happyappygirl
Rocky Mountain High!!
All horses start out either black or red. Then modifiers come into change the color further.
Bay is a black horse modified by the Agouti gene, which keeps the points black, but lightens the body to a reddish color (bay).
Buckskin is a black modified by agouti (bay) and diluted with cream.
Palomino is red diluted with cream. Two copies of the cream gene results in cremello. That's why if you breed a palomino horse to a cremello, you'll most likely get a cremello. Double dilute. The cremello's also are high palomino/buckskin producers depending on the genetics of the parents. Breed a bay horse to a cremello, you'll get either a pal or buckskin depending on the genetics.
The blue or red roan is a Black or Red horse modified by the roan pattern gene. True Roans will have dark points with no white hairs (points are the head, legs, tail and mane) if the roaning hairs are on the points, it is the sabino ticking gene found in paints. One parent must be a true roan for a horse to be Roan.
"Silver Dapple" (chocolate) is a Black horse modified by the silver gene. Two copies of the gene turn the m/t white. This is what my chocolate/white rockies are - and some drafts, morgans, walkers and welshies also have this possible combination - silver is not in all breeds.
Red chocolate (silver bay) is a black horse, modified by agouti (bay), diluted with silver. Like Dani & Maverick -maverick got 2 copies of the silver dapple gene which made his m/t white - in a red chocolate horse it often fades into flaxen as the horse ages - which mav's most likely will darken some.
The chocolate buckskin (silver buckskin) is a Black horse, modified by agouti (Bay), diluted with Silver, and further diluted with Cream. This is ChocoBee.
Gray isn't actually a color. Foals that turn gray are born any other color such as black, chestnut, bay and then turn gray as they mature. The base color of a gray is the color he was born with. Gray is inherited approximately 50% of the time.
I got much of this info from a friend who is on the color genetics committee for the Mountain Horse club.
Bay is a black horse modified by the Agouti gene, which keeps the points black, but lightens the body to a reddish color (bay).
Buckskin is a black modified by agouti (bay) and diluted with cream.
Palomino is red diluted with cream. Two copies of the cream gene results in cremello. That's why if you breed a palomino horse to a cremello, you'll most likely get a cremello. Double dilute. The cremello's also are high palomino/buckskin producers depending on the genetics of the parents. Breed a bay horse to a cremello, you'll get either a pal or buckskin depending on the genetics.
The blue or red roan is a Black or Red horse modified by the roan pattern gene. True Roans will have dark points with no white hairs (points are the head, legs, tail and mane) if the roaning hairs are on the points, it is the sabino ticking gene found in paints. One parent must be a true roan for a horse to be Roan.
"Silver Dapple" (chocolate) is a Black horse modified by the silver gene. Two copies of the gene turn the m/t white. This is what my chocolate/white rockies are - and some drafts, morgans, walkers and welshies also have this possible combination - silver is not in all breeds.
Red chocolate (silver bay) is a black horse, modified by agouti (bay), diluted with silver. Like Dani & Maverick -maverick got 2 copies of the silver dapple gene which made his m/t white - in a red chocolate horse it often fades into flaxen as the horse ages - which mav's most likely will darken some.
The chocolate buckskin (silver buckskin) is a Black horse, modified by agouti (Bay), diluted with Silver, and further diluted with Cream. This is ChocoBee.
Gray isn't actually a color. Foals that turn gray are born any other color such as black, chestnut, bay and then turn gray as they mature. The base color of a gray is the color he was born with. Gray is inherited approximately 50% of the time.
I got much of this info from a friend who is on the color genetics committee for the Mountain Horse club.
