Horse Colour Information Page
Having always had a real interest in horse colour genetics it has become a keen hobby of ours, we have spent many hours researching and studying as much about this subject as we can!
Although not geneticists, we do have a good solid comprehension of how horse colour genetics work and we have put together this page which covers the particular colours we personally like the best and now have in our program. If you are interested in learning the basics or want to know more, there are many excellent websites out there, one we personally recommend is:
Equine Color Info - http://www.equine-color.info/phpBB3/
TRUE BLACK HORSE– what does this mean??
Genetically brown/bay horses are often mistakenly called black/browns or blacks.
For a horse to be called a true black genetically, he must have been tested to have no agouti gene–The Agouti colour gene is a modifier and changes a black horse to a bay or brown colour. It is one of the most common modifiers and can also be passed on by a chestnut (although does not effect red hair, so will be hidden).
The agouti modifying gene is responsible for a variety of shades from red bay to a dark brown almost black in some cases–for example– this horse(pictured below) is not a true black, she has the agouti gene!
‘Angel’ EE At a- Homozygous black gened- brown horse.
Angel is one of our Quarter horse mares and she has been tested as homozygous for the black gene (EE), but that doesn’t make her a true black horse, you see a homozygous black gened horse, can still have the agouti gene! (In Angel’s case she is a seal brown so has At gene and in summer she looks very black as can be seen in this picture) The modifying effect may not be as obvious as a red bay in some cases, but usually you will see the muzzle(sometimes called mealy muzzle) and flanks of an agouti carrier to be a lighter shade than its body coat, often light golden brown even if the body appears black, in summer this same horse may look to the eye as black as our mare does, but genetically she is not a true black.
If your black horse has a brownish muzzle or flanks you can be pretty sure it is not a true black.
True black horses are not common and true blue roans are NOT common, as most are actually browns/bays with roaning, being called blue roans.
So before you purchase that ‘true black’ horse, it just might be worth getting the agouti gene test done! : ) You might be in for a surprise.
Also when you see someone advertising their horse as homozygous for the black gene, that does not mean it is a true black… it may even be homozygous for the agouti gene as well, which means it can not even breed a black foal…if you want a true jet black foal find out whether the horse your choosing has had an agouti gene test done!
Heza Blue Tom Cat has been tested as a non agouti carrier(aa). He is also a non fading black, which means he stays jet black all year round.
Classic ROAN GENE
The roan gene puts white hair through the body coat of the horse ONLY, not the face or the legs. Creating the silver/blue effect of the body coat. It is a mutations of the KIT gene found on horse chromosome 3 the same as the tobiano gene. A roan foal will sometimes be born showing the white hairs through the body or they will appear at the loss of the foal coat around 3mths old. The roan gene is not the same as the gene that causes a horse to grey out. A roan horse will never turn white all over, his face and legs will always remain his base coat colour. Notice in these pictures neither horse has white hairs on their face or legs. True classic roan horses are not common but can be easily identified. The roan gene will effect any base coat colour ie black,red,bay..or buckskin, palomino..etc
The roan gene can only be passed on by a roan gene carrying parent, so if neither parent is a roan then the foal will not be a roan.
The roan gene is never hidden and then passed on, it will always been seen clearly on the horse if the horse is a carrier.
BLUE ROAN-True Black horse with roan gene.>> Heza Blue Tom Cat is a Blue Roan + Tobiano
RED ROAN-Chestnut horse with roan gene.
BAY ROAN- a Bay/brown horse(horse with agouti modifier) with the roan gene.
DUN FACTOR/ The Dun Dilute gene
The Dun factor is a dilute gene that effects the base coat of the horse causing a lightening and flatter colour tone in most cases.
It can sometimes have the look of a clipped body coat (see the pic of red dun).
But there are also very obvious signs that your horse has the dun factor>
A horse that carries the Dun dilute gene WILL ALWAYS have a Dorsal stripe (dark thin and clear line down the spine and into the tail)
Will most usually have some leg barring (distinct stripes at back of front knees and back of thighs and hocks on back legs)
Will almost always have ear tips (the back of the ears will be darker a third of the way down from the top)
RED DUN-chestnut horse with dun gene.>>QT Dun Up In Clover is a Red Dun + Tobiano
BAY DUN (ZEBRA DUN)-Bay horse with dun gene.>
BLACK DUN (GRULLA)-True Black horse with dun dilution gene.
SILVER DAPPLE/Chocolate Silver/Taffy The Silver dilution gene
The Silver dilution colour gene only effects black and bay horses and has no effect on a red/chestnut horse although they may carry the gene and pass it on, it will not be seen in their body coat. There can sometimes be confusion with a flaxen chestnut being falsely identified as a taffy/silver, the flaxen gene is another completely unrelated colour gene that causes a blonde mane and tail in red horses. Another colour that can be falsely called a silver/taffy is your dark/sooty palomino’s, being palomino means the horse is a red/chestnut with cream gene.. so not possible to see the silver dilute gene even if it had it as silver only effects black/bay hair..so beware of someone claiming they have a taffy/silver horse as it may just be a Pally! Easy way to check ask for a red/black factor colour gene test and if the horse is tested as ee-=chestnut and looks like a silver..it is not one!
True silver gene carriers are very, very rare!
The Siver dilution gene causes the mane and tail to be more of a silver/white colour than a blonde or cream colour. It is easy to identify once you know what you are seeing. Particularly a black horse with the silver gene ( black silver or silver dapple) as the coat is usually diluted to a rich dark chocolate almost black colour with a much lighter silvery/white mane and tail.
The silver dilution gene can also cause dapples to appear in the body coat.
SILVER Dapple or Black Silver-True black horse with silver dilution gene
SILVER BAY- Bay/brown horse with silver dilution gene
CHAMPAGNE
The champagne dilution gene has only recently been identified and is very rare, particularly in Australia(read info on champagne history below).
The champagne dilution gene acts similarly to the cream(buckskin,palomino) dilution gene but has a very different effect on the body coat, mane, tail and skin.
When actually seen in person this gene causes almost a powdered look to the coat a very soft and flat tone, sometimes described as crushed velvet. It also effects the hair on the coat, the hair shafts are hollow allowing light to pass through and causing the most brilliant, irridescent sheen.
Eye colour of a Champagne foal at birth and eye of an adult Champagne horse
The skin of a champagne horse will be marbled/freckled and the eyes of the foals are bright blue at birth before becoming a light gold colour that is also very different and unique.
Gold=Chestnut+Champagne gene. Classic=Black+Champagne gene. Amber=Bay+Champagne. Sable=Brown(At)+Champagne
The History of Australian born Champagne Quarter Horses:
This account has taken many long hours of dedicated research and finding and contacting previous owners and breeders, thankyou to all those who shared their memories and stories, some from many, many years ago. We appreciate your time and patience in answering many questions and it was a fabulous journey into the past for us.
Here is the story…
A Mare called Koolmundoola Miss Pepe
In the late 1960’s a Quarter Horse Stallion named Pepe Buck Q-357 (registered as a Buckskin) was imported into Australia.
In the early 1970’s John Kosch of Koolmundoola Appaloosa Stud in Victoria bought a black/brown AQHA foundation registered mare named Lorna FM-09928.
She was in foal to Pepe Buck.
The resulting foal was special!
An unusual coloured filly named Koolmundoola Miss Pepe R1-4196.
Koolmundoola Miss Pepe was a champagne(possibly a classic or sable), she was the dam of approx 13 foals.
The first 8 foals were all uniform black/browns, the next 4, every one of them a filly, were all rare Champagnes just like her!
The Champagne Sisters
The 4 champagne mares, all pure Quarter horses were named:
Rare Eyed Chex(Sire:Rare Chex), Buckle Inda( Sire:Wilga Chex Terrara), Whilla Be Dun(Sire: Wilga Chex Terrara) and PH Tailor Made(Sire:Burrfoot WT).
Whilla Be Dun and PH Tailor Made
Whilla Be Dun and PH Tailor Made the 2 youngest champagne daughters out of Koolmundoola Miss Pepe, were purchased by Leanne Owens of Horses of Gold Stud in Queensland from Jennifer O Conner of Beaufort, Victoria. (Horses of Gold Stud also own Tailor’s oldest champagne colt Driftwood Traveller (Sire:Trincada Gambling Man-Stck horse) and Whilla’s amber champagne filly foal by the same sire).
We had the opportunity to see Whilla(19yrs), Tailor(17yrs) and Driftwood Artist(weanling) in the flesh in 2008, at Jennifer’s property in Beaufort.
(Driftwood Artist is Driftwood Travellers younger full brother, he is also a amber champagne and is now owned by Kylie Rowe of Giaya Farm Coloured Performance Horses in W.A.)
Finally being able to actually see the champagne colour in person rather than just in pictures on the Internet was great, as it confirmed to us how beautiful and unique this colour gene really was and we fell in love with this rare colour even more and hoped that one day we would get the chance to add a quality, well bred champagne mare to our ‘designer colour’ breeding program.
Jennifer’s had been the last home of Koolmundoola Miss Pepe and she had died there (in foal) at the age of approx 29 yrs!
Buckle Inda
Buckle Inda was the second born of the 4 champagne sisters and she was a true gem just as her dam had been, never giving a day of grief to anyone. Having been sold on as a young mare, we found her by complete coincidence being used to breed Clydie Sporthorses at Belmak Stud in Victoria, her owner still had her original Quarter horse papers intact, he had bought Buckle through the horse sales at Echuca many years before (she had possibly been run through the sales due to an injury to her hip as a young horse) and she had bred him many beautiful foals, some of which were definitely champagne gene foals including one of her sons a successful Sporthorse Stallion called Belmak Pepe Buck an Amber Champagne.
We were given the chance to purchase Buckle Inda, who was now 19 yrs old and in foal (to Clydie X) at the time.
Our hope to add this colour with the quality breeding we admired, was finally here!
Sadly we lost our precious girl a few months after she arrived, her unborn foal had died in utero late term and she was unable to deliver due to the position he was in and so had to be euthanized. Thankfully, we had been there from the moment her labour had started and so she had not had to suffer for any length of time as our Vet was immediatly called.
Of course it just broke our hearts to lose her, as not only did she have the rare champagne gene but she was also a gentle, loving and willling mare who just like all the Chex bred girls we had encountered so far, had that special personality that you just can not replace or forget.
We were determined to continue our search for the remaining sister Rare Eyed Chex even more so after this devastating loss and we are so glad that we did not give up! Our connection with the Champagne sisters had not quite ended….
Rare Eyed Chex
The oldest of the champagne sisters Rare Eyed Chex a direct daughter of the famous Rare Chex was dam of 7 recorded AQHA progeny, from our research we found out that 2 of those, Riverholme Pepe Chex a colt and Riverholme Golden Chex a filly were confirmed Amber Champagnes. Sadly Riverholme Pepe Chex(beautifully bred Stallion) had been gelded, he had sired only one colt a 1st X Stockhorse who was also a confirmed amber Champagne, he too had been gelded.
Riverholme Golden Chex is currently owned by Michael Sutherland in Queensland a very much loved and well performed mare.
Rare Eyed Chex was reported to have died, but after some further investigation on our part we found her alive and well at the age of 22yrs, in Queensland.
To our delight we were told by her owners that she had gone on to produce 3 more Champagnes, a 3yr old pure QH filly (Docs Spinifex granddaughter), a 2 yr old gelding and finally a stunning 8mth old filly who was by a pure Stock horse Stallion-Warrenbri lines.
So in total she had produced 5 champagne progeny and a total of 10 foals.
We were fortunate enough to be able to purchase Rare Eyed Chex and her 2 precious Champagne daughters, we were so pleased to be able to add this special piece of champagne history back into our program again.
Not only do all these girls have this rare and unique colour gene to pass on, but most importantly they are all of the highest standard in quality breeding and conformation.
Every one of these lovable mares has the same easy going and reliable nature that this remarkable group of horses have been known and especially remembered for by many, even after all this time.
Currently there are still limited numbers of these rare coloured horses in the Quarter horse breed in Australia. But in time we hope this will change and that the colour and quality will stay paired together as it has so far.
Our theory about the origin of this colour gene in Australia:
We believe the champagne gene was passed on by Pepe Buck the IMP Stallion that was Koolmundoola Miss Pepe’s sire.
All of his 50 recorded AQHA progeny have since died and any granddaughters or grandsons, have not continued to breed on.
So in essence this line has died out, except through the Champagne sisters..
Pepe Buck was registered as a buckskin with 37 of his 50 recorded progeny also registered as buckskin or dun—this means that more than 50% of his foals were dilutes.. Is it possible he was also carrying a cream gene + champagne??
If any foals by him were born champagnes and had the bright blue eyes seen at birth they may have been falsely identified as ‘albinos’ as double dilutes were known as back then and either culled or not bred on, due to them not being allowed to enter studbook of the AQHA at that time.
It makes sense that this line died out and did not continue, possibly due to these very reasons.
We have spoken directly to former owners of a number of the champagnes, many commented that there were fears that the mares were breeding albinos and some even sold there champagne mares on due to there unusual eyes and skin, describing them as having strange goats eyes (re the name Rare Eyed Chex) or appaloosa skin— so without the knowledge of genetic testing and understanding, these prejudices would have no doubt affected any champagnes bred at this period of time, really it is amazing that we have the few that did survive and kept this colour alive, even a good thirty plus years later!
We are more than happy to have someone disprove our theory, as it is just that of course. So far we have not been able to get in touch with anyone who remembers the Stallion Pepe Buck directly or has any pictures of him or memories associated with him, although we hope we will be able to find out more.
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What we do know, is that the Champagne gene itself originated in the USA and even in the Appaloosa horses in Australia the champagne gene that can been found in some of them, was believed to have been brought in by a Stallion called Golden Badger who was a suspected champagne and was also an import from the USA.
Some say that Lorna-Koolmundoola’s dam a AQHA registered foundation mare was the champagne carrier but this is called into question on a few levels, the original owner(John Kosch) of Lorna described her as a black/brown mare, Australian bred, with no unusual colouring, she went on to be used in his Appaloosa stud, but had been being used in a Quarter horse stud prior to his purchase of her and it does seem unlikely that she would have been used to breed pure Quarter horses if she had any signs of marbling to the skin or around the eyes which is seen in the champagnes.
She produced a number of daughters by different sires for the Koolmundoola Stud after her champagne daughter Koolmundoola Miss Pepe, none of these were dilutes and in fact no buckskin or dun recorded Appaloosa from the Koolmundoola stud is in anyway connected to the original Lorna or her daughters or granddaughters according to the AAA studbook.
So I guess it still remains inconclusive at this stage– until we get more solid proof that either Pepe Buck or Lorna were definitely Champagnes!
Pepe Buck’s blood lines are connected to the blood lines that the majority of the proven Quarter horse Champagnes in the USA are also related to. We have requested more information from the ICHR in the USA in regards to our findings and hope to get more information to put up on this page in the near future.
So to conclude, we hope you enjoyed this little bit of champagne history and if anyone wants to add more information or has any further questions please feel free to contact us personally, we are always happy to chat about one of our many favourite subjects!
See you soon!
