Grullo and Blue Roan Quarter Horses

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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.
 


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 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.

Berry Sweet Whizard, grullo reining horse (grulla)
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

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.

  1. A silver grullo could be a grullo that also has a cream dilution gene.

  2. A silver grullo could be a grullo that also has a taffy/silver dapple dilution gene.

  3. 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:

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University of California at Davis: http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/horse.php

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Cornell University: I've heard they do a lot of coat color testing, but can't find their link. If you have it, please send it to me for inclusion. Thanks!

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University of Kentucky: http://www.ca.uky.edu/gluck/AGTRL.asp#color

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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