THE CHAMPAGNE HORSE

Not another Breed, Just another color

 If you are interested in the facts on color and color dilution genes please read this.

To Most of us in Canada the Champagne Horse is still a rare thing and little is known about the color/s and how they came about.

This is a bit of information intended to explain that the champagne is still a Walking Horse but one of a different color.  The Champagne gene is a dominant dilution gene.

A Dominant Gene – means if it is present it will manifest itself fully.  Whether the horse carries one or two champagne genes it will look the same.  A dominant gene can’t hide or skip a generation.

 A Dilution Gene – means that it does not block red or black from showing itself but changes it to make it lighter.  It also lightens the pigment in the skin color to a pinkish shade with darker mottling and lightens the eye color.

 We all know that all colors come from four base coat colors.    Black, brown, bay and chestnut are the base colors and the basis for all other colors.   Black and chestnut are the only two pigments existing and all other colors are created when one of these base colors has added modifying or diluting genes.

 There are Four basic champagne colors and also some basic champagne traits.

The four color groups are, Ivory, Amber, Classic and Gold.

They are not to be confused with Cremello, Buckskin, Palomino or Perlino, who carry a CRÈME GENE, which is another dilution gene.  They do not carry a CHAMPAGNE GENE.

 The traits of the champagne horse are the mottling or freckles that appear around the eyes, on the muzzle, on the sheath area or udder and under the tail.   They also are born with eyes that are light blue which later change to amber or a green shade.  Their coat is also very shinny and metallic looking.  It is usually a paler color due to the underlying pink or very light brown skin.

 The effects of the champagne gene manifest by:

1.      Diluting a black or brown base coat to Classic Champagne.  

2.      Diluting a bay base coat to Amber Champagne.

3.      Diluting a chestnut base coat to Gold Champagne.

4.      Diluting palomino/buckskin or smokey black to Ivory Champagne.

 

To take this one step further, here are some recipes for the colors.

1.      Amber Champagne = Bay (Black + agouti Gene) + Champagne.

2.      Classic Champagne = Black + Champagne.

3.      Gold Champagne = Chestnut + Champagne

4.      Ivory Champagne =  Any base color + Crème + Champagne.

This can serve as a guide to help you decide what color mare to breed to a champagne stallion.

 The Champagne color is not a shinny palomino whose color comes about when a Crème Gene is present to dilute a base color. Palomino horses do not have pink skin, nor do they have one Champagne Parent which is necessary for the Champagne Gene to be present.  The only way for a Champagne color to take place is to have at least one Champagne Gene.

 There is some confusion sometimes as to whether or not a horse is really a champagne, or is it a Buckskin, Palomino, Cremello, Perlino.    The answer is simple – Does it have one champagne parent.

 As the champagne color is relatively new to the TWHBEA and the CLRC these horses were in the past sometimes registered as palomino, buckskin, cremello,

Perlino or other colors.   It is becoming easier to distinguish the champagne horse from the others as the champagne gene must be present from one of the parents.  You can have a horse that has all the champagne traits but no champagne gene is present in either parent and they are not a Champagne colored horse. 

 I   hope that this has cleared up some of the confusion about this colored Tennessee Walking Horse as the colors are so gorgeous and many people love to ride a horse with lots of color as well as the natural walking talent that we all seek in a good Walking Horse. 

 I will add to this information as time goes by and I gain more experience through the breeding of my two young Champagne stallions.