Silver black

Appearance

Foals		Silver foals are often very pale at birth, with silvery eyelashes, mane and tail. The hooves typically have vertical stripes.

Foals

Silver foals are often very pale at birth,

with silvery eyelashes, mane and tail.

The hooves typically have vertical stripes.

Silver on a black base dilutes the mane, tail and sometimes feathering, eyelashes and facial hair to a reddish, silver or nearly white color. The coat is black, but can be diluted to a more greyish-brown color. The coat is often dappled. Silver horses may develop eye problems (MCOA).		Adults

Silver on a black base dilutes the mane, tail

and sometimes feathering, eyelashes and

facial hair to a reddish, silver or nearly

white color. The coat is black, but can be

diluted to a more greyish-brown color. The

coat is often dappled. Silver horses may

develop eye problems (MCOA).

Adults

Genetics

Silver black is the result of a black base diluted by one of two copies of silver. The silver (Z) dilution is an allele of the PMEL17 gene.

Silver black:
Black (E/_ a/a) + Z/_

Read more:
Black | Silver bay

Back to silver

Articles

Andersson L.S., Wilbe M., Viluma A., Cothran G., Ekesten B., Ewart S., Lindgren G.; Equine multiple congenital ocular anomalies and silver coat colour result from the pleiotropic effects of mutant PMEL; PLoS One (2013) Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075639
Brunberg E., Andersson L., Cothran G., Sandberg K., Mikko S., Lindgren G.; A missense mutation in PMEL17 is associated with the Silver coat color in the horse; BMC Genetics (2006); Doi: 10.1186/1471-2156-7-46