Bay?

The brown gene has been found and is testable. What used to be attributed to pangare is now known to not be pangare and to be brown.

Skimmed and didnt really looked at the rest. I was referring specifcally to the post of your above mine that had the brown horse in it.

I know very well that brown is a genetic color and can be tested for but the horse has black points. But the horse in question was a Bay Standardbred.
I do not understand the forums obsession with brown...

*sigh* Brown horses can and do have black points. Brown is a modification of black, just like bay. The only "obsession" with brown is the fact that it can now be identified as a true genetic modification and as such can be correctly identified when seen. Such as on the brown horses on this thread.

You're thinking of seal brown. It's not the same as brown. And no, it isn't the same as bay, but it's a lot closer to being bay than brown. So, I'd recognize a seal brown horse as a bay (which I already have) and not think twice about it, because seal brown is not a common term around here.

Sorry but I am not confusing the two. Genetically there is only one brown.

Seal brown is just a fancy name because most people don't want to say "I have a brown horse."

The debates between bay and brown lately have been about as common as explaining the difference between buckskin and bay dun. They are two similar looking, but genetically different and must be regarded as different colours.

All THREE horses posted by Equilove would be brown. All three show clear characteristics of brown.

You ask what is the obsession with brown at the moment. I ask what is the stigma with calling a horse by it's correct colour?

I am really confused, so how do you tell the difference between a brown and a bay?

Here's my boy, I was told he's a Wild Bay but his registration papers just say Bay?

His sire says BRWN QDNA QBT

So I am guessing that he was Brown and what do the QDNA and QBT mean?

Dam says BAY QDNA

This horse is wild bay. Wild bay restricts black the most, keeping it to a bare minimum on the legs. Mane and tail are still usually black.


This horse is 'plain' bay. You can see that the leg black forms nice long stockings, and the points of the horse are also black. 'Plain' bay restricts black less than wild bay, so you have more black expressing on the horse's colour.


This mare is tested to be Brown. This differs from bay as you can see, by the lightness in 'soft' points that are not usually subject to sun fading. One of the characteristics is the 'mealy' around the muzzle, which can darken to the classic 'tan' of a 'seal brown' phenotype. Another is the paleness to the inside of the flank, and in the elbow.

I tried my hardest to find three horses that are of a similar 'bay' shade so you can really see the difference.