A while back I started giving my colors section a facelift. It was time for updated information and I’m excited to share it with my readers.
Dilutions
There are a variety of dilution genes which can affect the two base colors as well as those affected by modifiers and white patterns. Today I want to share a little about the silver dilution which doesn’t have an affect on all colors, but the affect it does have is absolutely brilliant and only found in certain breeds.
Silver Dilution
The silver dilution only has an effect on black bases (that includes bay) and does not have an affect on red hair. This is one of the rarer dilutions, commonly found in gaited animals and pony breeds – but uncommon in most other breeds.
Silver Colors
Because silver only affects black pigment the range of its colors is rather limited. This dilution only works on black bases, so that means black, seal brown and bay bases will see an effect. On black, the coat turns anywhere from a silver blue to a deep chocolate brown (with or without dapples) and the mane and tail turn flaxen to white. On bays the body hair is unchanged, but the mane and tail are flaxen to white and legs are chocolate brown.
This dilution turns black hair bright white, making it one of the more dramatic dilutions out there.
Learn More About Color
Be sure to visit the new and improved color section for more information about silver horses and stay tuned, next week we’ll continue the dilution genes by looking at the dun dilution gene – which incidentally creates animals that look (almost) identical to buckskins.