The Basics
The basics of equine color genetics are simple to understand. All horses fall into two “base” color groups: Black and Red. The “Black” family included Blacks, Browns, Bays and the “Red” family are the sorrels/chestnuts. These “base” color groups are the foundations for the full range of wonderful colors horses come in.
When you introduce the creme dilution gene the “Black” family changes to Buckskins and Smokey Blacks and the “Red” family turns to Palominos. If you breed two single-dilute colored horses together there is an approximate 25% chance that that resultant offspring will inherit the crème gene from both parents and will be a double-dilute. These colors are Cremellos from the “Red” family and Perlinos, and on the rare occasions, Smokey Cremes from the “Black“ family. You can get more information on these colors at the web site: www.doubledilute.com.
Double-dilutes are horses whose coat color ranges from a pale ivory to a pale pumpkin in color, they have pumpkin/salmon colored skin and blue eyes. There is a definite difference in skin tone/color underlying the coat and any white markings the horse may have. White markings have “pink” skin and double-dilute horses have ‘pumpkin’ colored skin under the diluted coat color.
Cremellos will have white manes and tails and the Perlinos will have a golden-hued mane and tail, they can have easily seen white markings, dappling and shadowing - all of the ‘normal‘ markings other horses have.
These colors occur in every breed of horse in which single-dilute colors, such as buckskins, palominos and smokey blacks, occur naturally. This isn’t magic or a secret - just common knowledge. One crème gene plus a second crème gene can equal, at least part of the time, a foal with two crème genes - or a double-dilute. In many breed registries the double-dilute colors are considered a gold mine in the breeding shed as they are homozygous for the dilution gene will ONLY produce single dilute colors (Buckskin, Palomino or Smokey Black) when bred to non-dilute colors.
The Myths
Over the years there have been many myths surrounding these double-dilute colors. Some of them are:
Myth: They are Albinos.
Truth: There are no Albinos in the equine species. On-going scientific study and research has failed to find the genetic mechanism for Albinism in the equine species. These findings are conclusive to the point that the AQHA recognized this fact and removed reference to Albinos from their rulebook during the 2001 AQHA convention.
Myth: They are Lethal Whites.
Truth: Lethal Whites are a “Paint” horse phenomena. The OLWS (Overo Lethal White Syndrome) is associated with the Overo paint horse coat pattern and is not tied to a specific color. It has no connection to the Double-dilute colors.
Myth: Double-dilutes have poor eyesight due to the blue eyes.
Truth: Blue-eyes in horses have no more problems than any other blue-eyed creature, even humans. Existing research and thought in the veterinary circles is that they are similar to blue eyes in humans, in that they may be more sensitive to sunlight, but have no health problems associated with them.
Myth: They are weaker animals than non-dilute colored horses and have health problems.
Truth: These animals are as healthy and sound as any non-dilute colored animal. Just ask the owners of these animals that use them on a daily basis in cattle operations, rodeos, drill teams, show ring competitions or for personal use.
Myth: The “Pink” skin leads to sunburn and cancer.
Truth: The skin of double-dilutes is not a true “pink” such as is found under white markings. It’s a more pumpkin color and in herds containing paint horses, bald faced horses and double-dilutes, the Paints and Bald-faced horses sunburn and blister while the double-dilute horses rarely sunburn. As far as the cancer issues, cancer is more closely associated with gray horses than double-dilute colors.
So, what does this all mean?
When breeding two single-dilute colored horses you have a 25% chance of having a double-dilute foal. It doesn’t happen all the time and many breeders have bred single-dilutes to single-dilutes for years and never produced a double-dilute foal. Pretty basic so far, right? And everyone agrees that a Palomino, Buckskin or Black is a pretty horse. So, what’s the problem?
If you raise or own any breed other than an American Quarter Horse, you don’t have a problem. Effective in 2001, all other breed associations and registries recognize all offspring, of any color, from two registered parents as breed association recognized and registered horses. No strings. No exclusions. No games.
If you raise or own American Quarter Horses - you have a problem.
AQHA does not recognize the offspring of two AQHA registered animals if it meets the criteria identified in their rule 227j.
Rule 227j states: “”No horse is eligible for registration which possesses all three characteristics which designate a horse commonly known as an albino: Light (or pink) skin over the body; white or cream-colored hair over the body; and eyes of a bluish cast.” (Authors note: During the 2001 convention, AQHA removed the word Albino from this rule in agreement with the fact that Albinos do not exist in the equine species.)
Now, AQHA DOES register “ivory” colored horses with eyes of a amber/greenish/bluish cast and “pink mottled” skin. AQHA has accepted Champagne colored horses for registration since 2000. Champagnes are welcomed into AQHA with open arms and the physical characteristics of Champagnes are the similar to double-dilutes with the exception of the skin being mottled with gray flecks and the addition of an “amber“ tinge to the eyes.
And you can register any horse with blue eyes. It’s only when a horse has all the criteria, as specified in Rule 227j, that AQHA uses color alone in refusing to accept them for registration.
This is the ONLY exclusion on registering AQHA bloodline horses that is based solely on coat color. There are other “exclusionary” criteria called out in the rulebook but they are based on excessive white markings, not coat color. But even those criteria were changed at the 2001 convention with the modification of the “white rule”.
You can register horses with genetic and physical defects; the AQHA rulebook even gives you a list of recognized genetic and physical defects - they are all acceptable in the association, the show ring and the breeding shed.
AQHA now requires DNA parentage verification on foals being presented for registration ensuring that the foal being registered is truly the offspring of the two registered Quarter Horses presented as parents of the foal. But they continue to deny registration to foals that “look” different than the majority of AQHA registered horses.
Where does this leave us?
Well . . .That’s where we’ll begin next month!
THE COLOR OF A STORM (Part Two) By P.K. House and Natalie Nelson
Last month we explained basic equine color genetics; the base colors (Black and Red), single-dilute colors (Palomino, Buckskin and Smoky Black) and double-dilute colors (Cremello, Perlino and Smoky Cream).
We also introduced the concept of “When is an American Quarter Horse NOT an American Quarter Horse?”.
An American Quarter Horse is NOT an American Quarter Horse when it inherits two dilution genes from it’s parents.
Based solely on color and color alone - AQHA denies registration to these animals, ignoring the pedigrees and bloodlines behind them. They don’t meet the “Excessive White” criteria and on the animals which have white markings, those white markings are clearly visible and easily defined.
The Double-dilute colors are a naturally occurring color in the equine world and all breeds which have palominos and buckskins as naturally occurring colors have double-dilute colors; Tennessee Walkers, Missouri Foxtrotters, Morgans, Connemaras, Welsh Pony’s, Miniature Horses and Thoroughbreds just to name a few breeds.
So why are these colors not accepted by AQHA? Well, no one seems to know for sure.
AQHA’s position is that they are genetically inferior and they exclude them to ‘maintain the integrity of the breed’.
A color is genetically defective? But HYPP, Cryptorchism and Parrot Mouth aren’t?
And the “Integrity” of the breed is based on color? What happened to the basic building blocks of any Breed? Bloodlines, body type, disposition, the basic components of a given Breed of animal.
So given this information, what is being done?
Beginning in 1996 a group of individual AQHA members began a petition and letter writing campaign asking that the entire Rule 227 be repealed and the colors of Cremello and Perlino be added to the list of AQHA recognized colors. While the letters were acknowledged by AQHA, no action was taken. This effort continued until 1999 when the group was informed by the AQHA Registrar that they needed to appear before the Studbook and Registration Committee and make their request in person.
Four women, Natalie Nelson of Arizona, Robin Mitchell of Texas, Milynda Milam of Texas and Wendy Bockman of Pennsylvania, met in Reno at the 2000 AQHA Convention. Each team member provided a portion of the presentation. Natalie gave the opening speech, Wendy prepared the genetics handout, Robin prepared a detailed handout of her perlino stallion’s, Invest In Rodeo offspring, Milynda brought APHA halter win pictures of her perlino stallion, RFF Starbuck - the 1st APHA breeding stock stallion to earn a superior in halter, and he’s 100% AQHA!
Though there was no mention in any of the AQHA publications or on the AQHA web site; Rule 227 (J) had the floor and the attention of the committee for a considerable amount of time during the Stud Book and Registration Committee meeting. In fact the committee members were mesmerized by the handouts placed at their seats.
By the time the opening speech was finished, the committee members were listening. They listened intently to the end of the presentation and the group was approached by several committee members stating that the presentation was very well thought out and presented. The group was optimistic that they had gotten through to the committee members.
News of the committee’s decision came in a form letter stating that the requests regarding rule 227 (J) had been unanimously denied. All who received the letters from AQHA compared them and they were all the same, just addressed to different people!
Through conversations with AQHA Officers and Directors it was learned that the Rule 227j request had NOT been denied but tabled pending further research, and was not even voted on. Many AQHA members wrote to the AQHA registrar; asking why had this information had not been passed along to the presenters. The letters received from AQHA in explanation of this simply denied that the Rule 227j request had been tabled, not voted on and that there was no research currently underway on the genetics of double dilute animals.
Next Month we will address the 2001 AQHA Convention and what has been done to further this effort.
This site is not intended to give the visitor a complete education in the science of equine genetics, but merely to explain the cream gene in layman's terms, and thus help dispel some of the myths associated with it. If you have questions about these horses and their coloration, please visit the Cream Gene Facts page, or our Color Discussion Board.
The American Quarter Horse Association had a rule on its books, 227i (formerly known as 227j), that disallowed registration of purebred Quarter Horses with two cream genes. The organization that has gotten the AQHA Rule 227i eliminated has an email list you may join:
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