Any Grey gene studies out there? (Note: image-heavy)

[Oriole2]

Hey! Haven't been here for a year or so. Are there any new exciting projects/studies involving greying and grey (graying / gray) horses (those with the G gene)?

I had a project with grey AC Arabians long time ago but got overwhelmed after a couple of generations, because breeding for color may be frustrating, but breeding for color and HGP+BR+build+lowCOI is super frustrating and also exhausting. (surprised pikachu face)
I'd been striving for bright dapples and as uniform greying as possible, collecting other interesting/beautiful variations along the way. Feel free to take a look at my pastures, I really don't want to part with my greys (after all, I'd been collecting them for over a year, literally hunting for some of them in AC and the market) but I'm leaving the game soon, so if another senior player can continue exploring the grey gene with the help of my herd, it would be great.

I can also share my notes, but they are quite messy. (And I don't really have energy to make them more readable.)

a couple of my favourites to attract attention (and maybe to brag (just a little bit)):











+ some more interesting variations:







2024-03-09 Edited to add:

[BlackOak2]

Only the original release still. Nobody has yet published a study on the gray gene.

The horses you posted are gorgeous! In particular, that red #3280816.
I know there are a lot of variations, but this really proves it well and brings the amount into the light.

Very nice!

***
We will miss you around here. If you happen to return, do please let us know!

Keep the good fight going and we'll see you again (assumed).

[Cypress Creek Elites]

I have a handful of pastures where I'm trying to breed black dapple akhals with more uniform greying, if you'd like to poke around in those! I've gotten some really neat looking horses.

[Oriole2]

ping

From what I've seen, a lot of players don't like the Gray gene because it hides the original colour. Which is undertandable, but still makes me sad. Graying process in this game is gorgeous and deserves more love!

ping

I tried to avoid crossbreeding because hidden genes (or lack of them) in other AC breeds is another huge topic to discuss. However, I would gladly look at your favourites! <3

[BlackOak2]

ping

From what I've seen, a lot of players don't like the Gray gene because it hides the original colour. Which is undertandable, but still makes me sad. Graying process in this game is gorgeous and deserves more love!

I agree with that. Although, I find this game's coding and development of the graying gene, in just a whole different level from all others. I'm not fond of the gray gene in almost every other game I've played (and those others, it's only tolerable), but in this one, special care has been taken with it and that feeling comes through.

I like the gray gene here, but I still find it to only be preferential in certain cases. I think I'd prefer the gray more, if it were much closer to the white shading. After all, in real life a gray horse can be just as white in color as a white horse. I think I'd prefer the shading to have differences in what it comes out to, in the end. For the most part, the final gray color does seem to be uniformly the same gray shade across all of them.

But that's personal preference.

[Cypress Creek Test]

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/4071109 this guy is one of my favorites- he's dappling and metallic.

[Oriole2]

BlackOak2,

Hmm...

I've briefly looked through my pastures and found this girl with no fleabites at 22+ y.o.:

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2765633
and then this guy:
https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/1160481
and haven't decided yet if I want to agree or disagree, to some extent. I mean, the second horse looks white to me if I ignore the mane and don't have a fully white horse to compare with.

...This reminded me that I personally don't like it that the mane cannot become fully white like some of the tails. I think I've never seen a fully grey horse with a white mane?.. (dilutes, tobiano and Lp don't count)

On the other side, this difference in color shades can (probably?) help to see white markings on a grey coat.



Cypress Creek Test,

Lovely! Especially the photos taken at 1.5 years old and at 6-something

I also like this one at 4 y.o.:

[Tom]

This is a very nice post with some lovely horses. I can't get into the timeline but sometime this year we will be adding genetic testing (and many other things!) so please check back again. Maybe your breeding projects will be easier in the future.

We also have plans to revamp how the rendering of the horses works, but that is still a ways off. There is much to do!

[BlackOak2]

BlackOak2,

Hmm...

I've briefly looked through my pastures and found this girl with no fleabites at 22+ y.o.:
https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2765633
and then this guy:
https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/1160481
and haven't decided yet if I want to agree or disagree, to some extent. I mean, the second horse looks white to me if I ignore the mane and don't have a fully white horse to compare with.

...This reminded me that I personally don't like it that the mane cannot become fully white like some of the tails. I think I've never seen a fully grey horse with a white mane?.. (dilutes, tobiano and Lp don't count)

On the other side, this difference in color shades can (probably?) help to see white markings on a grey coat.



Cypress Creek Test,

Lovely! Especially the photos taken at 1.5 years old and at 6-something

I also like this one at 4 y.o.:

Oh! New hints from Tom!!! Love it! Seriously good things coming this year for the game.

What I meant when I said white, is like this color white:
Tobiano false-white


It'd be my preference if the grays could get closer to this style of white, instead. But I do like the steel grays that we have currently as well.

And I know that you can get the fully gray mane and tail, because I've had gray tails and gray manes with a not-gray body. But I don't know where any for an example are. Like many of the color genes, it's all about getting the right set into your herd. So, you'll likely have to find a gray maned horse and mix it into the herd.

But again, this game allows for so many more variations in every gene, relatively speaking. The grays that I seem to be most attracted to, often end up being those that 'vein' gray (the grays end up looking like veins popping from the skin). Often times, if you look for the right one, it ends up looking like a skeleton.

[Oriole2]

(Sorry in advance if my post looks like a total mess)

Tom,

Thank you so much! I tried several horse breeding games, but HWO is still my favourite one. I'm afraid I'll be too busy with real life later this year, but I will try to check back from time to time


BlackOak2,

Ah, I see what you meant now. This one is indeed much brighter than the horse I linked.


My problem with grey manes is that you cannot get a fully grey mane with only grey gene.

In my herd, I have seen 2 types of greying tails so far (I don't have good illustrations at the moment, unfortunately, but tails A begin to turn gray at the tips, and tails B begin to turn gray evenly; after which both of them become completely gray.)
And only one type of greying mane (all the manes that I have ever seen begin to turn gray at the ends of the hair and that's all, they remain that way until old age, partially retaining the color.)
*Example of a horse with a Type A tail:
https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2893552
**Example of a horse with a Type B tail:
https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2896350

I have seen horses with a fully grey mane, but i believe it was caused by other genes (like Lp) rather than greying.

However, it's important to note that I only bred and searched for AC Arabians without crossbreding, and it is possible that other AC breeds carry some hidden genes. (...And it is impossible to explore how Grey works in mohawk, fluffy mane and feathers without cross breading either... Ignore this, I'm just thinking out loud.)

And please share examples you talked about, if you find them. I'm always glad to look at beautiful horses!