EQUINE COLOR GENETICS

...and other educational articles

We have developed a few pages to help you learn more about the genetics of some of our favorite horse colors.  There's a great deal more to write, and as time passes, we'll add what we can.

These pages are not intended for experts, but are to help people who do not wish to spend hours reading and studying color genetics as they begin their learning and understanding.  I've tried to simplify the genetics information/descriptions--and therefore, it's not "completely" correct in some areas because to make it completely correct adds to the amount of vocabulary and knowledge needed to understand it all. So these pages should not be considered a reference for anyone's new book or research paper!  But they may help you to understand what genes have major affects for grullos and blue roans and many other colors.

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REQUEST ASSISTANCE

I am currently not accepting requests for color help (Spring/Summer, 2015 and afterward)
and have been refunding most $3 donations received for several years.
Please ignore the links to the "request color help" form if you find them.
My site is so large that I have not found and removed all of those links.

***Click here to see some ways to get free, personalized help
and also for links to some color-testing laboratories.***

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DUN FACTOR PAGES

Grullo Color: 

• Explanation of the grullo color

• Includes foal coat color photos and tips for getting grullo color

• It's an "FYI" page, but doesn't go into the genetics of the color much

Grullo Genetics: 

• If you want to learn more about the genetics of the grulla color, but not hash through all the technical jargon, go here.

Shades of Grullo Under Construction 7/22/2005

• Wow, it's getting ridiculous trying to keep track of all the shades of grullo that are being found used in books, on individuals' web sites, etc. 

• Check this page out for some examples of differing shades from light to dark.

Dun Factor Markings: 

• Contains a table describing markings common to horses with dun factor, and photos of those markings. 

• This page might help you determine if your horse is a buckskin or dun, or if it is a grullo or sooty buckskin (common mis-calls by breeders and owners).

Countershading Stripes **New** April 2015

• Great examples of horses and foals that "look" like they have dun factor stripes, but do not have a dun factor gene.

Grullo Color Quiz

• A quick 10-question quiz about grullo color

Foal Coat Colors  

• Having trouble deciding what color your foal is? This page might help!

• And, we need YOUR help! If you have a couple nice shots of a foal that might help others learn what their own foals are, please send them to us. We will include many photos on this page that will help educate others in need of assistance with foal colors.
  Please note that this is not intended to be a free opportunity for you to advertise your breeding operation, and instead is an educational page. We will not use photos with watermarks/writing on them. There are many free advertising sites on the Internet at which you can advertise your farm/ranch/horses.

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ROAN GENE PAGES

Blue Roan Genetics: 

• If you want to learn more about the genetics of the blue roan color, but not hash through all the technical jargon, go here. 

• This page also shows the differing shades of roan, and the difference between roan and gray colors.

Patterns of White Hairs  Your photos needed!

• Roan

• Sabino

• Rabicano

• Gray

• Appaloosa roaning

The Difference Between Gray and Roan: 

• Make sure you know what you are getting when you look for a gray or a roan, in case you specifically want one color and not the other.

• Learn more so you aren't misled by sellers, too...a buckskin breeder in Florida, for example, tells all her customers that roans will eventually turn white so those customers won't buy roans (and so they will buy her buckskins?).  It's not true, but perhaps her serves her purpose.  Know the difference so you aren't pulled in by unscrupulous sellers who purposefully lie.

• And if you love grays, how can you tell what color your gray horse will be in a few years?  Grays change their whole lives until they reach one of two gray types...check out the page to learn more!

Blue Roan Color Quiz

• A quick 10-question quiz about blue roan color

Foal Coat Colors  

• Having trouble deciding what color your foal is? This page might help!

• And, we need YOUR help! If you have a couple nice shots of a foal that might help others learn what their own foals are, please send them to us. We will include many photos on this page that will help educate others in need of assistance with foal colors.
  Please note that this is not intended to be a free opportunity for you to advertise your breeding operation, and instead is an educational page. We will not use photos with watermarks/writing on them. There are many free advertising sites on the Internet at which you can advertise your farm/ranch/horses.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Foal Coat Colors  

• Having trouble deciding what color your foal is? This page might help!

• And, we need YOUR help! If you have a couple nice shots of a foal that might help others learn what their own foals are, please send them to us. We will include many photos on this page that will help educate others in need of assistance with foal colors.
  Please note that this is not intended to be a free opportunity for you to advertise your breeding operation, and instead is an educational page. We will not use photos with watermarks/writing on them. There are many free advertising sites on the Internet at which you can advertise your farm/ranch/horses.

DNA Color and Disease Testing Laboratories

• So much has changed since I began my color education pages! New color tests are available, and I am afraid some of my pages might be outdated.

• To learn what color genes are now able to be tested...and check back yearly because available testing changes fast...visit some of these labs' web pages.

Homozygous for Color: 

• What are the chances that a foal is homozygous for dun factor, roan, or black, for example? 

• Discusses ways of determining probability for unborn foals and for foals/horses that we can visually evaluate.

Multiple Color Genes:  

• What do you call a horse that has both the look of a buckskin and the look of a roan? 

• Or a palomino that also has the dun gene? 

• How about a horse that was born roan but is now getting a gray head because its dam was gray? 

• Examples of combined color genes and explanations can be found here.

Tips for Buying Horses Via the Internet:

• Learn from those who have, unfortunately, been there before. 

• Tips to help you make a wise and safe choice when buying a horse "sight unseen" due to distance from your home, timing problems, etc. 

Listed Quarter Horse Colors Your photos needed!

• AQHA currently (2006) lists 17 options for colors for foal registration.

• Examples of each of those colors, plus references to other colors that are registerable but not listed.

Raising an Orphan Foal

• Tips collected in one location to make dealing with your emergency easier!

The Importance of Deworming Foals...Effectively!

• Are you deworming your young horses every month? Two months? What dewormers are you using? Read this page for a surprising story about how ineffective a deworming program can be, even when dewormer medication is given every 1 to 2 months!

Mare Gestation Calculator  Somewhat functional at this point...still in the works!

• The easy way to determine your foaling dates...simply fill in the blanks!

• Also included are our averages for a course of over 3 years. If you think your mare is overdue, check out our numbers!

HERDA, GBED,  PSSM1 

• As briefly as possible, this page outlines these genetic diseases and lists pros and cons for breeding carriers.

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This page last updated 05/28/21