What is tiger eye?

[Caramelapple3]

I'm not sure what it is. Can someone please explain this? I am guessing some of my horses may have tiger eye, but I'm not sure.

[PeacefulOreo]

I'm not sure what it is. Can someone please explain this? I am guessing some of my horses may have tiger eye, but I'm not sure.

Tiger eye is a kind of rare gene that makes the horse's eye look kind of golden color. Here are some examples of horses with the tiger eye gene:

[Caramelapple3]

Thank you!

Now I know my black Arabian mare has tiger eye.

[PeacefulOreo]

Thank you!

Now I know my black Arabian mare has tiger eye.

You're welcome! Happy to help!

[Merry Vollmer]

If I understand correctly, a greenish eye is a Tiger Eye. Some dilute horses might have a blue eye, and champagne horses will have an amber eye. AFAIK, this is not a tiger eye. 1 copy of the gene will be noticeable, but 2 copies will be brighter.

I am not an expert on HWO genetics, however, and may be wrong.

[BlackOak2]

To make sure everybody understands, here's the colored eye genes right now on HWO.
There is brown (normal) horse eye color.
There is blue horse eye color.
There is hazel/green horse eye color.

Blue eye color is linked to the cream gene only. It takes two cream genes or a cream and a pearl for blue eyes to show up.
Hazel/green eyes is known as the tiger eye and is semi-linked to the champagne gene. It is a co-recessive gene to champagne. What this means is that when paired with champagne (the freckles give champagne away), the horse's eyes will reveal if it carries a single tiger eye gene with hazel or gray colored eyes, but will remain hidden on a horse without champagne. These champagne-paired-single tiger eyes are often mistaken for blue. But a horse that carries two copies of the tiger eye gene will have bright green eyes, regardless of being paired with champagne. These bright green eyes are not often mistaken for blue. Be warned that foals with the champagne gene are born with blue eyes that darken as they near their first year.

There is one odd exception to this rule. When there is both blue eyes and tiger eyes in play, sometimes unusual affects happen.

[Merry Vollmer]

Thanks, BlackOak2! I'm learning, but it seems like a bit of a steep curve. Pretty fascinating, though.

[BlackOak2]

Thanks, BlackOak2! I'm learning, but it seems like a bit of a steep curve. Pretty fascinating, though.

Learning the colors on here is an EXTREMELY steep curve for all of us.
I'm still not too firm on my dilutions, so you're in good company.