 What
is the "Cream gene" and how does it work?
The Cream gene creates the palomino, cremello, buckskin,
perlino, smoky brown, brown cream, smoky black and smoky cream colors.
...depending on the horse's base color, and whether there are
one or two Cream genes present.
The perlino colt pictured here with his sire and dam
clearly illustrates the action of the cream gene.
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Some horses, like chestnuts,
bays,
browns
and blacks have no cream genes. We call
these the base, or basic, colors.
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Some horses, like Palominos,
buckskins,
smoky browns
and smoky blacks have one cream gene.
They may be called "single dilutes."
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Other horses, like cremellos,
perlinos
brown creams
and smoky creams, have two cream
genes. They are "double dilutes."
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To see what these colors look like, with zero, one or two
cream genes, click a button at left (for photos) or see the
color
chart (for illustrations). Also the interactive
color chart. NEW FEATURE! Foal cream
color prediction chart! BROWN VARIETIES will be added soon.
Click on the buttons, below, to see examples of
the various effects that Cream gene can have
(the Cream gene's effects on brown will be added soon):
The mare in the photo at the top of this page is the AQHA buckskin, Me Smart 'n' Classy.
She was bred to another AQHA buckskin, Poco
Merlin. The foal got one cream gene from each
parent, so he is a "double cream dilution." I was originally assumed
that he was a perlino, but in actuality, it is unknown which variety of
black-based color he is, and he may even have a dun gene.
If you breed buckskins and
palominos
to each other, you may get these striking double-cream-dilutes. Sometimes
even a seemingly black or dark brown horse (smoky black)
may be carrying one of these genes, which can be determined only by a DNA test,
or sometimes by looking at
the horse's ancestors or offspring.
Important Cream Gene
Facts:
It is very important to note that the cream gene makes the horse's
color LIGHTER, but does not remove it, even when there are two present.
They cannot make a horse an actual albino (they leave some pigment in the
skin, hair and eyes) and are not linked to any defects or weaknesses.
The only truly unpigmented pink skin on a horse will be under its WHITE
MARKINGS, if any.
THERE ARE NO ALBINO HORSES. Genes that cause albinism in other mammals
are "recessive" genes. Cream genes are "incomplete
dominant" genes, not recessive, meaning they cannot be
"hidden". There are no known albinos, or albino genes, in the
horse world.
Also, cream genes DO NOT ACCUMULATE. You cannot have more than two
cream genes in any horse. This may seem like a nonsensical concept to
today's students of horse colors, but there was a time when these beliefs caused
discrimination against horses with diluted color.
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