| Understanding color coat genetics are great if you | | | | have a diluted black color and may appear slightly |
| are breeding your horses and you want to figure | | | | brown in the summer months. |
| out what crosses will produce what colors. Each | | | | Palomino |
| color has its own gene combination for what they | | | | A palomino is a horse that shows the effects of |
| will present and produce. | | | | the cream dilution gene. The palomino will carry |
| Brown | | | | two red genes and one cream dilution gene. They |
| A brown horse must have one parent that is | | | | do not have any black, even if there is a black |
| black, brown or a color with black points, such as | | | | horse in the pedigree. The palomino may have a |
| a bay. A brown horse can be homozygous for | | | | roan gene. The cream dilution gene causes the |
| the black gene, which means that they can | | | | red to be the palomino color. The cream dilution |
| potentially produce a black horse. In fact, a horse | | | | gene is passed from a cream dilution-carrying |
| with black points can potentially produce a black | | | | parent, which can be another palomino, a |
| horse as well. To be homozygous brown, the | | | | buckskin, a brown or a black. |
| horse must carry a black gene and have black | | | | Buckskin |
| points. A parent that is homozygous black will | | | | The buckskin acquires the agouti gene to cause |
| always produce a horse that is either solid black | | | | the black points. The base color is red with the |
| or a horse with black points. | | | | cream dilution gene causing the buckskin color. |
| It is also possible for a brown to have a roan | | | | The buckskin actually has the same color genetics |
| gene. Some browns may carry a cream dilution | | | | of the bay, but the cream dilution gene has been |
| gene that will cause a buckskin or palomino to be | | | | activated. If you breed two buckskins, you may |
| produced. A palomino is usually produced from a | | | | get a palomino because of the double dilution of |
| double dilution gene. Browns with the cream | | | | the cream dilution gene. The buckskin may also |
| dilution gene may have a dapple effect to their | | | | have the roan gene. Two buckskins will produce |
| coats. | | | | buckskin. A bay and palomino cross will produce |
| Black | | | | buckskin and a cremello and bay cross will |
| A black horse must have a black, brown or black | | | | produce buckskin. |
| pointed parent. Black horses will either have a | | | | So you got it right? If you would like to |
| black gene and one recessive red gene | | | | understand more about color genetics please stop |
| (heterozygous), or they will have to black genes | | | | by our equine network from the links in our |
| (homozygous). A heterozygous black will produce | | | | resource box below. We would love for you to |
| a foal with no black points if bred to another | | | | join our equine community also. Just click on the |
| heterozygous black or bred to a horse with no | | | | Horse Forum link and we will leave the barn door |
| black points. A homozygous black will produce a | | | | open and the light on at night. |
| solid black or a foal with black points every time. | | | | You can also list your horses on our vast 15 site |
| Some blacks may inherit a cream dilution from a | | | | network for Free! |
| palomino or buckskin parent. These horses often | | | | |