Alyssa and The Red Roan Pony

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This is Alyssa sitting on a red roan pony. This pony was born a solid chestnut with a smattering of white hairs on the flanks or back, which tells it will be a roan.

Roan is different from gray. In order for a horse or pony to be gray, at least one parent must be gray. Also a gray horse or pony will have lighter colored head and legs, where a roan always has a darker head and legs like you can see in this photo.

A foal that will turn gray will usually have a sprinkling of white hairs around the eyes and will have started to lighten by the time they are weaned. However, a gray that is a steel color at 18 months can be solid white or flea bitten gray as an adult.

A red roan, like the pony here, has a chestnut base color. A bay roan has a brown body, black legs, mane and tail, and a blue roan has a black base coat, which gives it a blue-ish appearance when the white hairs grown out on top.

* Can you identify the name of the white facial markings on this pony?