The Champagne dilution gene lightens the coat colour of the horse by diluting the pigment. The skin of Champagne-diluted horses is pinkish/lavender toned and becomes speckled with age; the speckling is particularly noticeable around the eye, muzzle, under the tail, udder and sheath. The eye colour is blue-green at birth and darkens to amber as the horse ages. Champagne has the following effects on the basic coat colours of horses:
Chestnut/Sorrel -> Gold champagne: a gold body color and often a flaxen mane and tail. Gold champagne horses are visually similar to palomino horses.
Bay/Brown -> Amber champagne: a tan body color with brown points (sometimes referred to as amber Buckskin).
Black -> Classic champagne: a darker tan body with brown points.
A horse can also carry mutations for other modifying genes which can further affect its coat colour. The Coat Colour Champagne dilution test (P853) tests for the genetic status of the SLC36A1 gene. Este gen tiene dos variantes (alelos). The dominant allele Ch results in the dilution and the recessive allele N does not have an effect on the basic colour.
The Coat Colour Champagne dilution test encloses the following results, in this scheme the results of the Coat Colour Champagne dilution test are shown in combination with the possible results for the tests that determine the basic Coat Colour (Coat Colour Chestnut and Coat Colour Agouti test):
|
Result Champagne dilution |
Result Chestnut + Agouti |
Coat Colour |
Descripción |
|---|---|---|---|
|
N/N |
e/e + A/A, A/a or a/a
|
Chestnut, Sorrel
|
Non-dilute. The basic colour chestnut/sorrel is not modified unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele N to its offspring. |
|
N/N |
E/E or E/e + A/A or A/a |
Bay, Brown |
Non-dilute. The basic colour bay/brown is not modified unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele N to its offspring. |
|
N/N |
E/E or E/e + a/a |
Black |
Non-dilute. The basic colour black is not modified unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele N to its offspring. |
|
N/Ch |
e/e + A/A, A/a or a/a
|
Gold Champagne
|
One copy of the dominant Ch allele. The basic colour chestnut/sorrel is diluted to gold champagne unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can pass on either allele N or Ch to its offspring. |
|
N/Ch |
E/E or E/e + A/A or A/a |
Amber Champagne |
One copy of the dominant Ch allele. The basic colour bay/brown is diluted to amber champagne unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can pass on either allele N or Ch to its offspring. |
|
N/Ch |
E/E or E/e + a/a |
Classic Champagne |
One copy of the dominant Ch allele. The basic colour black is diluted to classic champagne unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can pass on either allele N or Ch to its offspring. |
|
Ch/Ch |
e/e + A/A, A/a or a/a
|
Gold Champagne
|
Two copies of the dominant Ch allele. The basic colour chestnut/sorrel is diluted to Gold Champagne unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele Ch to its offspring. |
|
Ch/Ch |
E/E or E/e + A/A or A/a |
Amber Champagne |
Two copies of the dominant Ch allele. The basic colour bay/brown is diluted to amber champagne unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele Ch to its offspring. |
|
Ch/Ch |
E/E or E/e + a/a |
Classic Champagne |
Two copies of the dominant Ch allele. The basic colour black is diluted to classic champagne unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele Ch to its offspring. |