Cream (Cr)

The Cream gene (Cr) dilutes horse base colors to several well-known lighter shades. The resulting coat color depends on your horses base coat of chestnut, bay, or black.

    Black Bases

    Horses with black base coats will be:

    • Smoky Black – Crn
    • Smoky Cream- CrCr

    With other dilutes the coat color name will change but most often will include “Cream”. 

    Chestnut Bases

    The type of chestnut your horse is will determine the type of palomino produced. Horses with chestnut base coats will be:

    Single Cream (Crn)

    • Red Chesnut + Crn = Golden Palomino
    • Light Chestnut + Crn = Light Palomino
    • Standard Chestnut + Crn = Palomino
    • Liver Chestnut + Crn = Chocolate Palomino

    Double dilutes (CrCr) 

    • Red Chesnut + CrCr = Cremello
    • Light Chestnut + CrCr = Cremello
    • Standard Chestnut + CrCr = Cremello
    • Liver Chestnut + CrCr = Cremello

    With other dilutes the coat color name will change but most often will include “Cream”.

    Bay Bases

    The type of bay your horse is will determine the type of buckiskin produced. Horses with bay base coats will be:

    Single Cream (Crn)

    • Bay + Crn = Buckskin
    • Light Bay + Crn = Light Buckskin
    • Wild Bay + Crn = Wild Buckskin
    • Brown Bay + Crn = Brown Buckskin
    • Seal Bay + Crn = Seal Buckskin

    Double dilutes (CrCr) 

    • Bay + CrCr = Perlino
    • Light Bay + CrCr = Perlino
    • Wild Bay + CrCr = Perlino
    • Brown Bay + CrCr = Brown Bay Cream
    • Seal Bay + CrCr = Perlino

    With other dilutes the coat color name will change but most often will include “Cream”.

    Black + Crn or CrCr

    Smoky Black

    Smoky Cream

    Chestnut + Crn or CrCr

    Golden Palomino

    Light Palomino

    Palomino

    Chocolate Palomino

    Cremello

    Bay + Crn or CrCr

    Buckskin

    Light Buckskin

    Wild Buckskin

    Brown Buckskin

    Seal Buckskin

    Brown Bay Cream

    Perlino

    Pearl (prl)

    Pearl is a recessive gene and will only cause dilution if it’s homozygous recessive (prlprl) or paired with one cream gene (Crprl). Horses with prln or PrlPrl genes will not display the pearl dilution. 

    All horses of any base coat color will have “Pearl” as their color name.