Palomino

Appearance

Foals		Usually born with a light coat, mane and tail. Palomino foals can sometimes appear very similar to chestnuts. The lighter mane and tail can take some time to grow out. These palominos tend to have a more peachy-toned coat shade, but in some cases, only time or genetic testing can tell.

Foals

Usually born with a light coat, mane and tail.

Palomino foals can sometimes appear very

similar to chestnuts. The lighter mane and tail

can take some time to grow out. These palominos

tend to have a more peachy-toned coat shade,

but in some cases, only time or genetic testing

can tell.

Chestnut base diluted to a yellow or gold colour. The coat shade may range from pale yellow to a dark chocolate color. Mane and tail are turned into a light creamy shade and can be nearly white.		Adults

Chestnut base diluted to a yellow or gold colour.

The coat shade may range from pale yellow to a

dark chocolate color. Mane and tail are turned

into a light creamy shade and can be nearly white.

Adults

Mimics

A light palomino could be confused with gold champagne or even cremello, while the darker shades could be mistaken for flaxen chestnuts or silver bays. Champagne horses can, however, be recognised by their typical freckled, pink skin, while silver bay horses can be identified by looking at their dark points (ears, lower legs).

Genetics

Palomino is the result of a chestnut base diluted by one copy of cream. The cream (CR) dilution is an allele of the MATP gene.

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Palomino:
Chestnut (e/e) + CR/n

Back to Cream

Articles

Locke, M. M., Ruth, L. S., Millon, L .V., Penedo, M. C. T., Murray, J. D., & Bowling, A. T.; The cream dilution gene, responsible for the palomino and buckskin coat colours, maps to horse chromosome 21. Animal Genetics (2001); doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2052.2001.00806.x
Mariat, D., Taourit, S., & Guérin, G.; A mutation in the MATP gene causes the cream coat colour in the horse. Genetics Selection Evolution (2003); doi: 10.1051/gse:2002039