Equine Color Genetics (Over) Simplified

Why are grullos so rare? What's the difference between a buckskin and a dun? What scientifically proven color does the AQHA not recognize? What makes a white horse look the way the do? And what the heck is a "double dilute"? The answers are here! If you take time to navigate through this series of pages, you should come out with an understanding of basic color genetics. This will enable you to make better choices in color breeding and will enhance your enjoyment of the rainbow of colors in the horse world.

Please note that terms such as "gene" are used loosely here, to make things simpler. Also, in order to keep this (fairly) short, we are not going into the iffy color "brown", nor are we going to deal with things like the "mealy" nor "sooty" effects, roans, coat shades, and the like. We are also ignoring gray, which is a whole other story! At the end of this tutorial, you will (soon) find some references for further study into these and other intriguing subjects. So let's get started!

Lesson 1 - Basic Coat Colors