[alex123]

I have a very well bred Hanoverian filly (first pure tb is 4th gen back) who has roaning on her flanks and barrel. She also has two white tail hairs and a few white hairs in the tail head. She also has white whiskers on the end of her nose, (very tip end and top of bottom lip) while the skin and hair under the whiskers are solid black. The only white markings she has is one very small star between the eyes and one tiny tiny white snip on her lip. It's so small you can't see it unless her mouth is open.

My question is: What kind of roaning is this? Is it rabicano or sabino roaning? (or are those two the same thing?)

Where did this come from? Her sire is a solid black bay Hanoverian and her dam is solid black/bay with a tiny white star.


Do rabicano horses get whiter as they age? This filly was born solid black but I didn't notice the white hairs until a few months ago.

[JOT-k]

mmm. very interesting. Im wondering if Indie might be a sabino - will have to go and check those socks tomorrow

Just wondered why all these names exist and what is the significance of them. Also, why do they all end -ino?

And why you are so interested in them?

[Anti-Silence]

Without pictures, it's impossible to say for sure, but given your description, the location of the roaning points to rabicano.

Sabino and Rabicano are different, a horse can have one or both. Neither have to be visible in the parentage. The white markings on her face, as small as they are, are caused by the sabino gene. All white markings are caused by one of three genes - sabino, frame, or splash... sabino being the most common and the only one known to be present in all breeds.

Roaning can range from a few white hairs or a white roany patch, to full body roaning (more so with sabino, rabicano tends to remain in the barrel and flank area, as well as the tail head). Some horses become very roany over time, others' roaning stops progressing much earlier and they remain with only ticking for roaning. It varies with each horse.

[Anti-Silence]

Without pictures, it's impossible to say for sure, but given your description, the location of the roaning points to rabicano.

Sabino and Rabicano are different, a horse can have one or both. Neither have to be visible in the parentage. The white markings on her face, as small as they are, are caused by the sabino gene. All white markings are caused by one of three genes - sabino, frame, or splash... sabino being the most common and the only one known to be present in all breeds.

Roaning can range from a few white hairs or a white roany patch, to full body roaning (more so with sabino, rabicano tends to remain in the barrel and flank area, as well as the tail head). Some horses become very roany over time, others' roaning stops progressing much earlier and they remain with only ticking for roaning. It varies with each horse.