Foxtrotters of Color


A complete description for every Foxtrotter Color is provided here. Scroll down and place your cursor on your favorite color, click and be taken directly to breeders/owners who may have a fine stallion to breed your mare to; or, offer horses for sale!

BAY - Coat color may vary from sandy tan to a deep rich dark mahogany, or almost black with black points (mane, tail and legs). Variations are Black Bay - body almost black or brown; Blood Bay - body a dark rich red color and Gold Bay - body yellowish tan.

BROWN - Brown or black body with light areas at muzzle, eyes, flank, inside upper legs; black mane and tail.

BUCKSKIN - Yellow gold body, black mane and tail, black on lower legs, no dorsal stripe.

DUN - Dun is a color gene visible on any body color, i.e., Palomino or Yellow Dun, Red Dun, Bay Dun. Black/Blue Dun (Grulla), etc. A Dun will have darker points and visible primitive markings which are darker than the body and include: bars on legs, stripe down back, wither stripe, cobwebbing on head. One parent must be a dun.

THE MYSTERIOUS AGOUTI GENE

Are you trying to breed for a buckskin? Frustrated when you breed a bay or a black to a palomino or cremello fully expecting the results to be that sought after Buckskin color and that's not what's produced? Here's something to give you a general understanding of how the Agouti gene plays its part. Setting aside all the dilution, modifier and spotting genes, there are only three colors of horses - Chestnut, Bay and Black. Chestnut has no black genes - it's a recessive color. Black has the black (dominant) gene and the recessive Agouti gene. A Bay also has the black dominant gene but the Agouti is dominant.

Recessive genes always breed true. dominant genes on the other hand only breed true in the homozygous state, i.e., cremello is a homozygous color produced from breeding cream to cream.

Another example is Black. One parent must have "black" to produce a foal "with "black". Although "with black" is not the same as a BLACK horse. Every black, bay, buckskin and smoky have the black gene.

Once you have the black gene, then Agouti comes into play. If a horse has the Agouti gene, it is bay based - if it does not have the Agouti gene, it is a black based horse. Since black is dominant, one parent must display it to pass it on to their foal. Visually, we have had no idea what Chestnut based horses have at the Agouti loci; however, there is a dna test for the Agouti gene since it can hide on chestnut based horses, including Palominos and Creams.

Chestnuts breed true, because the red gene is recessive (breed a chestnut to a chestnut - you get a chestnut). A palomino is a dilute chestnut, cremello is a double dilute chestnut so they also breed true, but add the cream gene. Breeding chestnut, palomino and cremello (in any combination) can ONLY produce chestnut, palomino or cremello.

Since black horses HAVE black and do not have agouti - you CAN NOT get a bay out of breeding 2 blacks, but you could get a chestnut, if the black gene isn't passed on.

Since Bay is the result of two dominant genes - breeding bay to bay can produce any color - black, bay or chestnut.

So what does this mean to an owner of a cremello (assuming the horse carries one agouti and one non-agouti gene? Cremello + Chestnut = Palomino 100% of the time. Cremello + Black = palomino, buckskin or smoky, and Cremello + Bay also = palomino, buckskin or smoky.

Other implications here -- if the Black or Bay horse is homozygous black, it can not produce palomino only Buckskins or Smokies. If the Bay horse is homozygous at Agouti, then it will not produce a Smoky. If a Cremello is Homozygous at Agouti, it could not produce Smoky Black and if homozygous Non-Agouti, it could not produce a buckskin out of a black mare.

BLACK and SMOKY BLACK

BLACK - Black body coat color, head, muzzle, flanks and legs without any brown or red hairs anywhere on the mane or tail. Black foals are usually born a slate grey color and progressively darken to a true black after shedding their foal coat. A true black horse should not fade when exposed to the sun. When viewing a black foal, another good indicator is the color of the sire and dam. If either are Grey, then suspect that the "black" foal is really a grey.

SMOKY BLACK - Recognized by the MFTHBA in 2002. Smoky Blacks are a black appearing horse that are capable of producing Palomino or Buckskin offspring when bred to chestnut; or, Cremello and Perlino if bred to Palomino, Buckskin or another Smoky Black. A Smoky Black can be identified as a Smoky Black if one of the parents is a verified Cremello, Perlino or Smoky Cream; otherwise, can only be verified by their offspring. Eye color is usually varying shades of amber. SEE A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION BELOW *

CHAMPAGNE

Champagnes have pink or light dove grey skin, depending upon their base coat color, a metallic body or coat sheen. Eyes will be amber, green and/or possibly blue eyes/grey in the case of an Ivory Champagne.

Photo on right courtesy of Carolyn Shepard, President of the newly incorporated "International Champagne Horse Registry, Inc"

Freckling or mottling on the muzzle, eye area and genitalia are another required characteristic of a Champagne. Muzzles are light pink in color - not black.

Identified Champagne colors are unique to their base coat colors as described below.

AMBER: Champagne on a bay basecoat, chocolate or brown points, mane and tail, pink skin, amber eyes. From a distance, an Amber Champagne might be mistaken for a Buckskin, but closer inspection will clearly show all the standard characteristics identified above.

CLASSIC: Champagne on a black basecoat, ranging in shades from nearly buckskin looking to a grey shade similar to grulla. Sometimes referred to as a Lilac Champagne.

GOLD: Champagne on a chestnut basecoat, often mistaken for palomino, coat color varying from a very light "Isabella" to deep gold color; has either white, crème or gold mane and tail.

Danny's Pride of Princess, Gold Champagne, owned by Linda Vishino, Zorro Farms. Missouri

IVORY: Champagne on a palomino, bay, buckskin, cremello or perlino basecoat. Will have either green, blue or grey eyes.

The Ivory Fox E/T - Ivory Champagne, (Gold Cream Champagne) (left)

and

Ivory Creme de la Creme, (right) Ivory Champagne (Gold Cream Champagne)


NOTICE
In a continuing effort to provide only accurate description and the promotion of true Champagne Foxtrotters, the Foxtrotter Station will adhere to a policy of listing only ranches/farms who's Foxtrotters who have been verified as being true Champagnes by the International Champagne Horse Registry.
The ICHR is a non biased all breed registry for Champagne colored horses.
The Foxtrotter Station and it's owner, Patricia Smith, has no personal or professional interest in the ICHR. The sole purpose of the above approval policy is to avoid further mis-education within our breed.

CHESTNUT and SORREL

CHESTNUT: - Dark liver color - never has black mane, tail or legs, but may have black hair in mane and tail; may also have flaxen mane and tail.

SORREL: - Body color is reddish or copper red; mane and tail are usually the same as the body, but may be flaxen.

GREY

While the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association recognizes "Grey" as a base coat color: grey is actually a color pattern and masks the actual base coat color. Grey horses are born having any base coat color i.e., Black, Bay, Palomino, Chestnut, etc., which progressively acquires white hairs throughout the coat as they age. Noticeable, this process starts in foals as white rings in the hair coat around the eye sockets or ears. The dark foal coat color will be an indicator of their actual base coat color.

A Grey foal having a black base coat will usually be born jet black, and most often is mistakenly identified and registered as a "Black" or even a Black Roan horse. A Grey foal having a palomino base coat will be more difficult to identify accurately; however, many are born with some darker brown or black hairs on their under carriage and legs. By the time they are yearlings, black and/or silver hairs may be visible in the mane and tail. If one of the parents of any foal is a Grey, then particular attention must be paid to the eye and ear areas and the foal suspect to being a Grey.

There are two main types of grey horse: Those that lose all pigment in the mane and tail hairs, so eventually they will appear "white" with age; often referred to as "flea-bitten grey", but they usually maintain pigmented skin, distinguishing them from truly white horses. The other type of grey horse will maintain pigment (usually black in the mane and tail and also will have some dark areas on the body and/or legs - often referred to as a "dappled grey".

CREMELLO, PALOMINO, PERLINO, SMOKY BLACK, SMOKY CRÈME

CREMELLO: Cream colored hair coat with white mane and tail, pink skin and blue eyes. A Cremello is produced from Palomino parents and referred to as being "Homozygous" (carrying a double crème gene).

PALOMINO: Dark gold to a pale yellow hair coat, dark skin, white mane and tail, dark eyes. A Palomino is a crème gene diluted chestnut.

PERLINO: Crème colored hair coat, slightly darker points, blue or green eyes, and can have mixed mane and tail. Perlinos are usually the result of a buckskin (crème diluted bay) bred to a palomino. Perlinos retain bronze or brass colored manes, tails, and points on the legs.

SMOKY BLACK: Smoky Black is defined as an "off black", usually with amber colored eyes, not to be confused with a "black bay". Smoky Black are "black" horses that have received the crème diluting gene from one or both parents. The crème gene is only expressed in the eyes, some cream colored hair in/around the ears, the eyes, and their coat is slightly diluted by the crème genetics. The usual breeding in order to obtain a Smoky Black is breeding Black to Palomino, Cremello, Perlino, and/or Smoky Crème. To be a true Smokey Black, one parent must be either Palomino, Buckskin, Cremello, Perlino or Smokey Crème. A Smoky Black will reproduce like a palomino.

SMOKY CRÈME: A Smokey Crème can be the result of the cross between 1) Smoky Black (black carrying the crème dilute gene) and a palomino; 2) breeding two Smoky Blacks (a true Smoky Crème is two crème genes on a double black base), 3) breeding Perlino and Smoky Black, or 4) breeding Cremello and Smoky Black. It is, however, almost impossible to distinguish a Smokey Crème from a Perlino by just looking at the horse. More reliable identification is how the horse reproduces. Smoky Crèmes usually retain bronzy or brass colored manes, tails and leg points. Positive color identification of the dam and sire are required.

ROAN

Any dominate base coat color (bay, black, chestnut, sorrel, etc.) with intermixed white hairs. Usually has solid base coat colored heads and bony areas will usually be the dark base coat color; subject to seasonal changes: lightest in the spring, darker in winter. Foal photo courtesy of Jane Burns and Koko Bean, photo courtesy of Bridle Ridge Gaited Horses, Cameron, Wisconsin

Especially important to note - a roan will not go progressively grey or lighten with age. A true Roan must have one or both parents who are roans.

SILVER DAPPLE

SILVER DAPPLE - Dark chocolate to pale yellow body which may be dappled. Silver, flax, or white mane and tail, usually has a mix of dark hairs on legs. This color is only apparent on horses that are black, bay or buckskin since the gene only acts upon black hair to dilute (lighten) it. It can be carried by chestnut, sorrel and palomino, but is not visible. Silver Dapple is a color expressed dominant "Z" gene which has an unique effect on various base coat colors visible on dark bodied horse usually black to light chocolate with black points, but not expressed (visible) on chestnuts, sorrel and palominos. It's principal effect is to lighten up body base colors and drastically effect point color. Silver Dapple can be carried on red bodied (non-black points) horses, but is not visually apparent. A Silver Dapple will have a light mane and tail that turns platinum silver anytime from foal coat shedding until maturity. Also of special note is all Silver Dapples do not have dappling on the body. There is a separate "dapple gene" which is entirely different from the "Z" gene. One parent must be a Silver Dapple in order to produce a Silver Dapple. Silver Dapple Foxtrotters are not grey. Listed below are some of the more common Silver Dapple colors and their descriptions.

CHOCOLATE SILVER DAPPLE: The "Z" gene acting on a black base. Light to dark chocolate body with flaxen, white, or silver mane and tail, legs usually darker than body. The body lacks any red cast to the coat. Could easily be confused with a dark chestnut with flaxen name/tail.

RED SILVER DAPPLE: The "Z" gene on a bay base. Red body with flaxen, white, or silver mane and tail, legs usually darker than body. The photo on the right is an excellent example of a young Red Silver Dapple, she appears chestnut with a silver/white mane and tail and although the black points are not readily apparent, the legs will be black from the knees to the hooves, much like the points of a bay.

YELLOW SILVER DAPPLE: These are extremely rare and is the "Z" gene effect on Dun or Buckskin; much more subtle than when associated with Blacks or Bays and require close inspection for proper identification. Yellow Silver Dapple can easily be confused with palomino due to the similar gold body color and pale points (especially at birth), or a palomino going grey. Yellow Silver Dapples retain some black or brown pigment in their points, including black or brown legs; and are, therefore identifiable if one closely inspects the point color for unique veining/cob-webbing; and along with the presence of a silver/white mane and tail. The Yellow Silver Dapple appears as a dirty light yellow horse, silver mane and tail, dark legs and unique veining/cob-webbing on the points.

SPOTTED

More than one spotted gene may be present on an individual horse and all must have at least one spotted parent to be registered in the MFTHBA.

TOBIANO: Body any solid color with white color pattern and white legs. White spots are regular and rounded with even borders and cross over the back between the ears and the tail. The base color can be any of the recognized MFTHBA colors. Required to have one registered spotted parent.

SPLASHED WHITE OVERO: Large White spotting usually comes up from the belly; having the appearance of paint being splashed up from below, never crossing the back. There is usually a lot of white on the head and may have blue eyes. The white areas are irregular with uneven edges, may have solid color legs, except for otherwise normal white markings.

FRAME OVERO: Solid color topline, usually with dark legs. White patches are normally on the side of the body and are "framed" by the dark areas. These white areas can vary greatly in size, quantity and in their location. It must be noted that breeding Frame to Frame can and usually does result in lethal white foals; foals that are either aborted, still born; or worse yet - suffer a very painful death within the first few hours or days after birth. It is very important to test any breeding stock suspected of being Frame to avoid this, especially if the parent is already an identified Frame.

SABINO: Any base coat colored body, mane and tail with white lacey body patches, especially on the barrel, face and legs; and scattered white hair throughout the coat. In this case, the scattered white body hair is NOT indicative of Roan, but only of the Sabino gene. Sabinos usually have high white jagged edged stockings that are higher on the front of the leg although the white does not necessarily have reach the hock area. Facial markings may be so minimal as to only have a white spot on the chin or lower lip, or as maximum as Medicine Hats and War Bonnets. A maximum expressed Sabino can appear to be a White; however, they will have dark skin - not the pink skin of a true White horse. Usually Sabinos have dark eyes. Of special note - The gene responsible for Sabino markings is a Recessive gene so the parents of a Sabino may not exhibit any of the characteristics mentioned above.

WHITE

WHITE: Dominant color gene which produces a white bodied horse with pink skin and dark eyes. Dominant white horses have a white parent and produce white offspring 50% of the time when bred to dark colors and 100% of the time when bred to another dominant white. A White horse lacks any color pigment in the hair coat. Unfortunately, very few Missouri Fox Trotters are solid white although a maximum expressed sabino can appear at first glance to be a White. White horses with dark eyes are not Albinos. An Albino horse has pink eyes. All White horses are heterozygotes, and so are capable of producing colored foals as well as White foals. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have any white horse breeders/owners on this data base.

HOME

YOUR COMPLETE RESOURCE DIRECTORY 08/07/2008

DNA COLOR COAT TESTING