Basic coat colors, modifying the basic coat color and pattern
In the horse, there are three types of genes that will give the final color of the coat:
- the basic coat color is determined by the interactions of the genes of locus A and locus E
- the color of the coat can then be thinned or darkened by other genes like colortests cream, silver, champagne, pearl and grey
- the horse markings and patterns of the coat color is determined by differents genes like the overo, tobiano, sabino, dominant white, splashed white, dun, leopard complex.
Basic coat colors, extension and agouti
The three basic colors in horses are black, bay and chestnut. These 3 basic colors are due to the interaction between two genes agouti and extension.
- black. The black color is relatively rare. Most black horses become slightly brownish if they are exposed to the sun. There are two types of black : fading black and non-fading black. We do not know at the moment if the difference between these two colors black is due to genetics.
- Bay. The bay coat color is more common. The intensity of the brown varies from light brown to a very dark brown.
- Chestnut. Chesnut horse have a reddish body without black. Tail and manes are the same color as the body.
| Extension | E/E or E/e
Black  | e/e
Chestnut  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agouti | A/A or A/a
Bay  | a/a
Black | A/A or A/a or a/a
Chestnut |
The genes that modify the basic coat color
Genimal Biotechnologies tests 6 others genes that can modify the horse coat color:
- Cream. the cream is at the origin of many colored coats. The dilution of the color provided by the cream varies depending on whether the horse has a single cream allele or two cream alleles. If the horse has only one cream allele he can be buckskin, smoky black or palomino. If the horse has two cream alleles he can be perlino, smoky cream or cremello.
- Silver. The Silver brings a silver dilution to both the body color and the horse’s manes. The Silver is especially at the origin of the chocolate coat color.
- Champagne. The champagne creates a metallic gold coat color with mottled. The champagne is at the origin of the amber and gold coat color.
- Pearl. Pearl color is rare and looks like a uniform apricot-like color. It is also called “barlink factor”.
- Grey. The color grey is very common and develops with the age of the horse. The speed and intensity of graying depends on each horse. Some horse becomes almost entirely white.
| Extension | E/E or E/e
Black | e/e
Chestnut | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agouti | A/A or A/a
Bay | a/a
Black | A/A or A/a or a/a
Chestnut | ||||||
| Cream | C/C
Bay | C/cr
Buckskin  | cr/cr
Perlino  | C/C
Black | C/cr
Smoky black  | cr/cr
Smoky cream  | C/C
Chestnut | C/cr
Palomino  | cr/cr
Cremello  |
| Silver | Z/Z or Z/z
Silver bay  | z/z
Bay | Z/Z or Z/z
Chocolate  | z/z
Black | Z/Z or Z/z or z/z
Chestnut | ||||
| Champagne | CH/CH or CH/ch
Amber  | ch/ch
Bay | CH/CH or CH/ch
Brown  | ch/ch
Black | CH/CH or CH/ch
Gold  | ch/ch
Chestnut | |||
| Pearl | Prl/Prl Dilute | Prl/prl
Bay | prl/prl
Bay | Prl/Prl Dilute | Prl/prl
Black | prl/prl
Black | Prl/Prl
Apricot  | Prl/prl
Chestnut | prl/prl
Chestnut |
| Grey | G/G or G/g
More and more gray white with age  | g/g
Bay | G/G or G/g
More and more gray white with age | g/g
Black | G/G or G/g
More and more gray white with age | g/g
Chestnut | |||
Patterns and markings of the coat
Markings and the Dun gene
The Dun is a dilution of the coat and is associated with primitive markings. The dun is characterized by dark stripe down the middle of the animal’s back, a darker tail and mane, as well as a darker face and legs.Patterns
In the horse there is 3 types of patterns:- The pinto which includes:
- Tobiano
- The Overo which includes:
- Overo
- Dominant white
- Leopard complex
- Roan
Difference between Overo, Tobiano and sabino1
| Extension | E/E or E/e
Black | e/e
Chestnut | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agouti | A/A or A/a
Bay | a/a
Black | A/A or A/a or a/a
Chestnut | ||||||
| Pie Sabino | SB1/SB1
Almost white  | SB1/sb
A lot of white  | sb/sb
Bay | SB1/SB1
Almost white | SB1/sb
A lot of white | sb/sb
Black | SB1/SB1
Almost white | SB1/sb
A lot of white | sb/sb
Chestnut |
| Pie Overo | OV/OV Lethal | OV/o
A lot of white  | o/o
Bay | OV/OV Lethal | OV/o
A lot of white | o/o
Black | OV/OV Lethal | OV/o
A lot of white | o/o
Chestnut |
| Pie Tobiano | TO/TO
A lot of white  | TO/to
A lot of white | to/to
Bay | TO/TO
A lot of white | TO/to
A lot of white | to/to
Black | TO/TO
A lot of white | TO/to
A lot of white | to/to
Chestnut |
Correspondence between the colors in American and in French
| Coat color in American | Coat color in french |
|---|---|
| Amber | Ambre |
| Bay | Bai |
| Black | Noir |
| Brown | Bai brun foncé |
| Buckskin | Isabelle |
| Chestnut | Alezan |
| Chocolate | Chocolat |
| Cremello | Crème |
| Dapple grey | Gris pommelé |
| Dark bay | Bai brun |
| Dark chestnut | Alezan brûlé |
| Dun | Isabelle (isabelle sauvage) |
| Fawn | Fauve |
| Gold | Doré |
| Gold bay | Bai doré |
| Golden chestnut | Alezan doré |
| Grey | Gris |
| Grullo | Gris souris |
| Light bay | Bai clair |
| Light chestnut | Alezan clair |
| Liver chestnut | Alezan brûlé |
| Overo | Pie overo |
| Palomino | Palomino |
| Perlino | Perlino |
| Pie | Panaché |
| Red silver | Bai silver |
| Red taffy | Bai silver |
| Roan | Rouan |
| Sabino | Pie sabino |
| Sandy bay | Bai clair |
| Silver Bay | Bai crins lavés |
| Slate grey | Gris tourterelle |
| Smoky black | Brun réglisse |
| Smoky cream | |
| Sorrel | Alezan |
| Tobiano | Pie tobiano |
| White | Blanc |