American Cream Draft - Colors?
Okay, so I have to admit figuring out what color I should have my ACDs has been a bit difficult.
I know that, according to ACDHA, the horses are genetically gold champagne. There's one problem though. Wikipedia says, "Recognized colors include light, medium and dark cream, with amber or hazel eyes.[1] A cream mare with dark skin and a light mane and tail may be accepted by the registry as foundation stock, while stallions must have pink skin and white manes and tails to be registered." It turns out, the horses are not all homozygous golden champagne and, because of that, they can also be flaxen chestnut (if a mare).
So I'm curious, what are other breeders breeding for, color-wise? Gold champagne, yes, but should we go for only homozygous champagne, or allow heterozygous so we can also have the flaxen chestnut? And, if so, should we breed in flaxen for 100% of horses? And since the standard is "amber or hazel eyes", I'm guessing we need 100% tiger eye as well? I'm also curious what anyone thinks about allowing other dilutions in the breed, like pearl, along with the champagne (ex: gold champagne + pearl).
I know that, according to ACDHA, the horses are genetically gold champagne. There's one problem though. Wikipedia says, "Recognized colors include light, medium and dark cream, with amber or hazel eyes.[1] A cream mare with dark skin and a light mane and tail may be accepted by the registry as foundation stock, while stallions must have pink skin and white manes and tails to be registered." It turns out, the horses are not all homozygous golden champagne and, because of that, they can also be flaxen chestnut (if a mare).
So I'm curious, what are other breeders breeding for, color-wise? Gold champagne, yes, but should we go for only homozygous champagne, or allow heterozygous so we can also have the flaxen chestnut? And, if so, should we breed in flaxen for 100% of horses? And since the standard is "amber or hazel eyes", I'm guessing we need 100% tiger eye as well? I'm also curious what anyone thinks about allowing other dilutions in the breed, like pearl, along with the champagne (ex: gold champagne + pearl).
Re: American Cream Draft - Colors?
I know they are supposed to be champagne, but real life cream drafts certainly come with cream/palomino's as well. I think when the registry was started it was a 'creamy' phenotype they were going for which meant that champagne wasn't the only gene there. Cremello's appear plus as you say flaxen chestnuts certainly turn up as well
Re: American Cream Draft - Colors?
Genetically speaking, the horse should be gold champagne, as the breeds foundation originally was. At first, palominos were accepted and used, until the genetics were understood. They are in the process of weeding out those other genetics, which is why only champagne stallions are used. So, if you are wanting to follow the breed registry, you should also breed out those other genetics.
Re: American Cream Draft - Colors?
Thanks for your input, guys.
Irishrose: That was some of what I was thinking. The question is then what genotype(s) I should have. Golden champagne, yes, but with flaxen and tiger eye too? So I'm trying to figure out what "code" I need to try to attain. A/a and B/b are sort of moot, because of chestnut, but I'm not sure if they have any effect on coloration in game. C (Ch-) should be homozygous I presume? Then no dun, no pearl, no gray, no leopard... Weeding out it all. I'm just getting close to having golden champagne purebreds but I'm not sure what *exactly* I want them to be hiding, and with a double dilute they can hide things fairly well because markings are so faint.
Irishrose: That was some of what I was thinking. The question is then what genotype(s) I should have. Golden champagne, yes, but with flaxen and tiger eye too? So I'm trying to figure out what "code" I need to try to attain. A/a and B/b are sort of moot, because of chestnut, but I'm not sure if they have any effect on coloration in game. C (Ch-) should be homozygous I presume? Then no dun, no pearl, no gray, no leopard... Weeding out it all. I'm just getting close to having golden champagne purebreds but I'm not sure what *exactly* I want them to be hiding, and with a double dilute they can hide things fairly well because markings are so faint.
Re: American Cream Draft - Colors?
What do you mean by A/a B/b?Revenant wrote:Thanks for your input, guys.
Irishrose: That was some of what I was thinking. The question is then what genotype(s) I should have. Golden champagne, yes, but with flaxen and tiger eye too? So I'm trying to figure out what "code" I need to try to attain. A/a and B/b are sort of moot, because of chestnut, but I'm not sure if they have any effect on coloration in game. C (Ch-) should be homozygous I presume? Then no dun, no pearl, no gray, no leopard... Weeding out it all. I'm just getting close to having golden champagne purebreds but I'm not sure what *exactly* I want them to be hiding, and with a double dilute they can hide things fairly well because markings are so faint.
If you want gold champagne, you need to go for
ee (= chestnut), Agouti doesn't matter (is not visible on chestnut), ChCh (yep, homozygous - so your horses produce champagnes every single time). And no Cream/Pearl/Dun/Grey, like you said :)
haltanny Offline
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Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2015 2:41 am Posts: 99 Re: American Cream Draft - Colors?
I believe you specifically would want flaxen gold champagne pangare with tiger eyes. That would give you the proper "cream colored horse with white mane and tail and amber or hazel eyes" that the ACD should be. The flaxen and pangare would have come from the Belgian breeding used in the foundation of the breed.
Re: American Cream Draft - Colors?
Thanks. I guess any other hidden genes wouldn't really matter anyway... Just make sure there's nothing else visible.haltanny wrote:I believe you specifically would want flaxen gold champagne pangare with tiger eyes. That would give you the proper "cream colored horse with white mane and tail and amber or hazel eyes" that the ACD should be. The flaxen and pangare would have come from the Belgian breeding used in the foundation of the breed.