Genetics
Color "Recipes"

The first layer is the basecoat. EVERY horse is either red based (chestnut/sorrel) or black based (black/bay):

  • Red is "ee" (homozygous recessive). Red can carry the agouti, but not show it.

  • Black can be "Ee" (heterozygous black) or "EE" (homozygous black). Black can not carry the agouti and not show it...if it had the agouti, it would be bay.

  • Bay is really a black horse ("Ee" or "EE") with the agouti (one or two copies).

Those are the "basecolors" that are the first layer to any color. Here are some examples:

Color

 Recipe

Amber Champagne black + agouti + champagne
Bay black + agouti
Bay Roan black + agouti + roan
Bay Tobiano black + agouti + tobiano
Blue Roan black + roan
Buckskin black + agouti + cream
Chestnut Tobiano red + tobiano*
Classic Champagne black + champagne
Cremello red + 2 cream*
Flaxen Chestnut/Sorrel red + flaxen*
Gold Champagne red + champagne*
Ivory Champagne any basecolor + cream + champagne*
Palomino red + cream*
Perlino black + agouti + 2 cream
Red Roan/Strawberry Roan red + roan*
Smokey Black black + cream
Smokey Cream black + 2 cream
Silver Dapple black + silver dapple

*Remember, only red can "hide" the agouti. A red-based horse may have one or more copies of the agouti.
 


Westwood Farms - Locust Dale, Virginia 22948 - stephanie@westwoodfarms.net - 540-825-1300