TUNAMARA
WHITE HORSE FACTS
 
There are many falacies surrounding the white horses position in the horse world not least of which is that it is not truly white. The Cremello and Perlino are what are known as double dilutes. This does not mean that they are in any way weaker or more susceptable to illness or injury than any other colour.
                       
The Chestnut/Sorrel horse or Bay horse are solid colour coat patterns.
They can have white sox, blazes and even body spots. They will have mane and tail of black for bay or flaxen/self coloured for chestnut but they always have dark eye colour. They have pink skin under their white markings.
                     
The Palomino horse or Buckskin horse are single dilute colour coat patterns. They also can have the white markings as described above and will have mane and tail colour of white for the palomino's and brown/black for the buckskins. They will also always have a dark eye colour.
They also have pink skin under their white markings.

The Cremello horse or Perlino horse are double dilute colour coat patterns. They also can have the white markings as described above and will have mane and tail colour of white for cremello's and tan or red for the perlino's. They will always have blue eye colour
They also have pink skin under their white markings but not under the cream coat which is usually a pale creamy coffee colour denoting pigment.

When a chestnut or bay solid are bred to a single dilute coloured horse which would be a Palomino or buckskin in colour these solids will either throw either solid or single dilute colours in the foals. Some of the palomino foals are very light in colour but still have black eyes so are within the range of the single dilute gene and registered as palomino.

But when a chestnut or bay solid is bred to a Cremello or Perlino there is a double issue of the dilute gene which means that every foal from these matings will be 100% guaranteed to be a single dilute foal ie. a palomino or buckskin foal. Some of these palomino foals are also very light but will still have black eyes so are registered as palomino.

If a Palomino or Buckskin single dilute are bred to other single dilutes the resulting foal will in many cases appear as a  single dilute foal but in other cases something strange happens and the foal picks up the dilution genes from both parents and is born with blue eyes. This foal is a double dilute. It is as strong as its darker coloured kin and it has cream coat colour with either a white mane and tail or a reddish brown one. These double dilute foals are registered as Cremello or Perlino.

Two double dilute parents will always produce a double dilute foal. and one double dilute parent mated to a single dilute parent will most often also produce a double dilute foal.

Cremello X Chestnut will give 100% palomino foals
Cremello X Bay will give chance of either 50% buckskin or 50% palomino foals

A cremello or perlino horse has cream coat and skin with white blaze, sox or body marks as do their darker cousins. They are no more likely to sunburn as has been thought in the past than their darker mates except in the areas of white ie. the nose where the hair is sparce and skin pink. White faced chestnuts or bays also burn in these areas. They do have a little problem with the sun glare with their lack of eye pigmentation as do blue eyed people so often a mask is used as a sun shield where we would use sunglasses, but they do not have any unusual sight problems or differences in vision as has also been thought in the past.

In all but colour these horses are the same and as sound and healthy as any other  horse of any other colour.

So when wishing to breed a pretty coloured horse in the future no matter what the breed please do not overlook the Cremello as he along with his Perlino brothers is the only 100% guarantee of a result.

 

All material herein copywrite; Tunamara "2006"




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