Shades of Grullo

Silver or Silvery Includes both Silver and Light Slate These grullos are light enough that most people would call them "silver grullo." Some are true silvers, with the creme gene. Some are not, and are probably better termed "light slate." Regardless, we would not hold it against anyone to call these horses "silver grullo." Since grullos change so much from season to season and latitude to latitude (sun fading, rain effects), it is difficult for most people to distinguish between similar shades that are almost identical anyway. Whether they have a creme gene or not, these individuals are silvery to the eye.* Not just blue or lavender, but silver enough to be called "silver." These types of colors (pictured right) don't tend to turn brownish much as the darker shades do with summer sun. That helps distinguish them from my next major category, below. *It is often said that "silver grullo" is a shade of grullo that comes only with a creme gene. On just about every web site I've seen and in the few color genetics books I've read, that is the preferred definition. I personally don't like that definition, because we have had many creme-carrying grullos that were the darker shades and who don't resemble a silvery cast at all upon visual inspection. Consider the sorrel/chestnut colors...you have shade variations from light sorrel to liver chestnut. Because cream-carrying grullos can be extremely dark in color, I wish the silver grullos were defined as the light shade of grullos that resembles...um....silver. Creme gene or not.	Silver grullo, probable creme gene Owned by White Oak Grullos, SC USA
	Silver grullos with creme gene
	Light slate/silvery grullos with NO creme gene Owned or formerly owned by Cedar Ridge QH's, Iowa USA
	Silver grullo with creme gene

Medium Slate Although these are all what I'd term "medium slate," some are genetically what purists would call "silver grullos" because they carry a creme gene. We feel it is misrepresenting a horse to call a horse a "silver grullo" if it doesn't LOOK silvery, so prefer to label them according to visual examination. It's similar to palomino shades: not all palominos are golden palominos. Some are isabellas and some are chocolate palominos. To call an isabella a golden would be wrong. Similarly, calling a medium slate a silver is probably misleading. So what makes these creme-carrying ones so dark, and not silver? Some say it's the sooty modifier. Regardless, we feel they're too dark to be considered "silver" because it confuses the largest segment of people familiar with grullos, who think silver grullos are light silver in color.	Medium slate grullo, proven creme gene carrier Owned by Cedar Ridge QH's, Iowa USA
	Medium slate grullo, proven creme gene carrier Formerly owned by Cedar Ridge QH's, Iowa USA
	Medium slate grullo Formerly owned by Cedar Ridge QH's, Iowa USA
	Medium slate grullo Formerly owned by Cedar Ridge QH's, Iowa USA

Dark Slate A grullo with or without a creme gene this dark should not be called silver. This one (top cell to right) happens to be a proven creme carrier...and therefore is a true silver grullo according to definition, but who would term him a silver just by looking at him? We'd say he's beautiful, but we wouldn't call him silver. :-) Another dark slate grullo, Spartacoos. Spartacoos is homozygous for black pigment, like the stallion above him. However, Spartacoos does not carry the creme gene. Note that he is actually a little lighter than the creme-carrying dark slate grullo above him.	Dark slate grullo, proven creme gene carrier Photographed by Cedar Ridge QH's while owned by Balius QH's

Problems

Defining "Silver Grullo"

Some say that a silver grullo must carry a creme gene. But we have had several creme-carrying grullos that were the darkest shade we've ever had. We would never call them silver grullos even though they were proven creme carriers. See the descriptions in the table above for the differing shades of grullos, including those carrying the creme gene. Note that the darkest grullo pictured is a proven creme gene carrier.

Because of the visual incorrectness of the definition of a grullo with a creme gene automatically being a "silver grullo," we just try to call light, non-brownish grullos the silver or silvery grullos. They are generally lacking in sootiness or smuttiness, and so are a clearer blue-silver in color. Some carry creme genes, some don't. But it fits with what the general grullo-knowledgeable population would call "silver."

Seasonal Changes

Grullos change color from season to season. In the spring, they are less brown and more blue. In the summer, they are more brown and lighter in the body from sun fading. In the fall, they are dark when their fall hair comes in. A grullo whose color is defined in the spring might look a lot different six months later.

Too Many "Labels" for Grullo Shades

WOW! That is too much. I don't see much reasoning behind all these labels. So few people know them all, and on top of that, GRULLOS CHANGE SHADE FROM SEASON TO SEASON! :-) My vote would be to keep it simple with these three categories:

	Silver or silvery grullos
	Medium slate grullos
	Dark slate grullos

Actually, I'd probably strike the third out, because there aren't very many dark slate grullos. Most are light or medium.

Shades of Grullo

Copyright Note:

Silver or Silvery

Medium Slate

Dark Slate

Problems

Defining "Silver Grullo"

Seasonal Changes

Too Many "Labels" for Grullo Shades