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# Sooty
- URL: https://equinecolors.com/sooty/
- Published: 2025-12-17T13:23:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-10T10:51:32.000Z
- Description: Sooty or smutty is a coat color modifier that darkens the coat of chestnut and bay-based horses. Foals are born with a "normal" coat color, and graudally darken as they age.
- Author: Hannelore Roodhooft
- Tags: Colors, Modifiers, #Import 2026-08-12 09:42

## Colors

[Sooty chestnutSooty chestnut, also called liver, chocolate or “black” chestnut, is caused by a chestnut base coat darkened by sooty.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-149.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/sootychestnut-1.png)](https://equinecolors.com/sooty-chestnut/)

[Sooty baySooty bay is caused by a bay base coat darkened by sooty.![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/icon/favicon-152.ico)Equine ColorsHannelore Roodhooft![](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/thumbnail/sootybay.png.png)](https://equinecolors.com/sooty-bay/)

## Gene

The genetics behind sooty haven't been discovered yet.

> *In our game,* [***Horse Reality***](https://www.horsereality.com/?ref=equinecolors.com)*, sooty is caused by the sty-allele of the hidden sooty gene. This allele acts recessive on chestnut bases, and dominant on bay bases. For any color we *don't know the genetics* of yet, we have to come up with something to make it work in-game. Which means working with just *observations and theories*. Since sooty isn't testable yet in real life, it also isn't testable in game.*

## Presence in horses

Sooty is common and present in most horse breeds.

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