How does the dilution gene work?
The Basics All horses carry two color genes. A basic dilute horse is Palomino, Buckskin, or Smokey Black. A Palomino carries one red gene and one dilute gene, a buckskin carries one bay gene and one dilute gene, and a Smokey Black carries one Black gene and one Dilute gene. Now if you have a sorrel it carries two red genes, therefore it can only pass on a red gene copy to its foals. If you breed it to a Palomino you will only have a 50% chance of getting another palomino, since a palomino carries a red gene and a dilute gene. Some bays can carry a red gene and a bay gene but in this case we will say it is a bay with two bay genes, therefore it can only pass on a bay gene (eg. black legs, mane, tail, tip of ears). So breeding it to a palomino or a buckskin will give you a 50% chance of a buckskin. Double Dilutes In order to guarantee a dilute foal you will have to breed to a Cremello or a Perlino, these are double dilutes meaning they carry two dilute genes and can only pass on a dilute
