Horse Coat Color Panel

The extension gene, or red factor, determines whether a horse will have a chestnut base coat color or a black or bay base coat color.

The agouti gene controls the distribution of black pigment, and determines whether a horse will have a bay or black base coat color.

Champagne is a coat color dilution responsible for diluting both red and black pigment as well as causing pinkish/lavender skin and amber-colored eyes.

Cream is a dilution that causes the palomino, buckskin, smoky black, cremello, perlino, and smoky cream coat colors.

Dun is a coat color dilution characterized by lightening of the coat, with the head, lower legs, mane, and tail undiluted. Oftentimes, dun is also characterized by "primitive markings" such as a dark dorsal stripe, barring of the legs, shoulder stripes, and "cobwebbing" on the forehead.

The gray gene causes progressive depigmentation of the hair, often resulting in a color that is almost completely white by 6-8 years of age.

Pearl is a coat color dilution that is characterized by a dilution of the coat, mane, and tail as well as a lightening of the skin.

The silver dilution dilutes black/brown pigment to lighten the manes and tails of black and bay horses to a flaxen or silver gray. The silver dilution is also associated with an inherited ocular syndrome known as Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA).