shades. These are gray horses, uniform in color without spots, with discernible color transition boundaries. Gray animals can be:
- gray (this is the lightest tone), which is often confused with white;
- gray (a darker shade of gray);
- the color of wet asphalt (the darkest color variation).
These are the most common options for dressing a gray horse. A light gray mare, looks almost white with a bluish tint. Therefore, they are mistakenly called white horses.
Large spots on the horse's skin, located in accordance with the plexus of blood vessels, having a lighter shade, are called “apples”. Small dark spots, often scattered throughout the animal’s body, are called “buckwheat.”Horses with spots, “dappled”, “buckwheat” do not belong to the gray color. At the same time, with age, “apples” or “buckwheat” may appear on the skin of a gray animal.
Foals can be distinguished immediately after birth; attention should be paid to the color of the animal's skin. No matter what the baby is, if his skin is gray, by the age of 3-4 years he will be a gray animal.
Genetics
The gray color does not always appear at birth. Foals genetically predisposed to become “gray mares” may be born bay or black, and at the age of 3-4 years change greatly, becoming lighter in color. First, the head and belly of the horse are highlighted, much later the legs are brightened.
Due to ignorance, animals of this color were often considered old, hence the expression “bully's delirium.” After all, strange ideas and outright stupidity are characteristic of older people. With age, horses of any color turn gray; the color becomes much lighter than that of young animals.
The connection between character and color
It has been installed for centuries. Black and bay horses are considered the hardiest, fastest and strongest horses. Animals of red color are capricious, cunning and independent. Gray horses are good-natured and easy-going, but they are often indiscriminate in food and suffer from poisoning and digestive diseases. You may hear the opinion that gray horses are not very smart, but breeders refute this statement, considering their horses the most beautiful and intelligent.
The relationship between color and character is not always visible, so when buying a pet you should pay attention to the character of its ancestors and heredity. All animals have a passport. For purebred animals, this will be a document of a certain color, which indicates the color of the horse and its ancestors.For purebred animals, DNA analysis is carried out.
A horse, even more than any other pet, must be chosen with the heart. After all, these are strong animals, which, in the absence of love, mutual understanding and skills in working with these pets, can cause injury to the rider. Horses are capable of turning over the cart they are harnessed to, rushing or rearing. Therefore, the most important thing is not the color of the horse, but its character and sincere desire to make friends with a person and see him as his master.
