Horse Coat Color Panel

Red Factor

The extension gene, or red factor, determines whether a horse will have a chestnut base coat color or a black or bay base coat color.

Agouti (Bay/Black)

The agouti gene controls the distribution of black pigment, and determines whether a horse will have a bay or black base coat color.

Champagne

Champagne is a coat color dilution responsible for diluting both red and black pigment as well as causing pinkish/lavender skin and amber-colored eyes.

Cream

Cream is a dilution that causes the palomino, buckskin, smoky black, cremello, perlino, and smoky cream coat colors.

Dun Dilution

Dun is a coat color dilution characterized by lightening of the coat, with the head, lower legs, mane, and tail undiluted. Oftentimes, dun is also characterized by "primitive markings" such as a dark dorsal stripe, barring of the legs, shoulder stripes, and "cobwebbing" on the forehead.

Gray Presence/Absence

The gray allele causes progressive depigmentation of the hair, often resulting in a color that is almost completely white by 6-12 years of age. This test will detect the presence or absence of the gray allele only and is included in the Coat Color Panel. For a more detailed test that determines the specific gray allele(s), please refer to the Gray Copy Number test.

Pearl

Pearl is a coat color dilution that is characterized by a dilution of the coat, mane, and tail as well as a lightening of the skin.

Silver

The silver dilution dilutes black/brown pigment to lighten the manes and tails of black and bay horses to a flaxen or silver gray. The silver dilution is also associated with an inherited ocular syndrome known as Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA).

Sample Collection

Horse DNA tests are carried out using cells from the roots of a hair sample (roughly 20-30 hairs).

1. Grab about 10 hairs at the base.

2. Wrap the hairs around your finger and give it a quick pull.

3. Check the ends to make sure the pulled hairs have roots.

4. Repeat the process until you have collected about 20-30 hairs with intact roots.

5. You can choose different places on the mane or tail. NOTE: For foals, we recommend pulling all hairs from the tail only. 

6. Tape the hairs to the submission form and fold the form along the dotted line to protect the sample. Do not use ziploc bags as they can cause condensation that allows mold to grow on the hair.

Hairs with roots

7. Place the folded form containing the sample in a paper envelope and mail it to the laboratory.

 

Type of Sample
20-30 Hairs With Roots

Species

Horse

Breed

Akhal Teke American Sport Horse American Sport Pony American Warmblood Andadura Andalusian Appalachian Singlefoot Appaloosa Appendix Arabian Ardennes Arriador Australian Stock Horse Azteca Baden-Wurttemberg Barockpinto Baroque Pinto Bashkir Curly Bavarian Belgian Belgian Sport Horse Belgian Warmblood Brandenburg Breton British Sport Horse British Spotted Pony Bucking Horse Burchell's Zebra Caballo Deportivo la Silla Camarillo White Canadian Horse Canadian Warmblood Caspian Horse Chapman's Zebra Chilean Horse Cleveland Bay Clydesdale Cob Normand Coldblooded Trotter Colorado Ranger Comtois Connemara Pony Continental Warmblood Costa Rican Paso Horse Cream Draft Criollo Crossbred Curly Dales Pony Danish Warmblood Deutsches Reitpony Deutsches Sportpferd Donkey, Ass, Burro Draft Cross Dutch Harness Horse Dutch Warmblood Exmoor Pony Falabella Faux Friesian Fell Pony Finnhorse Fire Friesian Frederiksborg French Warmblood "Selle Francais" Friesian Friesian Cross Friesian Sporthorse Georgian Grande German Riding Pony Gotland Pony Grevy's Zebra Gypsian Gypsy Cob Gypsy Vanner Hackney Horse Hackney Pony Haflinger Half Andalusian Half Arabian Half-Marchador Hanoverian Hartmann's Zebra Heck Tarpan Hessen Hibrido Highland Pony Holsteiner Iberian Warmblood Iceland Pony Icelandic Horse Imperial Heritage Horse International Sport Pony Irish Draught Irish Hunter Kallblodstravare Kentucky Mountain Horse Kerry Bog Pony Kiang Kiger Mustang Knabstrupper Kulan Latvian Warmblood Lipizzaner Lusitano Mangalarga Mangalarga Marchador Mexican Sport Horse Miniature Horse Missouri Fox Trotter Mongolian Domestic Horse Morab Morgan Horse Moriesian Moroccan Barb Mountain Pleasure Horse Mule Mustang National Show Horse New Forest Pony Newfoundland Pony Nokota Noriker North American Trakehner Norwegian Fjord Horse Norwegian Nordland Oldenburg Onager Other Paint Horse Paso Fino Percheron Performance Horse Int'l Peruvian Horse Pinto Polish Warmblood Pony of the Americas Przewalski Pura Raza Española Quarter Horse Racking Horse Rheinland Rheinland Pfaltz-Saar Rhenish German Coldblood Rocky Mountain Horse Russian Orloff Russian Warmblood Saddlebred Saxon-Thuringian Coldblood Scottish Highland Pony Selle Français Shetland Pony Shire Shire Crossbred Silesian Horse Sillo Argentino Single-Footing Horse South German Coldblood Spanish Barb Spanish Heritage Horse Spanish Mustang Sporthorse Spotted Saddle Horse Standardbred Suffolk Punch Swedish Warmblood Tarpan Tennessee Walking Horse Thailand Pony Thoroughbred Trakehner Trocha Trocha y Galope Trote y Galope Turbo Friesian Unknown Uruguayan Criollo Virginia Warmblood Warlander Welsh Pony Weser Ems Ponies Westfalen Wild Horse Zangersheide
+ View All Breeds

Type of Panel

Coat Color and/or Type

Contact the VGL

Connect with us on social media