What’s Behind a Horse of a Different Color?

Gene variations in individual horses can result in an unexpected color for a certain breed or mating.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

What
Photo: iStock
While temperament and athletic ability are defining aspects of a breed, color also plays an important role. If you want a registered Black Kladruby, for example, you probably aren’t hoping he’ll be chestnut. And if you want a registered golden Kinsky, you probably aren’t expecting a black foal.

The same goes for spotting—large or small. While there’ve been periods when plain-colored Paints and Appaloosas have been popular, most buyers and breeders hope for bright splashes of colors on those “flashy” breeds.

But what if the colors aren’t what we expected? Does the “wrong” color for a breed mean the breeder has pulled a fast one on an unsuspecting buyer or mare owner? Despite a few lawsuits in which buyers have sued breeders for the wrong color, what’s probably happening in these cases is that a long-nestled color allele (variation of a gene) has decided to pop up in an individual. And, in fact, all the scenarios described above could happen—or already have.

How those scenarios occur, researchers say, is a fascinating story of genetics—partially explained in a new study by an international group of scientists

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
300 votes · 300 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!