Amber champagne

Appearance

Foals		Champagne foals are often born darker than their adult color will be. They have blue-green eyes and pink skin.

Foals

Champagne foals are often born darker

than their adult color will be. They have

blue-green eyes and pink skin.

Bay base diluted to a lighter tan/gold color. Points are darker brown than the coat, although the difference between the legs and the body may be very small. The eyes darken to a hazel/amber color as the horse ages. The skin has a slightly darker, pink to lavender tone with freckling around the eyes, muzzle, udder, sheath and under the tail.		Adults

Bay base diluted to a lighter tan/gold color.

Points are darker brown than the coat, although

the difference between the legs and the body may

be very small. The eyes darken to a hazel/amber

color as the horse ages. The skin has a slightly

darker, pink to lavender tone with freckling

around the eyes, muzzle, udder, sheath and

under the tail.

Adults

Bay shade variations

Sable Champagne		Champagne on a dark bay/ "seal brown" coat is often called sable champagne.

Sable
Champagne

Champagne on a dark bay/ "seal brown"

coat is often called sable champagne.

Mimics

Dark amber (sable) champagne can look almost identical to classic champagne. The dilution of lighter amber champagne can look similar to buckskin or bay dun shades (but they don't share any typical characteristics).

Champagne horses can be recognised by their typical freckled, pink skin, often with a purple hue.

Genetics

Amber champagne is the result of a bay base diluted by one or two copies of champagne. The champagne (CH) dilution is an allele of the SLC36A1 gene.

Amber champagne:
Bay (E/_ A/_) + CH/_

Read more:
Chestnut | Gold champagne | Classic champagne

Back to Champagne

Articles

Cook D, Brooks S, Bellone R, Bailey E.; Missense Mutation in Exon 2 of SLC36A1 Responsible for Champagne Dilution in Horses; PLOS Genetics (2008); Doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000195