Horse Color Modifiers - Bay
Image from Range View Stud
Perhaps one of the most well known horse colors, the bay comes in a variety of different shades and can be identified by their black points (mane, tail and legs).
A bay horse is an animal with a black base affected by the Agouti gene which controls the distribution of black hair to points and topline.
This gene only affects a black base because chestnut hides the Agouti gene.
Bay Modifier
- A dominant color
- Common in all breeds
- Red body ranging from light to dark with black points
- Wild bay is a rare subtype with black legs that only extend up to pastern or fetlock
Different Bay Shades
There are a variety of different bay colors.
Black Bay
Image from Ziprick Thoroughbreds
Mahagony Bay
Image from Malalla
Blood Bay
Image from Stallions Now
Standard Bay
Image from Blue Ridge Hanoverians
Light Bay
Image from Critter Care
Bay Dilutions
A bay base can produce the following colors when diluted
Bay Dun
Bay horse with a dun modifying gene
Image from Finley’s Mountain Ranch
Buckskin
Bay horse with a cream modifying gene
Image from Ride a Draft
Perlino
Bay horse with a double dose of the cream modifying gene
Image from Crystal11
Amber Champagne
Bay horse with a champagne modifying gene
Image from Fox Trotter Color
Silver Bay
Bay horse with a silver modifying gene
Image from Tamars Ventures
Bay Modifications
A bay base can produce the following colors when modified.
Mealy / Pangare
Bay horse with a mealy / pangare modifying gene
Image from esmed
Sooty / Smutty
Bay horse with a sooty / smutty modifying gene
Image from Arrow Andalusians
White Patterns
Bay horses produce the following white patterns.
Appaloosa
Bay horse with a appaloosa white pattern
Image from Giggles193329
Skewbald Pinto / Paint
Bay horse with a paint / pinto white pattern
Image from Hunt Bounty Horse
Bay Roan
Bay horse with a roan white pattern
Image from Wyo Horses
Learn more about horse colors
March 18th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Paige,
What a great article. The collection of photos is fantastic. I’ve “Nickered” it for others to see at NickerIt.com.
I look forward to more of your articles.
Scott
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:48 am
[...] bay coat with the roaning pattern while retaining black points (i.e. mane, tail and [...]
November 19th, 2008 at 10:48 am
[...] gene displayed on a bay horse Image from [...]