Equine Color - Horse & Pony Color Genetics Information

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These charts are just simple, basic guides to help you predict the color of your foals. There are many, many factors that contribute to the final color of the foal and all of these factors may not be physically seen on the animal, in other words there may be genes that are present but not necessarily seen. This can get very, very complicated so not all genes that can be hidden are included in these charts, this only covers the basics. After you get well versed in color genetics you will no longer need these charts.

Percentages for color results are not included on these charts, we feel that it would just get to complicated and confusing. If you have a question about the chances of getting a certain color please feel free to ask on our forum.

We tried to take into account any basic "exceptions" which may occur, such as a horse's color being misidentfied or Agouti being masked on Chestnut. These factors will have a part in determining the color of the foal. The foal results are in no particular order, just because a color is listed first doesn't mean it's more likely. Each individual mating is seperate and the chances of which genes the parents may or may not contribute are unique to that mating.

Base Colors
Diluting Genes

Base Colors

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Black x Black	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Bay x Bay	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Chestnut x Chestnut	Chestnut
Black x Bay	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Black x Chestnut	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Bay x Chestnut	Black	Chestnut	Bay

*This mating could result in a Bay foal but only if one of the parents is misidentfied and is actually a very dark Bay or if the Chestnut carries the Agouti gene. True black horses do not carry the necessary gene (Agouti) that is required to make a Bay horse.

For a Chestnut or foal to be produced the mate must be "Ee" or "ee". They must be Chestnut or have a Chestnut allele.

Diluting Genes

Base x Cream

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Black x Palomino	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Black x Palomino	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin*
Black x Buckskin	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Black x Buckskin	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Black x Smoky Black	Black	Chestnut	Bay**
Black x Smoky Black	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin**
Bay x Palomino	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Palomino	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Bay x Buckskin	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Buckskin	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Bay x Smoky Black	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Smoky Black	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Chestnut x Palomino	Chestnut
Chestnut x Palomino	Palomino
Chestnut x Buckskin	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Chestnut x Buckskin	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Chestnut x Smoky Black	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Chestnut x Smoky Black	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin*

Base x Double Cream

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Black x Cremello	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin*
Black x Perlino	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Black x Smoky Cream	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin**
Bay x Cremello	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin*
Bay x Perlino	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Bay x Smoky Cream	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin**
Chestnut x Cremello	Palomino
Chestnut x Perlino	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
Chestnut x Smoky Black	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin**

Cream x Cream

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Smoky Black x Smoky Black	Bay**	Black	Chestnut
	Buckskin**	Smokey Black	Palomino
	Perlino**	Smokey Cream	Cremello
Smoky Black x Palomino	Bay*	Black	Chestnut
	Buckskin*	Smoky Black	Palomino
	Perlino*	Smoky Cream	Cremello
Smoky Black x Buckskin	Bay	Black	Chestnut
	Buckskin	Smoky Black	Palomino
	Perlino	Smoky Cream	Cremello
Palomino x Palomino	Chestnut
	Palomino
	Cremello
Palomino x Buckskin	Bay	Black	Chestnut
	Buckskin	Smoky Black	Palomino
	Perlino	Smoky Cream	Cremello
Buckskin x Buckskin	Bay	Black	Chestnut
	Buckskin	Smoky Black	Palomino
	Perlino	Smoky Cream	Cremello

Cremello, Perlino and Smoky Cream are the only double dilute colors of any of the diluting genes that have a different physical in single or double doses.

*The only way this mating would result in a Bay based foal if the red based (Chestnut, Palomino) parent carries Agouti.

**This mating could result in a Bay based foal but only if one of the parents is misidentfied and is a very dark Bay or a Perlino. True black horses do not carry the necessary gene (Agouti) that is required to make a Bay based horse.

Base x Dun

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Black x Black Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay**
Black x Black Dun	Black Dun	Red Dun	Bay Dun**
Black x Bay Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Black x Bay Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun
Black x Chestnut Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Black x Chestnut Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun*
Bay x Bay Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Bay Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun
Bay x Chestnut Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Chestnut Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun
Chestnut x Chestnut Dun	Chestnut
Chestnut x Chestnut Dun	Chestnut Dun

Dun x Dun

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Black Dun x Black Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay**
Black Dun x Black Dun	Black Dun	Red Dun	Bay Dun**
Black Dun x Bay Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Black Dun x Bay Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun
Black Dun x Chestnut Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Black Dun x Chestnut Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun*
Bay Dun x Bay Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay Dun x Bay Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun
Bay Dun x Chestnut Dun	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay Dun x Chestnut Dun	Black Dun	Chestnut Dun	Bay Dun
Chestnut Dun x Chestnut Dun	Chestnut
Chestnut Dun x Chestnut Dun	Chestnut Dun

*The only way this mating would result in a Bay based foal if the red based (Chestnut Dun) parent carries Agouti.

**This mating could result in a Bay based foal but only if one of the parents is misidentfied and is a very dark Bay Dun. True Black Dun horses do not carry the necessary gene (Agouti) that is required to make a Bay based horse.

Base x Silver

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Black x Black Silver	Black	Chestnut	Bay**
Black x Black Silver	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver**
Black x Bay Silver	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Black x Bay Silver	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver
Black x Chestnut w/ Silver	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Black x Chestnut w/ Silver	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver*
Bay x Black Silver	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Black Silver	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver
Bay x Bay Silver	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Bay Silver	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver
Bay x Chestnut w/ Silver	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Chestnut w/ Silver	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver
Chestnut w/ Silver x Black	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Chestnut w/ Silver x Black	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver*
Chestnut w/ Silver x Bay	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Chestnut w/ Silver x Bay	Black Silver	Chestnut w/ Silver	Bay Silver
Chestnut w/ Silver x Chestnut	Chestnut		C
Chestnut w/ Silver x Chestnut	Chestnut w/ Silver		C

A Chestnut horse that has the Silver gene will not look any different than any normal shade of Chestnut. Silver has no physical affect on red pigment.

*The only way this mating would result in a Bay based foal if the red based (Chestnut) parent carries Agouti.

**This mating could result in a Bay based foal but only if one of the parents is misidentfied and is a very dark Bay. True black horses do not carry the necessary gene (Agouti) that is required to make a Bay based horse.

Base x Champagne

Parent Colors	Foal Results
Black x Classic	Black	Chestnut	Bay**
Black x Classic	Classic	Gold	Amber**
Black x Amber	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Black x Amber	Classic	Gold	Amber
Black x Gold	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Black x Gold	Classic	Gold	Amber*
Black x Ivory	Black	Chestnut	Bay
	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
	Classic	Gold	Amber
	Ivory	Ivory	Ivory
Bay x Classic	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Classic	Classic	Gold	Amber
Bay x Amber	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Amber	Classic	Gold	Amber
Bay x Gold	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Bay x Gold	Classic	Gold	Amber
Bay x Ivory	Black	Chestnut	Bay
	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
	Classic	Gold	Amber
	Ivory	Ivory	Ivory
Chestnut x Classic	Black	Chestnut	Bay*
Chestnut x Classic	Classic	Gold	Amber*
Chestnut x Amber	Black	Chestnut	Bay
Chestnut x Amber	Classic	Gold	Amber
Chestnut x Gold	Chestnut
Chestnut x Gold	Gold
Chestnut x Ivory	Black	Chestnut	Bay
	Smoky Black	Palomino	Buckskin
	Classic	Gold	Amber
	Ivory	Ivory	Ivory

Classic = Black base coat
Amber = Bay base coat
Gold = Chestnut base coat
Ivory = Any base coat plus one or two cream genes.

The resulting foal color from a Chestnut x Ivory mating would depend on the base color of the Ivory horse.

*The only way this mating would result in a Bay based foal if the red based (Gold, Ivory) parent carries Agouti.

**This mating could result in a Bay based foal but only if one of the parents is misidentfied and is a very dark Bay or Ivory. True black horses do not carry the necessary gene (Agouti) that is required to make a Bay based horse.

Revised January 2003