CHESTNUT FRIESIANS or "FOX" FRIESIANS

The red Friesians are an anomaly, in the 1990's the FPS started testing all young approved stallions for the red gene if it were present they would not allow that stallion to become qualified. Therefore the red Friesians that are out there today are all from a very small gene pool. The only way to perhaps breed for a chestnut is if you were to breed a mare that had the chestnut gene, that could be breed to one of these last living stallions, or to one of their non approved offspring that also had the chestnut gene. In which cases both parents would have to test 'Ee' meaning they carried both the black and the chestnut gene, which would then give you less then a 50/50 chance of actually getting a chestnut and in all likelihood that offspring would have an extremely high inbreeding. So in the not to distant future the chestnuts will sadly be fully eradicated from the bloodlines all together. The genetic's of Chestnut/red factors is fairly simple to understand. Here are the factors tested for: 'ee' Only the red factor detected. The horse tested homozygous for red pigment. The basic color is chestnut or sorrel, but depending on genes at other color loci, the horse could be red dun, palomino, cremello, gray or white. 'Ee' Both black and red factors detected. The horse tested heterozygous for the red factor. It can transmit either E or e to its offspring. The basic color of the horse will be black, bay or brown, but depending on genes at other color loci, the horse may be buckskin, zebra dun, grullo, perlino, gray, or white. 'EE' Only the black factor detected. The horse tested homozygous for black pigment. It cannot have red foals regardless of the color of the mate. The basic color of the horse will be black, bay or brown, but depending on genes at other color loci, the horse may be buckskin, zebra dun, grullo, perlino, gray or white. Some Friesians Carry the Chestnut gene, the Ee that can produce a black or chestnut. Stallions that are known to carry this chestnut Gene are: Freark 218 Ijsbrand 238 Laes 278 Diedert 288 Jillis 301 Wicher 334 Atse 342 Abe 346 if you have a mare or colt sired by one of the above stallion's and would like to have your horse tested for the red factor you can send some hair with roots attached to Avian Biotech the cost is $25.00 and you get results back quickly. www.avianbiotech.com CHESTNUTS AND THE REGISTRY, Chestnut foals out of two registered Friesian Parents CAN be registered they just remain in the foalbook. However if you have a chestnut that then produces a black from an approved stallion that offspring can go back into the registry, try for ster etc.