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COLOR CHANGES IN THOROUGHBREDS. From the earliest ages the coloring of horses has always been the subject of much speculation, and the Arabs, from whose stock came at all events one f the three great founders, in the male line, of the present-day Rritish thoroughbred the Darley Arabian, and probably also the other two. the Ryerloy Turk and the Godolphiu Arabian or Rarb not only based their opinions concerning a horses merits on his color, but likewise paid much attention to h":s markings, and set considerable store on certain "feathers" in the animals coat. liven nowadays, wheiithe experience brought by nearly a couple of centuries of horse racing has caused the axiom that "they run in all shapes" to become a household word, tiie companion saying that a iiorse can be a good lone, "no matter what its color," does not always meet with approval, and some owners have a rooted aversion to much white on a horse, while to others four white feet are anathema, in spite of the fact that Flving Childers concerning wliose speed and marvellously fast time all sorts of fairy tales met with credence for many years had all his feet white, possessing four white socks, to be exact. The color of The Tetrarch. gray, witli white blotches, or sjiots. should put an end to any lingering ideas that merit is in any way dependent on color. If it were so. The Tetrarch would in all probability have been relegated to the sawdust arena of the circus, and so, also, might have been Congratulation, which eleven vears ago won the Metropolitan from Rlack Sand, only to have the tables turned on her bv Mr. Ruchauans horse in the Cesarewltch. Congratulation was strangely marked, one of her forelegs from memory the off one looking as if it had been dipped in whitewash right up to the shoulder. The Tetrarch and. in a lesser degree. Barrier and others having made gray the fashionable color far the time being. I make no apology for again referring to the question of change of color from chestnut at birth to gray for the permanent coat, as exemplified by the family of Cybele. Roth she and her laughter. Frosperine. were registered as foals as being chestnuts; afterwards turning gray. The same tiling happened witli Iroseriues hurdle-racing son. Chit Chat, and it would be interesting to have the opinion of an expert on the color question as to the reason. Similarly, why should The Tetrarch, born a chestnut, with black "Rirdcatcher" spots, turn into a gray with white spots? In connection with 1rosperpine, I have received the following interesting letter from lier present owner. Mr. Owen Ryan, of Cleaboy, Castlerea: "Having read ihe article on the breeding ami color of Chit Chat, I wish to send you some further information on the subject. 1 bought Prosperplne from Mr. Rohan in October. 1911, with her chestnut colt-foal, Robsworth. at foot, brother to lint Chat, and in foal to Mr. Rohans chestnut stallion. Ollerton. The produce, a filly, Otterpine, was foaled a chestnut with a blaze, but after a couple or months she turned a gray. I put Irosperine that vear, 1912. to niv own stallion. Uncle George a "bar, bv Hackler out of Lady Car and she produced to him a chestnut colt V .lute Cockade witli four white legs and a blaze. He also turned gray after a couple of months. It is rather remarkable lrospei pine throwing all her foals chestnut, the more particularly so to Ihe bay horse. with the exception of Bobs-worth, Uncle George, and all, which retained his original color, turning gray afterwards." This is all interesting to those that are endeavoring to pierce the mystery surrounding the color question. Not the least stiange part of it is that of the two born-chestnut colts bv the bav Chatsworth out of Trosperplne, the oiie Chit Chat eventually took on his dams color, pray, whereas, Robsworth remained a chestnut. Tlnit White Cockade should have been foaled a chestnut, although by the bay Uncle George out of the gray Prosperplne, seems to show that his sire is an imoure dominant for color, like many other bav or brown stallions, Iersinitnon and St. Frus-quin, for example, both of which sire chestnuts 1 among those of their" own color, thus falling away from the pattern of Galopin and St. Simon neither of which ever begot a chestnut. I believe St. Simon towards the end of his career once sired a gray, but never a chestnut. " igilant in London Sportsman.
