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# Smoky black
- URL: https://equinecolors.com/smoky-black/
- Published: 2025-11-12T13:04:35.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-10T10:00:17.000Z
- Description: Smoky black refers to a horse with one copy of the cream dilution on a black base coat. It looks the same as black.
- Author: Hannelore Roodhooft
- Tags: Colors, Dilutions, MATP, #Import 2026-08-12 09:42

## Appearance

| Foals | ![Smoky black foal](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/2025/11/blackfoal-1.png) | Smoky black foals look the same as [black](https://equinecolors.com/black/) foals. |
| ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| Smoky black can't be visually distinguished fromblack. A smoky black can look jet black, while a black horse can be sun-faded. | ![Smoky black horse](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/2025/11/black-1.png) | Adults |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ |

### Mimics

Black and smoky black look the same, so genetic testing (or pedigree info) is needed.

## Genetics

Smoky black is the result of **one copy of cream** on a **black base**. A single copy doesn't visually affect black pigment, so only genetic testing or parentage can confirm whether a horse is smoky black. The cream (CR) dilution is an allele of the [**MATP**](https://equinecolors.com/matp-gene/) gene.

![CTA Image](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/2025/12/Equinecolors_Icon_DNA1-12.png) 

****Smoky black:**  
Black E/\_ a/a) + CR/n

**Read more:**  
[Black](https://equinecolors.com/black/) | [Palomino ](https://equinecolors.com/palomino/)| [Buckskin](https://equinecolors.com/buckskin/) | [Cremello](https://equinecolors.com/cremello/) | [Smoky cream](https://equinecolors.com/smoky-cream/) | [Perlino](https://equinecolors.com/perlino/)

[Back to Cream](https://equinecolors.com/dilutions/)

## Articles

1. 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](https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2052.2001.00806.x?ref=equinecolors.com)
2. 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](https://doi.org/10.1051/gse:2002039?ref=equinecolors.com)

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