Horse colors

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Revision as of 20:07, 31 December 2006 by imported>Nancy Sculerati MD (→‎Solid colors)
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Horses have many coat colors. The genetics of horse colors is a fascinating subject in and of itself, but also is of practical use to the horse breeder.

Solid colors

Chestnut and sorrel

Black or bay: the agouti gene

Grey horses

Dilution genes

Buckskin

Dilution of a bay horse results in buckskin coloration. This horse will have at least one copy of the dominant agouti gene, AG, so that black pigment on the coat is relegated to the mane, tail and points.

Smoky black

Dilution of a black horse results in smoky black coloration. Such a horse, like all black horses, will be doubly recessive for the agouti allele (ag, ag) and black pigment will be evenly spread along each hair.

Palomino

A chestnut horse (also caled sorrel) with a single dilute gene yield a palomino horse.

Cremello

This horse has a cream-colored coat that can range from a rather deep cream to near white. It is a doubly dilute form of a chestnut horse, and will have pink skin and blue eyes.

Perlino

Another double dilute, the perlino XXX

Paint or pinto patterns

Overo

Tobiano