Horse Coat Color Calculator for Appearance or DNA

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Coat Color Atlas

Explore horse colors and patterns

Browse base colors, Gray changes, white patterns, roaning, spotting, and more.

Base colors and dilutionsAdult coats across Bay, Black, Chestnut, Cream, Dun, Silver, and primitive markings.39 looks How Gray changes base colorsEarly, middle, and advanced Gray development across base colors and dilutions.117 looks Frame patternsAdult Frame coats across base colors and dilutions.39 looks Gray development with FrameHow Gray can change the look of living Frame coats over time.117 looks Classic Roan coatsAdult Classic Roan coats across base colors and dilutions.39 looks Gray development with Classic RoanHow Gray can change the look of Classic Roan coats over time.117 looks Frame and Classic Roan togetherAdult coats where Frame and Classic Roan appear together.39 looks Gray with Frame and Classic RoanGray development when Frame and Classic Roan appear together.117 looks Champagne, Mushroom, and PearlAdult Champagne, Mushroom, and Pearl coats, with and without primitive markings.10 looks Gray over Champagne, Mushroom, and PearlEarly, middle, and advanced Gray development over these special colors.30 looks Classic Roan rangeRestrained and stronger Classic Roan expression on Bay, Black, and Chestnut.6 looks Tobiano rangeMinimal through extensive Tobiano patterns on Bay, Black, and Chestnut.9 looks Sabino 1 rangeSabino 1 can range from modest white markings to a nearly all-white coat.12 looks Dominant White rangeMild through nearly all-white expression across Dominant White families.9 looks Leopard Complex and PATN1Leopard Complex ranges from birth through later expression, with Gray development included.120 looks Splashed White rangeLower through upper Splashed White ranges across base colors and Gray stages.72 looks Brindle1 rangeHow Brindle1 can look in mares and stallions, across colors and Gray stages.84 looks

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.