The champagne gene is a gene that occurs in horses that produces a golden coat color and other distinctive features. It is a dominant dilution gene that will produce the same color whether the horse obtains one or two copies of the gene. This is different from the incomplete dominant dilution of the cream gene, where one gene partially lightens the coat, but two genes increase the dilution factor. If a horse carries a champagne gene, it will be champagne, with no intermediate partial dilution. However, a champagne horse must have at least one parent that is also champagne. The champagne gene dilutes red coat colors into gold, and black into "chocolate" or dark brown. Unlike the silver dapple gene, which only acts on a black coat, the champagne gene acts on both red and black. Champagne horses are born with brown hooves, pink skin, and blue eyes. Their blue eyes eventually become hazel, amber or occasionally green at adulthood. Other characteristics of Champagne coloring include mottled skin and reverse dappling. Foals are generally darker in color than they will be when their adult coat grows in. As a rule, champagne horses start out with a chestnut or bay coat before lightening to a shade of gold. However, unlike gray horses, which eventually develop a pure white coat, the champagne horse's adult coat color is stable and does not progressively lighten. Because Champagne horses are born with pink skin, they are sometimes confused with other coat colors. White, cremello and perlino horses also have pink skin, and other light-colored horses are occasionally born with light skin. The chocolate variation may also be confused with the silver dapple gene. However, the skin of a foal that is not champagne, cremello or perlino usually begins to turn dark within a few days, while a Champagne horse will develop dark mottling over the bright pink skin. Some horses are also born with blue eyes, but, again, their eyes darken rapidly instead of the slow changes seen with Champagne. This gene is seen in the American Cream Draft, Tennessee Walker, American Saddlebred, Missouri Fox Trotter, American Quarter Horse, Miniature horse, and other breeds.
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Different champagne shades
- Amber Champagnes have a gold body, ranging from pale gold to deep, rich yellow. Their points (mane, tail, lower legs) range from very light brown shading, to very dark (almost black) looking points. This color is sometimes mistaken for buckskin.
- Gold Champagnes will either have a white/flaxen mane and tail, or the mane and tail will be the same shade as the body. The Flaxen Golds look like palominos at a distance. Dark Golds are the most similar to a dark red dun but without any dun factor. The foals of both are born chestnut and turn golden. If they are flaxen gold the mane and tail will shed out flaxen or white.
- Sable Champagnes look much like Classic Champagne but when the horse is tested it will have an agouti gene like an Amber. This color is the result of a champagne gene on a dark bay (sometimes called ""brown") base color.
- Classic Champagnes vary in shades. Many horses with the gene acting on a dark bay (brown) base coat are listed as "classic." The color is a liver chocolate metallic shade. The closest color outside of champagne to it is a brownish grulla without dun markings. You may or may not be able to see the leg points. Of all the colors of Champagne, Classics tend to be an uneven color in the body, having highlights in the flank or fine areas.
- Ivory was the name originally given to a pale cream color that very closely resembles Cremello. However, it was discovered that this color was the result of a champagne gene PLUS a cream gene acting on a red (chestnut) base, and that champagne plus cream on other base colors (black or bay) produces other, similarly pale colors, but with darker points. So, to make the color names clearer and more scientific, they became Gold Cream, Amber Cream, Sable Cream and Classic Cream, respectively. They closely resemble double dilution creams such as cremellos and perlinos, but Champagne Cream horses have amber or yellow-green eyes instead of blue eyes, and the skin is mottled like a champagne rather than pink like a cream.
Breeding genetics
Champagne is a simple dominant gene. A horse with either one or two champagne genes will show the effects of the gene equally. However, if a horse is homozygous for a dominant gene, it will always pass the gene on to all of its offspring, while if the horse is heterozygous for the gene, the offspring will not always inherit the color. The possible variations are as follows:
Black + Champagne: Classic
Bay + Champagne: Amber
Chestnut + Champagne: Gold
Dark bay (Brown) + Champagne: Sable
Cream + Champagne: Ivory Champagne
See also
External links
- Champagne Horse Registry
- Champagne genetics
- "Genetics of Champagne Coloring." The Horse online edition, accessed May 31, 2007 at http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=9686
