Horse Basics

Horse Color Dilutes – Cream Gene

· The Equinest

Single Dilute Cream Shades

A single cream gene can have a rather dramatic affect on chestnut, bay and brown coats, creating some of the most sought after and beloved colors. Note that only in chestnut horses is the mane and tail hair affected by a single dose.

Double Dilute Cream Shades

A double dose of the cream gene affects colors much more dramatically and can even make black animals almost pure white. Double cream dilutions are the horse color most often mistaken for albinos (which doesn’t really exist in horses). Obviously it is difficult to visually differentiate between the four bases once the dilution has removed so much pigment.

White Patterns

The various white patterns can be displayed on cream breeds that carry them, on both single and double dilutions. This creates some incredibly beautiful creamy spotting.

More Colors

Colors

12 comments

Comments are closed. This is an archive of the conversation.

  1. Nikki

    Hey,

    Just a helpful bit of information…
    The cream gene does effect black horses even in a single dose.
    creme on black creates a smoky black
    http://www.bluebonnetstables.com/images/Sold/Amber%206%20Mths%20021.jpg
    a double dose of the cream gene on black is a smoky cream
    http://www.seaspiritoftheforest.co.uk/Graphics/smokycream.jpg
    Both are very different from greys.
    🙂

  2. Nikki

    Hey,

    Just a helpful bit of information…
    The cream gene does effect black horses even in a single dose.
    creme on black creates a smoky black like the black horse pictured.
    A double dose of the cream gene on black is a smoky cream which looks like a slightly darker cremello
    Both are very different from greys.
    🙂

  3. LuvsMyGirls

    so this might be a silly question but i was wondering what causes a horse to be a “sooty” palomino and not just a regular palomino with darker points. i just bought a mare that has genetically tested to be a “sooty” palomino and as i plan to breed her eventually i would like to understand. any help is appreciated.

    THANKS!

  4. Paige

    Hi luvsMyGirls,

    A sooty palomino is affected by the sooty modification gene, you can find some basic information about it on the sooty/smutty modifier page.

  5. rachel

    what is everybody talking about?

  6. danielle

    what would you get breeding palomino to palomino

  7. Nikki

    50% Palomino
    25% Chestnut
    25% Cremello

  8. Taylor

    There is also a color called a black palomino.

  9. Michael

    Hi
    Can anyone tell me if I can breed my dark bay stallion with any colour mare and not get a cremello or perlino foal or do I have to have him gene tested

  10. Heather

    The pony under palomino that you claim is a “dark palomino” most certainly is not. There is NO cream gene there — that’s clearly a silver dapple, which is a totally different gene. That pony is not a genetic chestnut at all, it’s genetically black. Silver dilutes black. At best, the pony has Agouti as well and is a bay silver, but I doubt it.

  11. Clodagh

    I have a golden palomino stallion that I would like to breed from. I do not know his parents. How do I go about finding out whether he has the cream gene and what would be the best colour mare to breed him with to try and get the golden palomino colour.

  12. Snoo

    Hi,
    I was just wondering if I bred a Non-Fading Black Stallion with a Smoky Cream would I get anything other than a Smoky Black? And if I bred a pale chestnut with the same stallion what would I get?