The Cream Gene

The cream gene causes red to become gold, but does not affect black pigment EXCEPT when in a double dose (smokey cream and perlino) where black becomes light taupe. So a seemingly regular "black" horse, if it were truly a smokey black, could throw a "surprise" cream gene, while a red horse could never carry the cream gene without showing it.

Much like pouring milk into coffee, the more cream, the lighter the color. Where one cream gene lightens red to gold, two cream genes turns red to white. Horses with one cream gene often have light brown to golden eyes. Horses with two cream genes have light blue eyes.

base color one cream gene two cream genes
chestnut
palomino
Royal Ivory
cremello
Gambler's Cowboy Cassanova
bay
Golden Gambler
buckskin
Gambler's Midas Touch WF
perlino
Scores Dixie Chick
black
Lady Sheba
smokey black
Gen's Ivory Banditsmokey cream

Cream Color Recipes
Color Red Cream Agouti
palomino ee N/Cr AA, Aa, or aa
cremello ee CrCr AA, Aa, or aa
buckskin Ee or EE N/Cr AA* or Aa
perlino Ee or EE CrCr AA* or Aa
smokey black Ee or EE N/Cr aa
smokey cream Ee or EE CrCr aa

 *Double agouti cream dilutes are desirable, as they can't produce the less desirable smokey blacks or smokey creams.

Palominos

A palomino is a chestnut horse with one cream gene. It may carry the agouti, but won't show it. They have golden bodies with a white mane and tail. The "golden" bodies range from pale cream, to true gold, to butterscotch or dark chocolate (usually "sooty".) Many palominos have light brown or golden eyes.

A palomino is capable of producing chestnut, palomino, black and smoky blacks when bred to horses that do not carry the cream gene (chestnut, bay, and black). If the palomino or other parent carries the agouti gene, they could produce a bay or buckskin. Palominos that are homozygous for the agouti will never produce black, smokey black or smokey cream foals.

Palominos will have one of the following genotypes:

  • ee aa NCr

  • ee Aa NCr

  • ee AA NCr



Pippi White Stockings (ee AA NCr) our palomino TWH mare.
 
Cremellos
Royal Ivory
Royal Ivory (ee aa CrCr). One of the most prolific cremello walking horse stallions of all times. He was a 16h gentle giant owned by Kenny Gilley until his death.

A cremello is a chestnut horse with two cream genes. It may carry the agouti, but won't show it. Cremellos are solid white with light blue eyes.

A cremello will only produce palomino and smokey black when bred to horses that do not carry the cream gene (chestnut, bay, and black). If the cremello or other parent carries the agouti gene, they could produce a buckskin. Cremellos that are homozygous for the agouti will never produce smokey black or smokey cream foals.

Cremellos will have one of the following genotypes:

  • ee aa CrCr

  • ee Aa CrCr

  • ee AA CrCr

Buckskins

A buckskin is a bay horse that with one cream gene. They have golden bodies with black points. The "golden" bodies range from pale cream, to true gold, to butterscotch or dark chocolate (usually "sooty".) Many buckskins have light brown or golden eyes.

A buckskin is capable of producing bay, buckskin, chestnut, palomino, black and smoky blacks when bred to horses that do not carry the cream gene (chestnut, bay, and black). Buckskins that are homozygous for the agouti will never produce black, smokey black or smokey cream foals.

Smokey Blacks will have one of the following genotypes:

  •  Ee Aa NCr
  • Ee AA NCr 
  •  EE Aa NCr
  • EE AA NCr 
Golden Gambler
Golden Gambler(EeAANCr) our buckskin TWH stallion. Proven sire of champions on the rail and trail.
Perlinos
Gambler's Midas Touch WF
Gambler's Midas Touch WF (Ee AA CrCr), our perlino TWH stallion. Notice the difference in color between his body and mane. He will only produce palomino or buckskin bred to any bay, black or chestnut mare.

A perlino is a bay horse that with two cream genes. They look very similar to cremellos, except that their points are just slightly darker. Perlinos have the same light blue eyes.

A perlino will only produce palomino, buckskin and smokey black when bred to horses that do not carry the cream gene (chestnut, bay, and black). Perlinos that are homozygous for the agouti will never produce smokey black or smokey cream foals.The best way to determine if a horse a perlino is to have it color tested.

Smokey Creams will have one of the following genotypes:

  •  Ee Aa CrCr
  • Ee AA CrCr 
  •  EE Aa CrCr
  • EE AA CrCr 
Smokey Blacks

A smokey black is a black horse that with one cream gene. They do not carry the agouti (they are "aa.") They look like a regular or sunbleached black horse sometimes with light brown or golden eyes.

A smokey black is capable of producing chestnut, palomino, black and smoky blacks when bred to horses that do not carry the cream gene (chestnut, bay, and black). If the other parent carries the agouti gene, a smokey black could produce a bay or buckskin. The best way to determine if a horse a smoky black is to have it color tested.

Smokey Blacks will have one of the following genotypes:

  • Ee aa NCr

  • EE aa NCr

Lady Sheba
Lady Sheba is owned by A Walking Horse Ranch. You can see more pictures of her and the foals she has produced at www.awalkinghorseranch.com.
Smokey Cream
 Gen's Ivory Bandit
Gen's Ivory Bandit, a fine example of a smokey cream. He is a TWH stallion owned by Walkin on the Ridge.

A smokey cream is a black horse that with two cream genes. They look very similar to cremellos and perlinos, except that their body is just slightly darker all over where a perlino had darker points and a cremello is solid white. Smokey creams have the same light blue eyes.

A smokey cream will only produce palominos and smokey blacks when bred to horses that do not carry the cream gene (chestnut, bay, and black). If the other parent carries the agouti gene, a smokey cream could produce a buckskin. The best way to determine if a horse a smoky cream is to have it color tested.

Smokey Creams will have one of the following genotypes:

  • Ee aa CrCr

  • EE aa CrCr

 
Common Myths

Myth#1: "has # palominos/creams in his/her background, so will produce color!"

One thing that I see advertised over and over again is "This horse should be an excellent color producer since she/he has lots of palominos/champagnes in her/his background." Now, it is a great thing to be able to trace the color all the way through the pedigree (especially since bloodtyping didn't come into effect until the 1990's). However, just because the horse has a large number of creme/champagne horses in its pedigree, DOES NOT mean it is any more likely to produce cream. Whether the horse has a single line of cream, or ALL of its ancestors were cream, a single dilute in cream (palomino, buckskin, smokey black) has the same 50% chance of throwing the gene as any other single dilute. SUMMARY: The number of cream horses in a horse's pedigree means NOTHING.

Myth #2: "dark/light palominos produce a higher percentage of palomino than light/dark"

Because of personal experience, many breeders believe that a particular shade of palomino, champagne, etc. is more likely to produce a dilute than another shade. However, the gene that is responsible for the shade of the coat (dark palomino vs. light palomino) is a separate, distinct gene. It does not increase or decrease the possibility of throwing a light or dark dilute. Since many people prefer a dark palomino to a light one, I will say that your best bet for producing that dark palomino is crossing a deep red chestnut to a cremello. Likewise, red-bays produce the deep gold colored buckskins.


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