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Coat Color of the Offspring:
There is a very nicely programmed CoatColorCalculator by Animal Genetics Inc. The tool is professionally set up and the results are reliable. As the tool is not focussed on Quarter Horses they use slightly different terms but with a consistent and logic use.
For Smoker as a Sire please use “Smoky Grullo” and then select “Red Carrier Ee” and “Heterozygous Dun Dd”. The more you know about your mare from former offspring or pedigree the more exactly the results can be calculated.
If you need help, please contact me.
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A short introduction to coat color genetics adapted for the Quarter Horse breed. Recommended literature is the book of Ann T. Bowling “Horse Genetics” , CAB International 1996.
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Basic Colors: black, bay, sorrel
The basic horse colors are determined by the two genes extension (E) and agouti (A).
The extension gene controls the amount of black pigment in skin and hair (EE or Ee) or only in the skin (ee).
The agouti gene controls the distribution pattern of black pigment and is only active in the presence of E.
The dominant inherited allele A restricts the pigment to the points.
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Phenotype (color of horse):
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Alleles:
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Genotype:
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Black
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EE or Ee with aa
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EEaa or Eeaa
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Bay or Brown
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EE or Ee with AA or Aa
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EEAA, EeAA, EEAa, EeAa
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Sorrel
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ee with AA or Aa or aa
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eeAA, eeAa, eeaa
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Color Diluting Genes: cream and dun
The cream gene (Ccr) dilutes mainly red pigment while black pigment is not or minimal diluted. The dun gene (D) dilutes both red and black pigment but does not dilute either pigment in hair on the points. While two copies of the cream gene do have a double dilute impact on the coat color, two copies of the dun gene can not be recognized by the phenotype of the horse.
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Basic Color:
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Dilution:
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Term of use for Phenotype:
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Black
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CCcr
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Smoky Black
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Black
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CcrCcr
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Smoky Cream
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Bay or Brown
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CCcr
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Buckskin
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Bay or Brown
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CcrCcr
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Perlino
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Sorrel
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CCcr
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Palomino
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Sorrel
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CcrCcr
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Cremello
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Black
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Dd or DD
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Grulla/Grullo
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Bay or Brown
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Dd or DD
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Dun
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Sorrel
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Dd or DD
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Red Dun
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Black
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CCcr with Dd or DD
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Silver (Smoky) Grulla/Grullo
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Black
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CcrCcr with Dd or DD
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Smoky Cream Dun
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Bay or Brown
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CCcr with Dd or DD
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Buttermilk (Smoky) Dun
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Bay or Brown
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CcrCcr with Dd or DD
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Perlino Dun
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Sorrel
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CCcr with Dd or DD
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Dunalino
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Sorrel
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CcrCcr with Dd or DD
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Cremello Dun
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More Color Diluting Genes: Champagne, Silver Dapple and “Flax”
The Champagne is a rarely known dilution gene but fairly well described by the champagnehorse.net and the International Champagne Horse Registry. A gene test for this dilution gene is not available. The Silver Dapple is very rare in the Quarter Horse breed but “Bar U Champ Binder” was shown to have it - now a corresponding test is available. The “Flax” gene is something I investigate about. It seems that the trait is only seen if it is homozygous.
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