Dear Prism,
I have a sorrel mare that I am wanting to breed to a gray stallion or to a palamino. I haven't decided which stud to breed
to yet, what color chances do I have with these two stallions? – Marty, submitted via HorseGazette.com
Dear Marty,
Let’s start with the easy one – the Palomino. All red horses (Sorrel, Chestnut, Palomino, Cremello) are homozygous
for the red color gene. The Sorrel is homozygous for red and will only pass a red gene to offspring. The Palomino is
homozygous for the red gene and will only pass a red gene to offspring. The Palomino also carries one copy of the dilute/cream
gene and there is a 50% chance of his passing that dilute gene along. The foal will be a red foal (homozygous for the red genes)
but should the Palomino pass the dilute/cream gene it will be a palomino. So the offspring of the Sorrel and Palomino will either
be a Sorrel or a Palomino.
The gray is a whole other story. Gray is not a color but a “Modifier” of colors in that with time it will change all colors
to gray/white. Without knowing the birth/base color of the gray there is no way to predict the color of offspring which could be
produced by this cross.
To further complicate the issue we don’t know if the gray is homozygous for gray (carries two gray genes) or
heterozygous for gray (carrys one gray gene). If the stallion is homozygous for gray all of his offspring will eventually gray out.
If the stallion is heterozygous for gray then approx. 50% of his offspring will gray out. - Prism
Dear Prism,
I bred a grey mare,( she looks white but has tiny sorrel flecks if you look really close and hard), She is bred to a bay
stallion, his background is prominently bays. Just curious about the possible colors for the foal.
The above mentioned gray mare was bred to a gray 2 yrs ago and to my surprise she had a sorrel filly. That filly is now
a dark, almost chestnut color with a gray chin, gray hairs showing up throughout her mane/tail, body and face ...she is 12 months
now. Can I call her a gray? Thanks so much. Tamara, submitted via HorseGazette.com
Dear Tamara,
On the breeding of the gray mare it is difficult to predict foal colors without knowing what color the mare was born. If
we assume the mare was born Sorrel/Chestnut and you bred her to a bay then the resulting foal could be sorrel, bay, black with a
50% chance of turning gray with age.
As to the yearling sorrel filly, from what you describe and without photos showing the gray hairs I would venture a
guess she is turning gray. Some of the tell tail signs of turning gray would be gray hairs around the eyes, the eyelashes being
light or gray and gray hairs at the base of the ears, in the flank and coming in throughout the mane/tail. - Prism
Dear Prism,
I am looking to bread my gray mare and I want to know what colors I will get with different color studs. Mark Silvey,
submitted via HorseGazette.com
Dear Mark,
Without knowing the birth/base color of your gray mare we really can’t venture a guess as to foal colors with any
accuracy. Remember, gray is a modifier of color not a color in and of itself. – Prism
Dear Prism,
I purchased a 1 yr. old black stud. After being in the pasture for 12 months he has turned a chocolate with black mane
and tail, with a tinge of burnt yellow. His mother is black and his father is sorrel. What color is he likely to be? Thanks Brett
Dear Brett,
It sounds like the colt is “sunburnt” from being in pasture for the last 12 months. If his registration papers say black I
would say he is black but is faded from being outside for a year. - Prism