Chestnut is a color of horse, consisting of a red or brownish coat, with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. The Haflinger, also known as the Avelignese is a Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae.
Chestnut is one of the most common horse coat colors, seen in almost every breed of horse. Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. Some breeds, such as the Budyonny, Suffolk Punch, and Haflinger are exclusively chestnut. The Budyonny is a breed of Horse The Suffolk Punch is an English The Haflinger, also known as the Avelignese is a Other breeds, such as the Belgian are predominantly chestnut.
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Chestnut genetics
- See also: Equine coat color genetics
Chestnut is formed by the recessive "e" or "red" gene. Equine coat color genetics determine a Horse 's coat color All horses begin genetically with a base coat of "red" ( chestnut) or "black It is one of the two base color genes that all horses possess, the other being the "black" or "extension" gene "E. Black is a hair coat color of Horses in which the entire hair coat is black " Other coat colors, such as red dun, palomino and cremello, are created when additional dilution genes of various sorts act upon the base "e" gene. The dun gene is a Dilution gene that affects both red and black pigments in the coat color of a Horse. Palomino is a coat color in Horses consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail Cremello is a Horse coat color consisting of a cream colored body with a cream or white mane and tail Dilution gene is a popular term for any one of a number of Genes that act to create a lighter coat color in living creatures
Therefore, while it is possible for two non-chestnut parents to produce a chestnut foal, a chestnut bred to a chestnut will only produce a chestnut.
Color variations in chestnut horses
- See also: Equine coat color
The most common type of chestnut is a solid copper-red color. Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. These copper-red chestnuts are also sometimes called sorrels in some parts of the world. Sorrel is one of the most common Equine coat colors in Horses While it is usually used to refer to a copper-red shade of chestnut horse in some places When a chestnut horse has a markedly lighter mane and tail, it is said to be "chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. " A dark chestnut is called a liver chestnut or sometimes simply "brown. " (This can be confusing, because some very dark bay horses are also sometimes called "brown. Bay is a hair coat color of Horses characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black Mane, Tail, ear edges and lower ") Very light chestnuts are sometimes called "blonde" chestnuts, or in some places, the term sorrel is used.
Chestnut modified by other genes
A flaxen chestnut, with a lighter-colored mane and tail, is a common color variation, but in some cases may be produced by the addition of another gene patten beyond the basic (ee) gene. One gene responsible for the flaxen mane and tail, (FfFf), also causes lighter lower legs. There are genes which are responsible for darkening the coat into a liver chestnut, but evidence of a "sooty" gene is still uncertain.
"Chestnut" vs. "Sorrel"
Sorrel a term often interchanged with chestnut when referring to a horse that is a solid copper-reddish color with a reddish or flaxen mane and tail. Sorrel is one of the most common Equine coat colors in Horses While it is usually used to refer to a copper-red shade of chestnut horse in some places In the American west, almost all copper-red chestnuts are called "sorrel. " [1] In other parts of the world, some consider a "sorrel" to be a light chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. Some breed associations use the terms "chestnut" and "sorrel" to describe lighter and darker shades of red-based coats.
Colors that are not chestnut
Palomino horses are not chestnuts, though a few flaxen chestnuts with light coats are occasionally accepted by some Palomino registries. Palomino is a coat color in Horses consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail A true Palomino is a combination of the chestnut "e" gene, modified by a dilution gene, sometimes called the cream gene. Dilution gene is a popular term for any one of a number of Genes that act to create a lighter coat color in living creatures The cream gene is a Dilution gene expressed in Horses and produces lighter colors Breeding two palominos can produce a palomino, cremello, or chestnut foal. The surest way to breed a palomino-colored horse is to cross a chestnut with a cremello. Cremello is a Horse coat color consisting of a cream colored body with a cream or white mane and tail
Bay horses are not chestnuts. Bay is a hair coat color of Horses characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black Mane, Tail, ear edges and lower Even though they have a red coat, bays also have a black mane, tail and lower legs.
The silver dapple gene acting on a black coat produces a chocolate brown-colored horse with a lighter mane and tail. The silver dapple ( Z) gene is a Dilution gene that affects the black base coat color. Absent genetic testing, it is probably impossible to differentiate such horses by appearance alone from true liver chestnuts that have a flaxen mane and tail.
External links
References
- "Horse coat color tests" from the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Lab
- "Introduction to Coat Color Genetics" from Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. The University of California Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, or just UCD, is a public coeducational university located in the city of Davis, Web Site accessed January 12, 2008
See also
Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. Equine coat color genetics determine a Horse 's coat color All horses begin genetically with a base coat of "red" ( chestnut) or "blackDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic