New Page 4

In FlashyGaits we try to be as realistic as possible when breeding our horses. This includes color combinations that could actually happen when 2 horses are bred. Below is a very simplified explanation for horse coloring on a genetic level. If you don't want to deal with it or have trouble understanding it, that's FINE. :) This is just for those who want to use it.

If you just want to know what color foal your horses can make, simply email me the following information:

Sire's Color & Pattern:
Dam's Color & Pattern:
Breed:
Any additional information known (such as the color of the sire & dam's parents if known):
Do you want me to give you possibilities, or do you want me to randomly decide your foal's color by using probability & genetics?: (in other words, do you want me to just say "75% chance of chestnut, 25% of black" or do you want me to use a randomizer to actually select your new foal's color?)

This service costs $50 and checks can be made to Alyson in the FlashyGaits bank.

There are several different genes that can decide a horse's color. There are also different versions (dominant or recessive) of each gene called alleles. Dominant alleles are marked with capital letters (E). Recessive ones are noted with lowercase letters (e).

A horse that has a dominant allele and a recessive allele for the same gene is "heterozygous". A horse that has 2 alleles that are the same (either both dominant or both recessive) is "homozygous".

The way these genes make the horse are how these genes "present". Sometimes a dominant allele will present differently than a recessive one, and sometimes not. Here's a basic rundown of the genes affecting your horse's coloring.

All horse colors are based on 2 basic pigmentation types, "red" and "black". The variations of these colors are caused by interactions with other genes.

Red Factor / Extension Gene - This gene determines a horse's basic coloration. All horses have this in one form or another.

Red Factor E (Dominant) - This produces black pigment in a horse's coat. (Examples: Black, bay, grulla)
Red Factor e (recessive) - This produces red pigment in a horse's coat. (Examples: Chesnut, sorrel, red dun)

Horses that are EE will never produce a red-colored foal. They are homozygous for black pigment. This does not mean it will always produce black foals. It means it will always produce black pigmented colored foals such as black, brown, bay, etc.

All red horses (chesnut, sorrel, etc.) are ee. This means they will only produce red-based pigmented foals.

Horses that are Ee will be black, brown, bay, etc. but can produce red offspring depending on the genetics of their mate. If mated to a horse that is ee or Ee, they can produce a red foal. A horse that is Ee bred to an EE horse will produce a black-pigmented foal.

Not all colors are cut and dry. Sometimes the only way to tell a horse's true color identity is with genetic testing.

    Agouti A/A - A horse that is Ee or EE will be brown or bay because Agouti is restricting the black pigmentation to the "points" of the horse. A horse that is ee will see no effect.
    Agouti A/a - A horse that is Ee or EE will be brown or bay because Agouti is restricting the black pigmentation to the "points" of the horse. A horse that is ee will see no effect.
    Agouti a/a - No effect. Horse is either black, or red. But can produce bay offspring if bred to A/A or A/a.

Dun Factor - This gene dilutes the coloration of body hair while leaving the points unaffected. The dun gene is still somewhat of a mystery in many ways. We do know that it is a dominant gene, which means all dun horses have to have at least one dun parent. The dun gene is also inherited independently of other color genes. The dun gene is present in many breeds (examples: Quarter Horse, Peruvian Paso, Icelandic Horse, Norwegian Fjords, Paints), and to help aid in the confusion, different breeds have different names for the result of the dun gene's interaction with other colors. Not all color combinations have a name. For example double dilutes + dun factor usually just say "perlino with dun" or "cremello with dun".

Cream - This gene dilutes the color of body hair (including the points). It presents differently depending on if the horse is heterozygous or homozygous. Cream is recessive. A cream horse can come from 2 non-cream parents if they are both carriers of the cream gene.

    N/N - No cream gene alleles.
    N/Cr - Heterozygous for creme. This horse will be palomino, buckskin, or smoky black.
    Cr/Cr - Homozygous for creme. Also known as "double dilute". This horse will be cremello, perlino, or smoky cream. Double dilute horses will always produce dilute or double dilute offspring.

Champagne - This gene dilutes hair pigment from black to brown and from red to gold. Champagne horses have pinkish lavender skin that becomes mottled as they age (visible in the same places mottled skin on Appaloosas is found-- around the eyes, muzzle, udder/sheath, under the tail). Champagne foals are born with blue-green eyes that turn amber colored as they age. Champagne is dominant. All champagne horses have at least one champagne parent.

    N/N - No champagne alleles.
    N/Ch - Champagne is present (1 copy) and horse presents as diluted (black to brown and red to gold)
    Ch/Ch - Champagne is present (2 copies) and horse presents as diluted. Horse will always produce offspring that present as diluted.

While there are many white horses, none of them are albino. There is no true genetic albinism in horses. For more information about white vs. albino, click here.

Chestnut/Sorrel + N/Cr = Palomino
Chestnut/Sorrel + Cr/Cr = Cremello
Black + N/Cr = Smoky Black
Black + Cr/Cr = Smoky Cream
Black + Agouti + N/Cr = Buckskin
Black + Agouti + Cr/Cr = Perlino

Chestnut/Sorrel + Dun = Red Dun
Black + Dun = Grulla
Black + Agouti + Dun = Bay Dun
Chestnut/Sorrel + N/Cr + Dun = Dunalino (Palomino Dun)
Chestnut/Sorrel + Cr/Cr + Dun = Cremello with Dun
Black + N/Cr + Dun = Smoky Grulla
Black + Cr/Cr + Dun = Smoky Cream with Dun
Black + Agouti + N/Cr + Dun = Dunskin (Buckskin with Dun)
Black + Agouti + Cr/Cr + Dun = Perlino with Dun

Chesnut/Sorrel + Ch = Gold Champagne
Chestnut/Sorrel + Cream + Ch = Gold Ivory Champagne
Black + Ch = Classic Champagne
Black + Agouti + Ch = Amber Champagne
Black + Cream + Ch = Classic Ivory Champagne
Black + Agouti + Cream + Ch = Amber Ivory Champagne
Champagne horses can also have the Dun factor in which case they are _____ with dun ie "Gold Champagne with Dun" would be a red dun with champagne.

	no modifying genes	+ Agouti modifier	+ Cream N/Cr	+ Cream Cr/Cr	+Champagne
Red Factor ee	Chestnut Sorrel	Chestnut Sorrel	Palomino	Cremello	Gold Champagne
Red Factor EE or Ee	Black	Black Bay Brown	Buckskin Smoky Black	Perlino Smoky Cream	Classic Champagne (on black) Amber Champagne (on bay or brown)

	no modifiers	+ Agouti modifier	+ Dun Factor	+ Dun Factor + Cream N/Cr	+ Dun Factor + Champagne	+ Dun Factor + Champagne + Cream
Red Factor ee	Chestnut Sorrel	Chestnut Sorrel	Red Dun	Dunalino	Gold Champagne with Dun	Golden Ivory Champagne with Dun (on Cremello)
Red Factor EE	Black	Black (when agouti is aa) Bay Brown	Bay Dun Grulla	Dunskin Smoky Grulla	Classic Champagne (on black) Amber Champagne (on brown/bay)	Amber Ivory Champagne with Dun (on Dunskin) Classic Ivory Champagne with Dun (on Smoky Grulla)
Red Factor Ee	Black	Black (when agouti is aa) Bay Brown	Bay Dun Grulla	Dunskin Smoky Grulla	Classic Champagne (on black) Amber Champagne (on brown/bay)	Amber Ivory Champagne with Dun (on Dunskin) Classic Ivory Champagne with Dun (on Smoky Grulla)

Grey - Despite the fact that grey is a recognized color in the horse world, genetically grey is not a color at all. Grey is caused by a gene that causes depigmentation of the hair, resulting eventually in an all-white horse. Grey horses always have at least one grey parent.

    N/N - No grey alleles present. Horse is not grey.
    N/G - 1 copy of the grey gene. Horse will go grey and roughly half of its foals will be too.
    G/G - 2 copies of the grey gene. Horse will go grey and its offspring will be grey too. There is also strong evidence that G/G horses will go grey faster than N/G horses.

Pearl - Pearl is another dilution gene that appears in stock breeds as well as baroque Spanish breeds (the theory being that it appears in stock breeds because of their Spanish roots). It's a recessive gene and unless a horse gets 2 copies of the gene its appearance will not change.

    N/N - No pearl alleles present.
    N/Prl - One copy of the pearl gene present. Unless cream gene is also present, no difference in color. If cream gene is present, pearl will present as causing the horse to appear as a double dilute Cr/Cr instead of N/Cr.
    Prl/Prl - On a red-based horse the coat will be uniformly apricot in color. If cream gene is also present, horse may present w/ Cr/Cr-like attributes (blue eyes, pale skin).

Silver - Silver is yet another dilution gene that affects black pigment. Mane and tail are lightened resulting in colors ranging from flaxen to silver grey. A black horse will lighten to chocolate colored. A bay horse's black points will lighten to brown. The mutation presents the same way whether they have 1 copy of the gene or 2. The Silver dilution is common in breeds such as: Shetland Ponies, Rocky Mountain Horses, and Morgans.

Tobiano - Tobiano is a white pattern. The gene is dominant, so all tobianos have at least one tobiano parent.

    N/N - No tobiano alleles; solid horse.
    N/TO - Tobiano horse. About half the offspring will also be tobiano.
    TO/TO - Tobiano homozygous. Horse is tobiano and its offspring will all be tobiano too.

Sabino - Sabino is another white pattern caused by a dominant gene. However, it presents differently depending on if it is heterozygous or homozygous.

    N/N - No sabino alleles.
    N/Sb1 - Sabino horse.
    Sb1/Sb1 - Maximum white sabino. Resulting horse is 90% or more white-colored and all foals will be sabino.

Overo - Another white pattern controlled by a dominant gene. Homozygous overo foals are known as Lethal White Overos. Unfortunately they are born with deadly complications and die shortly after birth. The best way to avoid breeding a Lethal White foal is to avoid breeding Overo X Overo. When breeding Overo x Overo, there is a 25% chance of producing a lethal white foal. Despite carrying a gene that is deadly in homozygous state, heterozygous overo pintos do not have health risks.

Appaloosa - The gene that decides appaloosa characteristics (Ap) is dominant-- all appaloosa characteristic horses will have at least one appaloosa parent. However, 2 Appaloosa parents who are Ap/ap could produce an ap/ap foal, which has no dominant Appaloosa gene and therefore genetically is not an appaloosa. This is the basic gene for Appaloosa characteristics-- mottled skin, white sclera, striped hooves. The spotting of the coat is still being studied. It is likely the result of a combination of genes rather than one single gene.