Buckskin Pearl
Buckskin pearl is a bay-based coat affected by one copy of the cream gene and one copy of the pearl gene. The result is a soft golden or sandy tone that looks lighter and smoother than a regular buckskin coat.
Looks Like (Phenotype)
A buckskin pearl horse has a pale gold or sandy body, with slightly darker points on the mane, tail, and lower legs. Their skin is pinkish or softly mottled, and the eyes are often amber or hazel. The coat can have a faint metallic glow, especially in sunlight, giving the horse a warm and shiny appearance.
In some lighting, buckskin pearl can be mistaken for palomino, especially when the darker points are very soft. Gene testing can help tell them apart. Ha! The more you browse through this site, the more you’ll notice we keep suggesting tests 😂 That’s because it truly is the best way to know what your horse carries. You can explore how genetics work for yourself in our game Horse Reality, where breeding and testing are part of the fun.
Variations
Because both cream and pearl lighten the coat, there are only small variations in this colour. Some buckskin pearls are very light, while others keep a stronger golden tone. Foals are often born cream-coloured with blue eyes, which later turn amber as they grow older.
Behind the Colour (Genotype)
The pearl allele (prl) is found on the same part of the DNA as cream (CR). When a bay horse carries one cream allele and one pearl allele (CR/prl), the genes interact to create the buckskin pearl dilution. This combination lightens both red and black pigments, giving the horse its soft golden appearance.
The pearl gene is recessive, which means a horse needs two copies (prl/prl) for the full pearl dilution to show. Horses with only one pearl allele are called pearl carriers and might not show a visible difference, but they can pass the gene to their foals!