Palomino
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:''This article is about the term "Palomino" as it applies to horses. For other uses, please see [[Palomino (disambiguation)]].''
[[Image:Silz cheval1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A typical golden palomino (front). The horse in the rearground is [[chestnut (coat)|liver chestnut]] with a flaxen mane and tail, though some color registries may accept it as "palomino".]]
[[Image:Quarter Horse(REFON).jpg|thumb|200px|A palomino at the lighter end of the acceptable range of color, coat is still a golden shade, skin is dark, horse is not quite a cremello.]]
'''Palomino''' is a [[equine coat color|coat color]] in [[horse]]s, consisting of a gold coat and white [[mane (horse)|mane]] and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single [[allele]] of a [[dilution gene]] called the [[cream gene]] working on a red ([[chestnut (coat)|chestnut]]) base coat. However, most [[color breed]] registries that record palomino horses were founded before [[equine coat color genetics]] were understood as well as they are today, and hence the standard definition of a palomino is based on the coat color visible to the eye, not the underlying presence of the dilution gene.
While the breed standard states the ideal color is that of a "newly minted gold coin" (sometimes mistakenly claimed to be a penny), some palomino registries allow a coat color that may range from [[cremello]], an almost-white color, to a deep, dark, chocolate color ("chocolate palomino"). Skin and eyes are usually dark, though some foals carrying the [[champagne gene]] are born with light-colored eyes that darken as the horse ages. White [[horse markings|markings]] are permitted on the legs, but must not extend beyond the knees or hocks. White markings are also permitted on the face, but must not extend past the eyes.
==Colors that are not true palomino==
[[Image:Iceland horse herd in August.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Left to right: two chestnuts with flaxen manes, a palomino, and a gray.]]
Many non-palominos have a gold coat or a light mane, or both. Horses that have a gold body but a black mane and tail are [[buckskin (horse)|Buckskins]]. Those that have a dull gold or tan body with a dark mane and tail plus "primitive" dark markings such as a dorsal stripe down the spine and zebra markings on the back of the forearms are called [[dun gene|duns]]. Horses with a chocolate-colored coat with a light mane and tail may actually be [[black (horse)|black]] horses expressing the rare [[silver dapple gene]].<ref>The [[silver dapple gene]] is not a [[gray (horse)|graying gene]]. It is a [[dilution gene]] which acts only on a black coat.</ref> Many reddish-colored "palominos" with a light cream mane and tail are [[Chestnut (coat)|chestnut]] horses that carry a flaxen gene. The [[Champagne gene]] also causes a golden-colored coat on some horses, but the presence of pink skin, amber or hazel eyes in adulthood, and mottled skin suggest the presence of the [[champagne gene]], not the cream gene.<ref>"Genetics of Champagne Coloring." ''The Horse'' online edition, accessed May 31, 2007 at http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=9686</ref> The [[pearl gene]] or "Barlink factor," may also create blue-eyed palominos.
==Color breed==
[[Image:Mare and foal (Kvetina-Marie).jpg|thumb|A palomino mare and her [[chestnut (coat)|chestnut]] foal.]]
The palomino is considered a [[color breed]]. Unlike the [[Appaloosa]], which is a distinct breed that also happens to have a unique color preference, any breed or type of horse usually may be registered as palomino if they are properly golden-colored (though, for some registries, horses may also meet a conformation or type standard). The palomino cannot be a true breed, however, because palomino color is an [[Dominance relationship|incomplete dominant]] gene and does not breed "true;" A palomino crossed with a palomino may result in a palomino about 50% of the time, but could also produce a chestnut (25% probability) or a cremello (25% probability). Thus, palomino is simply a partially expressed color [[allele]] and not a set of characteristics that make up a "breed."
Because registration is based solely on coat color, horses from many breeds or combination of breeds may qualify. Some breeds that have palomino representatives are the [[American Saddlebred]], [[Tennessee Walking Horse]], [[Morgan horse|Morgan]] and [[American Quarter Horse|Quarter Horse]]. The color is fairly rare in the [[Thoroughbred]], but does in fact occur and is recognized by The Jockey Club. <ref>[https://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/registry.cfm?page=dotRegistryIdentifyThoroughbred&#Client.URLToken "Coat Colors of Thoroughbreds"]</ref> Some breeds, such as the [[Haflinger (horse)|Haflinger]] and [[Arabian horse|Arabian]], may appear to be palomino, but are genetically chestnuts with flaxen manes and tails, as neither breed carries the cream dilution. However, in spite of their lack of correct DNA, some palomino color registries have registered such horses if their coat color falls within the acceptable range of shades.
==Popularity==
<!--Please, just info on actual palomino horses, not every example of one being mentioned!-->
Due to their unusual color, palominos stand out in a show ring, and are much sought after as parade horses. They were particularly popular in movies and television during the 1940s and 1950s. One of the most famous palomino horses was [[Trigger (horse)|Trigger]], known as "the smartest horse in movies," the faithful mount of the Hollywood Cowboy star [[Roy Rogers]]. Another famous palomino was [[Mr. Ed]] (real name [[Bamboo Harvester]]) who starred on his own TV show in the 1960s.
==See also==
*[[Equine coat color genetics]]
*[[Equine coat color]]
*[[cream gene]]
*[[dilution gene]]
*[[cremello]]
==References==
<References/>
*[http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/coatcolorhorse.php "Horse coat color tests"] from the [[UC Davis]] Veterinary Genetics Lab
*[http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/coatcolor.php "Introduction to Coat Color Genetics"] ''from'' Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. Web Site accessed January 12, 2008
== External links ==
*[http://ultimatehorsesite.com/colors/palomino.html Palomino horse genetics & photos]
*[http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/palomino.html "The Palomino Horse"]
*[http://www.palominohorseassoc.com/ The Palomino Horse Association, founded in 1936]
*[http://www.palominohba.com/ Palomino Horse Breeders of America, founded 1941]
{{Equine coat colors}}
[[Category:Horse coat colors]]
[[Category:Palomino horses]]
[[Category:Color breeds]]
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