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Shades of Grullo
Light slate/silvery grullo (left) and medium slate grullo (right)
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Please note that the term "silver" in describing grullo
color most often doesn't reflect any inheritance of the "silver" gene,
as in silver
dapple horse colors.
The term "silver grullo" has been used for years to
describe silvery-colored grullos, probably before the silver dapple gene was
labeled.
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.
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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 |
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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 some creme-carrying grullos so dark, and not
light silver in shade?
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
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 |
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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 |
Owned by B4 Ranch,
Oklahoma. |
Problems
Defining "Silver Grullo"
There are 3 different definitions that I've seen for
"silver grullo," and a problem with these three is that they don't describe
the same horses.
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A silver grullo could be a grullo that also has a cream
dilution gene.
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A silver grullo could be a grullo that also has a
taffy/silver dapple dilution gene.
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A silver grullo could be a grullo that is a light or silvery
grullo color, as opposed to being a darker shade of grullo.
Which is correct? There are lots of arguments about this.
CREAM DILUTION CARRIERS: 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. TAFFY/SILVER DAPPLE DILUTION CARRIERS: Now that
the taffy/silver dapple gene is being called the "silver gene," some people
feel that any color with "silver" in the name should be allowed for ONLY
horses carrying a silver dapple/taffy gene. LIGHT SILVERY
BODY COLOR: 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
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White grullo |
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Silver grullo |
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Light slate |
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Medium slate |
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Olive grullo |
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Dark slate |
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Lobo dun.... |
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:
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Silver or silvery grullos |
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Medium slate grullos |
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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.
But hey...who am I
to make that decision?
:-)
Click here to take a grullo color quiz
Click here to request help determining your
horse or foal's color
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Color Testing Labs
There are many laboratories in the US and around the
world that do horse color testing, disease testing, etc. When you choose a
lab, make sure it is a reputable one! There are several university-related
labs, which I recommend, and many private labs (some of which can NOT be
recommended!). Here are a few
I'm familiar with:
University Laboratories:
Private Laboratories:
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Animal Genetics, Inc.
http://www.horsetesting.com/Equine.asp
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Pet DNA of Arizona:
http://www.petdnaservicesaz.com/Equine.html ONLY tests for Brown in horses
(1/2010)
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PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF YOU CHOOSE TO
USE THIS LAB, BELOW, in my opinion:
DNA Diagnostics (aka Shelterwood Labs, and also affiliated somehow with
Catgenes.Org)
http://www.dnadiagnostics.com/ DNA
Diagnostics/Shelterwood Labs offers a test for multiple
characteristics at one price.
I had seen a fair bit of chatter online about how they cash the checks and
don't give the results of the test. So, I tested them by paying for three
horse tests. Guess what...they sent back two of my horses' test results and
after 4 1/2 months, the third was still missing in action! Repeated phone calls and
e-mails were ignored by the lab. Finally, five months after the test, someone
gave me the results. If you choose to use this lab, my opinion is to only send
them as much money as you are willing to lose, in case you don't receive your
results.
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Visitors since beginning construction 7/22/2005 |
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