Bay, But Not?

[RoyalCrownAcres]

My horse, Spring Revival, has a bit of an....odd coloring? I thought she was bay because her mane was dark when she was a foal and she has black halfway up her lower legs. As she has gotten older, however her coat has become more Chestnut looking. If someone knows what color she actually is, the genectice behind it, and why she keeps getting lighter, please let me know! I have trying to figure it put but cannot!

Spring Revival

[Julijohn99]

...

You're correct about her being bay. The fading her coat is going through as she gets older is caused by the appaloosa gene. There are separate genes that cause the appaloosa spots, and the expression of those spots. So on HWO, if they have the expression gene, it causes varnishing even when a horse doesn't have the white patches. Whereas if they only have the spots gene, but no expression, the horse would look normal.

[RoyalCrownAcres]

...

You're correct about her being bay. The fading her coat is going through as she gets older is caused by the appaloosa gene. There are separate genes that cause the appaloosa spots, and the expression of those spots. So on HWO, if they have the expression gene, it causes varnishing even when a horse doesn't have the white patches. Whereas if they only have the spots gene, but no expression, the horse would look normal.

Ohhhh. That makes so much sense! Thank you so much!