We bred a Palomino Stallion to a Sorrel Mare and got a Blood Bay, Wondering How did this happen?
Thanks! – Tara, submitted via HorseGazette.com
Dear Tara,
A Palomino and a Sorrel are both homozygous for red (The Palomino is a Sorrel with one dilute/cream gene) and
neither carries the black gene necessary for the foal to be a bay. Two red-based horses can’t produce a black based horse because
neither of the red-based horses carry the black gene. If the foal is a bay, and this is just me, I’d be looking at the possibility that
another stallion bred the mare. I’ve seen several Chestnut/Sorrel foals that appear to be bay but are just red with a super dark red
mane and tail. Just a suggestion but I’d be tempted to have the foal tested (they use pulled hair and I’d use UC-Davis to do the
testing) to make sure the foal truly is a bay and to identify the sire. If the foal is truly a bay then the Palomino did not sire the
foal. - Prism
What are the odds if I breed a silver grulla to a grulla mare? Will they produce a sorrel foal?– Kyle Loveland, submitted via
HorseGazette.com
Dear Kyle,
If both horses are heterozygous for black (one black gene and one red gene) then yes, they could produce a sorrel foal.
However if even one parent is homozygous for black you would never get a sorrel foal from this cross. Remember, Grullo is the
dun gene on a black horse so if one parent passes the Dun gene to the foal you’ll have a Dun foal regardless of the color. - Prism
Hi... I have a Rabicano mare, very deep chestnut, almost burgandy looking sometimes, with lots of silver under belly, and silver
brushing her flanks big coon tail, white blaze and trim no idea of her Dam or Sires Colour only that the Dam to her was a
Purebred Canadian. I have bred her to a dark Liver Chestnut, white blaze, white socked Quarter Horse Stallion. Do you think I
may get another coon tail Rabicano? Tammy Walt, submitted via HorseGazette.com
Dear Tammy,
Well there is very little known about Rabicano. It is seemingly a random occurrence of a modified Roan gene and
there is no proof it is passed from parent to offspring. With it being a random occurrence it is really difficult to make an educated
guess at a percentage or even give a reasonable answer. So, I’m going to say there would be a 50/50 chance of it occurring. Prism
I have recently purchased a sorrel/chestnut quarter horse mare that is 7 months pregnant. She was bred with a Golden palomino
quarter horse and she had a five month old palomino foal at her side from the same stallion when I purchased her.
I am wondering what are the chances of getting a palomino foal from her? Is it true that chestnut mares always produce palomino
colour when bred from palomino stallion? Thank you very much. - Sarah Rama, submitted via HorseGazette.com.
Dear Sarah,
Both Palomino and Sorrel are red-based meaning they are homozygous for red. The Palomino carries one copy of the
Dilute gene and passes it to the offspring approx. 50% of the time so it is not true that a Chestnut bred to a Palomino will always
produce a Palomino. If the Palomino was homozygous for dilute (carried two dilute genes) it would be a Cremello and not a
Palomino. So in your situation the resulting foal will be either Sorrel or Palomino and you have an even chance. - Prism