Black Pearl
Black pearl is a black-based coat affected by two copies of pearl. It gives the horse a warm, sepia-like shade.
Looks Like (Phenotype)
A black pearl horse has a soft tan or sepia-brown body, with the mane, tail and lower legs appearing a darker chocolate shade. However, these dark areas are not as deep or intense as those seen on black horses. The skin is often pinkish or lightly mottled, and the eyes may appear amber or hazel.
Behind the Colour (Genotype)
The pearl gene is recessive, meaning a horse needs two copies of the allele for the dilution to show on a black coat. If a horse has only one copy (prl/n), it is called a pearl carrier, and the coat remains the same as its normal base colour.
Pearl and cream are located on the same gene. A single pearl allele does not lighten the coat, but it will interact when together with cream. Horses with one cream and one pearl allele (CR/prl) appear lighter than black pearl horses, often resembling the soft, pale look of double cream coats.
Learn by Doing
If you would like to learn how horse coat colours behave, you can try breeding horses realistically for colour in our game Horse Reality. By experimenting with different genetic combinations and observing the outcomes, you can learn how coat colours develop simply by interacting and playing around.
Related Colours
Chestnut Pearl | Bay Pearl | Smoky Cream | Buckskin | Seal Brown