Horse Coat Color Calculator for Appearance or DNA

Your result stageSee what the calculator will revealView ↓

DNA results

Parents’ color DNA

Example values are filled in for both parents. Replace the DNA results you know; leave the rest as examples or mark them Not tested.

Sire’s color DNA

SexMale

The sire is entered as male.

Color basics

Agouti

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Cream & Pearl

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Dun

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Gray

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Extension + PATN1 results

Does the report group Extension and PATN1 together?

Choose “Yes” if the report shows which Extension and PATN1 results sit together on each chromosome.

Chromosome copy 1

Extension

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

PATN1

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

Chromosome copy 2

Extension

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

PATN1

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

More color genes4 starting values

Champagne

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Silver

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Mushroom

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Frame Overo

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Coat pattern genes5 starting values

KIT white patterns

Does the report group KIT variants together?

Choose “No” if the report lists the KIT variants but does not show which ones sit together.

KIT variants shown together

For each chromosome copy, choose the variants the report groups together.

First chromosome copy

Second chromosome copy

What the KIT choices mean

No KIT variant on this copy: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Roan marker (Rn): Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Tobiano (To): Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Sabino 1 (SB1): Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Camarillo White W4: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W5: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W10: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W13: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W20: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W31: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W32: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W35: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
W20 and W22 together on one copy: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
W32 and W35 together on one copy: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.

Leopard Complex

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Splashed White families

MITF Splashed White

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

PAX3 Splashed White

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Brindle1

Choose one Brindle1 result for each X chromosome shown.

First allele

Dam’s color DNA

SexFemale

The dam is entered as female.

Color basics

Agouti

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Cream & Pearl

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Dun

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Gray

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Extension + PATN1 results

Does the report group Extension and PATN1 together?

Choose “Yes” if the report shows which Extension and PATN1 results sit together on each chromosome.

Chromosome copy 1

Extension

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

PATN1

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

Chromosome copy 2

Extension

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

PATN1

Choose the result shown for this chromosome copy.

More color genes4 starting values

Champagne

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Silver

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Mushroom

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Frame Overo

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Coat pattern genes5 starting values

KIT white patterns

Does the report group KIT variants together?

Choose “No” if the report lists the KIT variants but does not show which ones sit together.

KIT variants shown together

For each chromosome copy, choose the variants the report groups together.

First chromosome copy

Second chromosome copy

What the KIT choices mean

No KIT variant on this copy: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Roan marker (Rn): Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Tobiano (To): Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Sabino 1 (SB1): Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Camarillo White W4: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W5: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W10: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W13: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W20: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W31: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W32: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
Dominant White W35: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
W20 and W22 together on one copy: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.
W32 and W35 together on one copy: Variants grouped together on one chromosome.

Leopard Complex

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Splashed White families

MITF Splashed White

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

PAX3 Splashed White

Choose the result shown on the lab report, if you have it.

First allele

Second allele

Brindle1

Choose one Brindle1 result for each X chromosome shown.

First allele

Second allele

[data-comprehensive-share]{display:none!important}After choosing how Extension, PATN1, or KIT variants are grouped by chromosome, select “Show the right DNA fields” before continuing. If a gene was not tested, choose “Not tested” in both menus.

Your foal color map

See every possible foal color

Choose the DNA values you know on the left. We’ll show exact chances when the selected values support them, and every possible color when they don’t.

Start entering DNA See an illustrated example

A clearer answer from what you know

A horse’s appearance can match more than one genetic combination, so each possible foal color comes with the full chance range its appearance supports. Add DNA results whenever you have them to narrow those ranges and unlock exact odds.

What this calculator covers

This calculator uses the coat-color tests listed below. It covers Extension, Agouti, Cream and Pearl, Champagne, Dun, Silver, Gray, Mushroom, Frame Overo, linked KIT white patterns, Leopard Complex with PATN1, Splashed White, and Brindle1. Health notes summarize published research; ask your veterinarian what they mean for a particular horse.

UC Davis VGL coat-color reference UC Davis VGL Pearl test UC Davis VGL Champagne test UC Davis VGL Mushroom test UC Davis VGL Gray copy-number test UC Davis VGL Lethal White Overo test UC Davis VGL Tobiano test UC Davis VGL Roan test UC Davis VGL Leopard Complex test UC Davis VGL Splashed White test UC Davis VGL Brindle1 test

Horse color genetics can be wonderfully surprising. Choose the colors you see or enter the DNA results you know, then explore the coats and patterns their foal could inherit, complete with useful health and inheritance notes.

Colors and patterns you can explore

Start with familiar coat colors or go deeper with the names used on common DNA test panels.

Core coat-color tests: Extension, Agouti, Cream and Pearl, Dun, Silver, Gray, and Frame Overo
Champagne at SLC36A1
Mushroom at MFSD12
KIT-region families, including Tobiano, Roan, Sabino1, selected Dominant White alleles, and Camarillo White W4
Leopard Complex at LP
Pattern-1 modifier at PATN1
Splashed White families at MITF
Splashed White family at PAX3
Brindle1 at MBTPS2, with sex-linked inheritance handled for you
Gray stages, so you can see how a gray coat may change over time

How to read your results

Start with the big picture, then open any color, pattern, or health note you want to explore.

Read each percentage as the chance for one conception
See every supported foal color, including possibilities that depend on hidden genes
Open the optional refinements when you know more about either parent
Enter DNA results as they appear on the lab reports for the most detailed answer
Explore separate possibilities when linked results are listed without their chromosome arrangement
Run the calculator again whenever you learn something new about either parent
Talk with your veterinarian or testing lab when a health or breeding note matters to your plans

Frequently asked questions

Which horse color genetics can I explore?

Start with the parents’ visible colors, or add DNA results for core coat colors, Champagne, Mushroom, selected KIT white-pattern families, Leopard Complex and PATN1, MITF and PAX3 Splashed White families, and sex-linked Brindle1.

When can Creatures show one set of foal odds?

When both reports contain all the information the calculator needs, Creatures can show one set of odds for the supported results you entered. If the reports do not show which linked variants were inherited together, it shows the possibilities separately and explains what remains unknown.

Why are combinations that cannot survive included in the odds?

The percentages shown always count every conception. For example, an O/O Frame Overo combination stays in the calculation, so Creatures never makes the chances for surviving foals look higher by quietly removing it.

What do the health notes mean?

Health notes highlight research connected to the colors and DNA results in the pairing. A veterinarian or testing laboratory can help you understand what a finding means for an individual horse.

Why can foals with the same color result look different?

Shade, marking boundaries, roaning, seasonal coats, and age can all change how a color appears. The calculator groups these horses under the same color family while showing the patterns and modifiers that may add variety.

What should I do when the report leaves more than one possibility?

Explore each possibility on its own. The testing laboratory may be able to show which linked variants sit together on the same chromosome, and you can update the calculator whenever you learn more.