Horse Color Genetics: The Basics
Horse Color Genetics
All horse colors are the result of colored pigment in the horse's hair. There are only two colors which the horse can produce in its hair follicles: black or red (actually its more of a red-yellow) or the lack of any color, which looks white . (What appears to us to be the color brown is actually a mix of red and black pigment.) The various genes which determine horse color each give different instructions to the body on the distribution, production, alteration or absence of these two pigments in the horse's hair.
There are dozens of genes which are involved in creating the color of your horse. It is useful to group these into two different types: The Base Color Genes (red, bay and black) and the Special Color Genes (such as palomino, roan, cremello or paint). No matter what color you are breeding for, you have to know the Base Color of the horses involved before you can predict the outcome of any of the other color genes.
All horse colors are the result of colored pigment in the horse's hair. There are only two colors which the horse can produce in its hair follicles: black or red (actually its more of a red-yellow) or the lack of any color, which looks white . (What appears to us to be the color brown is actually a mix of red and black pigment.) The various genes which determine horse color each give different instructions to the body on the distribution, production, alteration or absence of these two pigments in the horse's hair.
There are dozens of genes which are involved in creating the color of your horse. It is useful to group these into two different types: The Base Color Genes (red, bay and black) and the Special Color Genes (such as palomino, roan, cremello or paint). No matter what color you are breeding for, you have to know the Base Color of the horses involved before you can predict the outcome of any of the other color genes.