Palomino Horse Color

Palomino horse color is gorgeous to the eyes. Imagine a white tail, an immaculate mane and a lovely golden coat – the color of a freshly minted penny or gold coin!

This hue is produced when an allele of the cream gene works on a chestnut coat. Apart from the cream gene, there are many other genes that may be responsible for “creating” palominos.

Do any of these descriptions sound familiar to you?

Gene	Effect
Champagne gene	Golden horse coat, pink and/or mottled skin, hazel-brown eyes or yellow-brown eyes
Flaxen gene	Reddish horse coat, light cream mane often seen in some chestnut horses
Pearl gene	Palomino horse coat, blue eyes

Shades and Standards

Today, you don’t really need to worry about these genetic matters. Most breed registries won’t check for the cream gene or any other dilution gene. They’ll be classifying a horse as “palomino” primarily on the basis of the horse coat color instead. Isn’t this a relief?

Apart from its creamy, golden coat, the typical palomino horse has dark skin and eyes. Interestingly, some young horses born with the champagne gene have eye color which darkens as they grow older!

What would it take to pass the palomino color breed registry’s standards? Take a look at the following criteria:

Palomino shades may range from creamy off-white to dark chocolaty brown.
Any white markings should not reach past the hocks and knees. If these white markings are on the face, they should not go beyond the eyes.

Of course, if the palomino has white markings on the face or above the hocks, it may qualify to be registered as a palomino pinto, and if the palomino horse comes from at least one paint horse parent, it may qualify as a palomino paint horse.

Palomino paint horses are beautiful and are some of the most sought after paint horse colors.

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