The New York herald., 1922-07-09
Popularity of Location
in Marks of Bay Horses
Scientific Horsewoman Wants to Know If Anybody
Can Produce Bay With White on Fore Feet
and No White Behind.
by MARGuER1rE F. BAYLIss.

the yellow group and the other Of the
red group.
The white markings of gray horses Of
fer an extensive field for technical dis
crimination altogether too ample in
fact for consideration here. as Is also
the question of the actuality Of a double
color transmission. involving the pres
ence Of dormant gray in non-gray
horse.
istic in the other groups. Stars are the
normal form Of white mark in the red
group; the bays. red chestnuts and
blacks and browns from the red base.
The members of the yellow group are
rarely starred, but have instead the typ
icaI white strip or blaze down the face.
The broken blaze. making star and
snip. appears In both and Is possibly the
result of past interbreeding OF colors.
In this connection 1t Is well to re-
member that the general cross breeding
OF colors which has always prevailed IN
domesticated stock has disturbing ef-
feet upon the behavior OF typical points,
both black and white, in the descendants
of the crossed stock. In any case IN
which all the back stock has been bred
within one color group we find our face
and foot marks transmitted with the pre-
cision of law.
Another point about white markings
merits mention. An old saying has 1t
that white feet are not to be DESIRED
All horsemen are familiar with the JIM
Cling verses on the subject. But II really
looks as If the poet knew more apout
something else than he knew anout
horses. There Is no evidence Whatever
that white legs are less sound ana snape-
lv than others. and their possession ap-
= - ~
blood. at least to the extent that so iar
as we have knowledge positive wnlte
feet appear only in good stock. None
of the primitive colors of which we nave
Knowledge have clear White on tne
legs they normally. In all the elemental
| shades of dun. show lighter hues where
nerhaps white marks would be evoiveo
In time.
Under a microscope and concentrates
electric light the black hairs from ehe
name. tail and legs OF the pest pay
horse are seen to be only deepenins
Of the body color The body hairs OF
the true bay and of the red chestnut
are absolutely indistinguishable, either
in appearance or by chemical analysis.
A handful Of the two kinds mixed can
not be separted again. 1t therefore ap-
pears that the difference between tnese
two colors depends upon the markings
Lacking the black name. tail and leg
points the bay becomes chestnue.
black pointed red chestnut Is never
seen because the addition of the black
points Is sufficient to make 1t pay.
It Is. indeed. open to dispute II that req
color can correctly be referred 10 as
chestnut. Strictly speaking. the name
of chestnut is only applicable to a color
whose organic composition Is some de-
gree of yellow
II is one thing to explore the nature
of the mechanics of evolution and quite
another to treat Of causes. Thus Tar
we can advance only theories. not rea-
sons, concerning the coloration OF
horses. When we know more about the
effects of climate and moisture and
mineral substances upon organic color
we shall doubtless have much more COM
plete knowledge Of the relation of the
| family Of EQuidae to the familiar USE
| full -coloring doctrine. We must for the
present accept the idea that. however
little we understand the details. the
coloring Of horses Is useful to them
especially in the direction of resistance
to disease. insect assailants. etc. AS far
as simple protective coloring is con-
cerned. It has little application to horses.
Natures Mysterious Ways.
Apart from the entirely different ques-
, the true Equidae. and speaking of horses
in the accurate use of the term. there
appears to be no adequate reason for
| typical protective coloring In horses.
They are herbivorous. feeding on grasses
| and other vegetable organisms and are
not addicted to preying on their animal
neighbors. The horse has. therefore. no
need for a coloring adapted to aggres-
sive uses; 1t never steals upon Its foe
or its prey Neither has it any use for
a color that protects ii from flesh eaters
hunting 1t. No division of the modern
family Is a forest dweller. all genera live
In the open and depend exclusively upon
keen senses and swift feet for safety.
The ages which have sufficed to bring
| the speed of the horse TO the very maxi
mum Of terrestrial feetness have also
been adequate to dispense color forms
no longer needed for the welfare of the
possessor.
That something, as yet indefinite. Of
vastly more Importance than the simple
matter of color is correlated with color
no one can doubt. For the present the
only real use we can discover for the
various and lovely hues and markings
| of our horses Is the artistic value. When
1t is possible for her to do so. our old
friend Nature gives beauty as a plain
matter OF liberality. surplus over the
qualities required for bare survival. Per-
haps. even. beauty Is no mean element
In the operation of survival. of evolu-
tion itself Horses are among the few
creatures on whom nature could safely
lavish beauty. They prey on nothing
Their high specialization in other
safety-giving traits relieves them from
need of special coioration, and their
structure and habits are admirably
adapted to the display OF loveliness OF
color. 1t may be given to them as 1t Is
given to birds and flowers.