Color Guide |
Quick SheetBelow is a sheet to help you figure out the phenotype of your horse based on its genes. The gene tells you the name of the gene. The genotype are the genes that are assigned by the Prism program. The phenotype is the name of the color created by the genotype. Start with your horse's base color genes. If your horse has additional genes, go down the chart to the next gene. Look in the section with your horse's base color and find the genotype your horse has. Your horse's color can change as you go down the chart. For example, your horse starts as a Bay, then becomes Buckskin, then Dunskin, then Silver Dunskin, then Silver Dunskin Overo. If a genotype is listed like E/_ or A/_, that means that the second copy of that gene does not matter. A phenotype listed as -- means the genotype has no effect on the base color. Note: Gray and white are not technically base colors, but they override all other genes and therefore act as base color genes. A horse with Gray turns entirely white over time, regardless of genes. A horse with White is born entirely white, regardless of genes. If you have a color in mind and want to know what genes produce that color, you can also use the Color Lookup tool! Just input the color you're thinking of and the genes will be looked up and displayed for you.
Base ColorsPrism has four genes that will set the base color of the horse. Below is a breakdown of each gene and how they interact with each other. ExtensionExtension is the gene that controls the presence of black pigment. When present (E/_), the horse is capable of producing black pigment in its coat. When absent (e/e), the horse cannot produce black pigment and is instead red, classically called "chestnut."
AgoutiAgouti modifies the Extension gene by controlling where on the body black pigment is displayed. When present (A/_), agouti limits black pigment to the points of the horse: the legs, mane, tail, and nose. This creates a bay horse. Agouti only acts on extension, so if extension is not present (e/e), agouti has no effect and the horse remains chestnut.
GrayIn real life, the gray gene is not technically considered a base color. However, because it does affect the overall color of the horse, Prism treats it like a base color. The gray gene lightens the horse's coat color over time. A horse can be born any color, but if the gray gene is present, it's coat, mane, and tail will lighten over the course of its life. Many horses with the gray gene end up looking snowy white when fully mature and are often mistaken for being truly white (there is a difference however; "white" horses with the Gray gene should be called Gray or Light Gray). Intermediate stages of graying include dapple gray and rose or steel gray. The rare fleabitten gray most commonly seen in Arabians is a stage that can appear after the horse has completed graying. To tell the difference between a truly white horse and a light gray one, take a look at the skin around the eyes and nose. In gray horses, the skin is usually dark due to the presence of pigment in the skin itself. In white horses, the skin is pink because of the lack of pigment. Whether or not a horse with the grey gene becomes fully light gray in its lifetime depends on the horse. Some gray horses maintain some dapples for the rest of their life. Below are listed the possible stages of graying for each base color. The latest stage is on top and the earlier stages below.
WhiteWhite is another gene that is not technically considered a base color. However, because it does override the entire coat color of the horse, it's treated like one for Prism's purposes. The white gene (as with all other genes that control the appearance of white in horse coat colors) is, in reality, very complex. It actually consists of multiple genes and in some cases may not entirely cover the horse in white. In order to make things as simple and user-friendly as possible, Prism has modified the functionality of the white gene. For Prism, the white gene will override all other genes to make the horse entirely white. The horse's coat lacks pigment and is truly white with pink skin. The pink skin visible around the eyes and nose is a good way to tell a true white horse from a light gray one.
DilutionsAfter the initial base color has been set, the appearance of the that color can also be adjusted with four dilution genes. A description of each gene and what it does to affect base color will be below. White MarkingsSome horse breeds also display white markings on top of their base coat color. The genes that affect the presence of and appearance of white markings will be below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||