An American Elite Warmblood Breeding Facility

 Dilute Coat Genetics

Setting a standard in dilute breeding genetics...

 

      For the longest time dilute breeding was only conceptualized by horse people as a thing for the western world mainly pertaining to the stock breeds in particular. Dilute breeding is now seen over a vast majority of breeds that are not color or coat specific per breed. There is a rising trend with color in general in the Warmblood performance and breeding world but there is a special niche of clientele that enjoy the dilute versions of the coat colors in their Warmblood partners. We really are excited about this breeding program branch and offering some of the finest dilute sport horses for stud and consideration.

       Dilute color coat genetics are a lot more complicated then one may think. In breeding for what we call a complicated dilute, or otherwise called double dilute, it is important that many factors of the breeding equine in question be taken into consideration. We look, as always, at the performance ability of the breeding horse. Performance is a must in our book and with color needs to come quality as well. The performance of each particular horse back to a least three generations is something we take into consideration. If trending genealogy can be utilized all the better. With registration and performance as key breeding components the sought after color component as well also becomes a key breeding component.
         Our single dilutes are very treasured here at Chateau Vista because they play an very important stepping stone factor into producing the rarer dilute color types. It is important to understand that dilute color breeding plays out over the course of a few generations depending on what breeding stock is used to integrate the dilute color lines. Reaching the ever loved Perlino and Cremello color means an integration of single dilutes through careful planning of the creme dilution. Depending on the base color of horse, the resulted dilutions are different. One of the biggest components to breeding dilutes, we believe, is careful genetic planning or mapping.

         Knowing agouti factors and color mapping properties will allow us as breeders to figure out exactly what color the foals we will produce will become before they hit the ground. Because of this it is critical for every dilute breeder to extensively test their breeding stock in their color coat genetics to offer the best possible communication with prospective clients on the outcomes that pertain to the particular breeding matches at hand. For instance, knowing that a particular Cremello CrCr stallion with an aa agouti factor having an ee red factor will cross well with a specific sorrel mare with the possible ee/Aa or ee/aa combination and a no Cr to produce a palomino foal 100 percent of the time. Knowing these genetic markings and specific phenotype producers allows us to specifically breed for a purpose in creating a particular type of foal color coat-wise.

          There is a lot of expansion on the horizon for the dilute color world both in the rare dilute Thoroughbred realm as well as the dilute Warmblood breeding realm. We strive for performance specific dilute breeding and believe that the word "proven" is imperative towards creating a successful future foal. By careful planning, color coat gene mapping, generation performance evaluation to at least the third generation at minimum, and documented breeding stock dilution integrations over the production years allows us to keep on a successful and rewarding path for dilute color production for future generations of dilute breeding. Thank you for enjoying the journey with us in the world of dilute breeding.