Chestnut turning liver??? **pix added post #13**

[Dressage (Pea)Nut]

My little guy was born May 1 with a bright chestnut coat. Since then, he's been (sort of) shedding out and the hair coming *looks* darker - maybe liver chestnut...?? How can I tell what colour he will end up? It started as the areas that rubbed off when he lay down (ie. stifles, elbows) and the hair under his chin turning mousy-brown, but the new hair that is coming in has more of a red shade to it. He is out of a black-bay mare, by a bay stallion (both are obviously red gene carriers to have thrown a chestnut). But is there anything in his genetics that might determine a liver shade? I would *LOVE* him to turn liver chestnut - with his stockings and blaze he'll be stunning regardless, but liver chesnut with chrome - my fave!! :D

[Donella]

I think my Sir Donnerhall filly is turning liver as well. I was so sure she would be grey when she was born as mom is grey (born black) and dad is bay. Her Londonderry filly from last year went grey right away and this years is now 6 weeks and no grey hairs anywhere. The circles around her eyes, the end top of her nose, back of her ears, inside of her legs and bum are all very dark chocolate brown, almost black where the new hair is coming in. Honestly though, it seems too good to be true and we have never had a liver chestnut, so not sure??

Do you have any pics? I gotta get some of mine and post them here for opinions.

[Edgewood]

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but my 2007 Pablo filly looked like she was shedding out liver (her foal coat was light, like a palomino) and her new coat was dark. AHS, at inspection, even registered her as a dark chestnut...but now as a 2 year old, she is just plain old chestnut (no way would I call her dark chestnut). Her mother was registered dark chestnut and was dark as a adult.

So those chestnut foals shedding out dark can be tricky and change back to lighter chestnut as they age;)

[RiddleMeThis]

IMO foal coats tend to shed off REALLY dark, and then lighten the next shed.

[Donella]

:sadsmile:

[Forte]

Oh Peanut, it's so awful that Birkin is going to turn out to be a plain old nasty orange chestnut. He really is quite hideous. If you want, I could take him off your hands, just to help you out you know;)

[Sugarbrook]

Our large pony prospect is just a bit over one year now. She was born Chestnut (the bright chestnut color), and when she shed out she turned liver chestnut. Its amazing to see her, because she is out of a Donnerhall mare that was black at birth and turned gray, and by my Blue Who , who is gray, and has mostly gray foals.

[Dressage (Pea)Nut]

Oh Peanut, it's so awful that Birkin is going to turn out to be a plain old nasty orange chestnut. He really is quite hideous. If you want, I could take him off your hands, just to help you out you know;)

:lol: Ha ha ha! So funny... :p I love him no matter what colour he ends up! But with all that chrome already, a liver chestnut would just be icing on the cake! :D

[Donella]

Here is a few pics of our filly, what do you guys think??:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/DSC_0034_edited-1-1.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/DSC_0023_edited-1.jpg


I was also wondering about the colt as well as he looks so dark around his eyes and behind his ears, but he hasn't started shedding around his bum or legs. Is it too early to tell by just his eyes/ears?

http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/?action=view&current=DSC_0190_edited-1.jpg

http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/?action=view&current=DSC_0207_edited-1.jpg

[Donella]

Anyone?

[Forte]

I think they're just normal chestnut, sorry!

[Lyss]

I have one mare that is a very dark chocolate liver color at certain times of the year. As a foal, she did shed out very dark as a weanling, then went through some different shades before she returned to being a very rich dark color as a mature mare - you can see her progression on her album:

Mimosa:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avondayfarm/sets/72157600641234022/

Her now two year old daughter, also shed out as a very dark liver as a weanling - but I do not think she'll turn out as dark as her dam as she is a brighter chestnut color as a yearling and two year old:

Rowan AF (aka "Lucy")

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avondayfarm/sets/72157600641234290/

I have noticed that my chestnuts seem to go through a few color changes as they mature - a bit of anticipation each shed as they grow up!

[Dressage (Pea)Nut]

Here are some photos to give you a better idea.
3 weeks old:
http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=021.jpg
http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=009.jpg
http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=018.jpg
http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=017.jpg

Today - 10 weeks old:
Head: http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=022.jpg
Mane: http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=029.jpg
Front legs: http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=031.jpg
Hind legs: http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=030.jpg
Full body: http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/medunn/Birkin/?action=view&current=017-1.jpg - this one is at a weird angle because he kept getting in my face as I was trying to take pictures :winkgrin:

So what do you think?

[JB]

Like RMT said, you cannot tell a thing about the final color at this stage. Nearly every chestnut foal I've seen, no matter how red or light, has shed their first coat into a much darker shade. Sometimes they can stay that way with that shed, then go back to a red-chestnut at next Spring's shed. Usually though, by the time they're done with the foal shed, it's clear they are "just" a regular chestnut.

You have to wait until 2/3yo before knowing their real shade.

[AnotherRound]

I agree, some young chestnuts I've seen have a dark phase, but lightent up. Unless you are looking at them through liver colored glasses!! Ha ha. To me they both look like normal chestnuts, certainly the first is very bright, but the latter is, online, a bit darker. Its almost impossible to really tell by pics anyway because the exposures and monitors change colors so much. It sure would be fun if the OP's foal DID turn liver, as that is my ultra fave color. I had a liver chestnut TB mare, no white anywhere. Her mane was the exact same color, and she was a beauty in my eyes. Good luck to both, they are ultra cute babies.

[Dutch]

I had a foal shed out very dark chestnut, and even registered him as such. But now at 3 he is a rich red chestnut - not dark enough to be considered liver chestnut. I suspect your foal may wind up the same way.

[Donella]

Well, for those of you interested I took some recent pics of her shedding pattern. The brand inspector was out a few days ago and he recorded the filly's color as liver chestnut. At two months, there are still no grey hairs, so given that her last two siblings started to grey at two weeks old, I am guessing she won't sprout any ?

The color is a bit off in these, in real life the dark patches are almost black they are so dark.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/DSC_0014_edited-1.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/DSC_0025_edited-1-2.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/DSC_0010_edited-1.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/DSC_0015_edited-1-2.jpg

The boy is shedding dark as well, but it just looks like a light liver color, not nearly as dark as her. I am guessing he will just be a normalish dark red when done?

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn273/SpruceViewFarms/DSC_0018_edited-1-1.jpg

[JB]

As discussed before, these first sheds on chestnuts can be, and often are, *really* dark.

Liver is not common in general. It's very common for chestnut foals to shed to "liver" the first time. That tells you that most of the time, those "liver" foals mature to a regular chestnut.

[Dune]

As discussed before, these first sheds on chestnuts can be, and often are, *really* dark.

Liver is not common in general. It's very common for chestnut foals to shed to "liver" the first time. That tells you that most of the time, those "liver" foals mature to a regular chestnut.


So, so true. :yes: For those of you hoping against hope for liver, I think you need to chill, have a glass of wine and wait a couple years. :lol: This is said with love, because I have one too and folks keep telling me she'll be liver, it'll be OK! ;) And the truth is, NO one can know until it's all said and done.

[Donella]

Well, it just interests me to be honest. I have always sort of wondered what is involved in getting a liver chestnut and it does seem that those who are liver are often from dark (non chestnut dams and sires or one dark parent and one liver parent). This filly has no chestnut up close her pedigre, mom is black (from black sire), dad is dark bay. Donnerhall is the closest in there that is chestnut and he was a very dark liver. I am guessing that is where this has come from.

To be honest, I have never seen a foal shed out super dark and then turn normal chestnut. Darker chestnut, yes , but not almost black.

I just find it rather fascinating...though I won't lie, if she stays this color, I wont be dissapointed ;)

[Dressage (Pea)Nut]

Well, it just interests me to be honest. I have always sort of wondered what is involved in getting a liver chestnut and it does seem that those who are liver are often from dark (non chestnut dams and sires or one dark parent and one liver parent). This filly has no chestnut up close her pedigre, mom is black (from black sire), dad is dark bay. Donnerhall is the closest in there that is chestnut and he was a very dark liver. I am guessing that is where this has come from.

To be honest, I have never seen a foal shed out super dark and then turn normal chestnut. Darker chestnut, yes , but not almost black.

I just find it rather fascinating...though I won't lie, if she stays this color, I wont be dissapointed ;)

That's what interested me as well. Neither of my colt's parents are chestnut or liver - mom is black (well, fading black/black bay) and dad is dark bay. Mom's first foal was bay by a bay stallion, and dad has had several bright chestnut offspring. Who knows??? I still LOFF my boy and really honestly don't care what colour he ends up. I mean, if he goes back to bright chestnut again, with all his chrome, he'll be a dead ringer "mini-me" for my favourite former show horse! :)

[Libera]

Well my chestnut was born a very light shade, then shedded out almost BLACK!!! He is also rabicano, and he has a flaxen mane and tail, so I was really hoping he would stay that way as well.

But after the foalcoat shed out.......ordinary chestnut.

It was funny tho how a lot of people thought he was either going liver, or going grey (because of the rabicano coloring).

His dam was dark bay and sire a bright chestnut by the way.

As far as your foal goes...he doesn't look that dark. I think he will shed out normal chestnut.

[Coppers mom]

I have a similar question. One of the colts is shedding out very, very dark, and his mane is starting to grow in black. If you look down towards the roots. He wasn't exactly a bright chestnut when he was born either. The mother is a liver chestnut, and the sire is bay. Could he be turning liver? His brother from last year (another bay stallion, but same mare), came out chestnut, and even though he was darker when he first started shedding, he was never anywhere near this dark, and his mane stayed chestnut at the roots the whole time.

[pintopiaffe]

Don't get your hopes up...

My chetty boy shed out almost black, the colour of guiness stout, to be really accurate... then grew in his winter coat bright red. Shed into his yearling coat, bright red, as a two year old... well, you get the idea.

I can repost his pics if it helps, he was shedding the most STUNNING dark liver, and since he's pinto too, I was SO FREAKING EXCITED. I still loff him to pieces, but he's very, very RED. ;)