Dilute genes are any genes that make the horse turn a lighter color, like dun, cream, or champagne. Silver is sometimes put in the same category, but I personally don't think of it as a dilute, but more of a modifier.
Silver, similarly to agouti, only works on horses with dominant extension (E/e, or E/E). A horse must have black pigment for silver to be 'active'. It won't show up on a horse with red pigment (e/e).
What exactly is silver? A horse with black pigment and the silver gene (abbreviated with a Z) will always have a significantly lightened mane and tail, which can range from a silver color (hence the name), to a blonde or cream color. Sometimes even a bizarre orange color, like the Morgan below.
All black pigment, whether on just the legs or over the whole body, depending on whether the horse is black or bay, is usually lightened to some degree. The normal color is sort of chocolate, but it can be much darker, but not quite pure black. The one below is on the darker end. If it is a bay horse, then the whole body will not be lightened, but the black on the legs will.
Silver is a simple dominant gene, with exceptions. One copy or two dominant copies won't make a difference, the horse will look the same. The exception is a horse with red pigment will not be silver, like I mentioned before. There is a catch, and that is that red horses, or horses with recessive extension, can still carry the gene. A red horse can have the silver gene and hide it, since there is no black pigment to lighten. The pony below could carry it, and when crossed with a black or bay horse could produce a silver baby.
When paired with a black horse, it is called 'silver dapple' or sometimes 'black silver', and with bay, 'silver bay'. Basically, add on silver to whatever the color is, with the exception of silver dapple. Silver buckskins are very pretty, although unusual. Not neccesarily rare, but silver is not very often paired with other modifiers, but it is possible. The first pony is a silver bay, and the one below is a silver buckskin.
Flaxen chestnut, which can be a very dark color, is sometimes confused with silver dapple. Because a red horse can range in color from bright red to a liver color, and then paired with a cream mane and tail, the darker flaxen chestnuts are sometimes easy to mistake as silver dapple, and vice versa. However, the silver gene usually causes the mane and tail to be not nearly as white as a flaxen chestnuts. The horse below is bay roan silver.
The color has been partially isolated in particular breeds such as Rocky Mountain, Morgan, Shetland, Miniature, and Icelandic. It can also be in Quarter horses or other breeds, but is more unusual.
No comments:
Post a Comment