Horse Colors Flashcards
What are the main horse color genes?
Black and red
What are the reasons for colors other than black or red in horses?
modifying, diluting, or adding white markings
determined by the expression of the same gene
EE and Ee
ability to form black pigment
ee
black skin but hair is red
What happens if the white gene is expressed as heterozygous (one dominant and one recessive (Ww)?
the skin will be pink and the hair will be white
What happens if there are two dominant white genes (WW) ?
Lethal white, the animal will die
Gg and GG gray gene
causes silvering with age but the horse is born any nongray color and always contain pigment in skin and eyes.
All other color patterns not listed above are based on what?
How the modifier or diluter genes affect the base black or red.
Modifying genes
determine the expression or how the color will fall
EX. Uniform black Vs. black only on the legs, ears, mane, and tail with a red body (bay coloring)
Dilution genes
lighten the base colors depending on their expression
W (W,w)
determines pigmentation
W
horse not able to form pigment (white)
W_
pink skin, white hair, blue/brown eyes (albino)
ww
all non-white horses
G_
causes horses to become grey
What do you do if a horse is not gray or white?
determine if it has black pigment or hairs.
E,e
contains black hair, or instructions for placing black pigment in hair
E
black pigment in hair (black or bay)
e
no pigment (black) in hair (red)
A (A,a)
determines distribution pattern of black hair and if horse id black or bay
A_E_
Bay
aaE_
Not Bay (black)
_ _ ee
Red
Dilution C
Cream, causes pigment dilution
Types of cream colors
Palomino
Buckskin
Cremello
Perlino
Dilution D
Dun, dilutes the body color only, not the points
RN
Roan
F
Flaxen mane and tail (white)
Apl
Appaloosa
To
Controls Tobiano
Black body
true black has no brown at flanks or muzzle EVER
Mane and tail black too
Relatively rare
mostly registered as dark bay or brown
Chestnut/Sorrel
Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse
Essentially the red base color
Body- dark or brownish red
Mane and Tail- usually dark or brownish red, may be flaxen.
Brown/Seal Brown
Modification of black
Body brown or black with light hairs on flank, muzzle, eyes, tips of ears. Hint of red hair, can be lighter or darker seal brown.
Mane and Tail are black
What usually happens to horses without DNA testing?
they can be misregistered
Bay
Modification of black
body ranges from tan to reddish brown. dark (black) points, can be dark bay, blood bay, or light bay. Mane and tail are black.
Grey
Mixture of white with any colored hairs. Dappled, Flea bitten. born solid dark color, and get lighter with age,
Roans
Uniform mixture of white hairs with other solid color.
Blue Roan
Roan coloring with the dilution of base black.
Red Roan
Roan coloring with the dilution of base red.
Bay Roan
Roan coloring with dilution of bay color.
White
born white, always white, pink skin under the white, evidenced around the eye, eye color can be brown, hazel, or blue, Very rare. Prone to sunburn and cancer.
Grulla
Dilution of black or seal brown. Body is smoky or mouse colored (each hair is this color not a mixture of the colors). Black points and usually have a dorsal stripe. Mane and Tail are black.
Dun
Dilution of the dark bay or seal brown. Body is sooty yellow to yellow-red, dorsal stripe, zebra stripes on legs, and transverse stripes over the withers. Mane and tail may be black, brown red, yellow, white, or mixed.
Perlino
double dilution of bay
body is off-white or pearl color, sometimes rust color on lower legs. Mane and tail have rust color on the tips.
Cremello
double dilution of chestnut. Body is off-white or cream while mane and tail are lighter.
what are the genes that modify the two colors of horses?
modifier genes
