Palomino Pearl
Palomino pearl is a chestnut-based coat affected by one copy of the cream allele and one copy of the pearl allele. The result is a soft golden or ivory shade, usually quite a bit lighter and smoother than a regular palomino coat.
Looks Like (Phenotype)
A palomino pearl horse has a creamy, pale shade. Their mane and tail could be slightly darker. Their skin is pinkish and softly mottled, and their eyes appear amber coloured. Some may look similar to double-cream horses, such as cremellos, though they tend to have a warmer glow to their colour.
Testing might be important for this one. Pearl horses can be mistaken for champagne horses, since they can both have amber eyes, pink skin, and freckled nose. Testing can confirm which coat it really is.
Variations
Since both cream and pearl dilute the coat heavily, most horses look very similar: pale cream to ivory. Foals are often born very pale with bluish eyes, which later turn amber as they grow older. Their skin tone and coat warmth also deepen slightly with age.
Behind the Colour (Genotype)
The pearl gene (prl) is located on the same part of the DNA as the cream gene (CR). A horse with one cream allele and one pearl allele (CR/prl) will show the cream pearl dilution. This combination lightens both red and black pigments, giving the horse its soft, glowing appearance.
Good to know. Pearl is a recessive gene, which means that two copies (prl/prl) are needed for the full pearl effect to appear. A horse with only one pearl allele is called a pearl carrier and may not show any visible difference, but can still pass the gene to its offspring.
Learn by Doing
Genetics can be easier to understand when you see them in action. In our game Horse Reality, you can breed horses with different colour genes and see how their foals inherit each shade. Observing how genes interact in the game is a simple and fun way to learn about real horse colour genetics.
Related Colours
Chestnut Pearl | Bay Pearl | Black Pearl | Buckskin Pearl | Smoky Black Pearl