Silver dapple gene
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In horses, the silver dapple gene, also known as the "Z" gene, dilutes the black base coat color . It will typically dilute a black mane and tail to flaxen, and a black body to a shade of brown or chocolate. Red based horses, such as chestnut, palomino, and cremello, may carry the silver dapple gene, and are capable of passing it on to their offspring, but will not express the gene in their own body color.
The lower legs of a silver dapple horse tend to be incompletely diluted. The black lower leg is usually able to be distinguished when the silver dapple gene is present on a bay base, but the coloring is less-defined. However, one must not confuse the silver dapple gene with the gray or smutty genes, which may produce a similar coloration except the black of the lower leg will continue up past the knee and hock, onto the flanks or shoulders.
[edit] Breeding combinations
| Black + Silver | Black Silver | Chocolate dapple coat, mane and tail are flaxen/white |
| Chestnut + Silver | Red Silver | Hidden silver gene; gene is not expressed |
| Bay + Silver | Bay Silver | Chestnut coat, chocolate points with flaxen/white mane and tail |
[edit] Breeds affected
Many breeds do not carry the silver dapple gene. Silver dapple is seen in Shetlands, Icelandics, Morgans, Missouri Foxtrotters and Tennessee Walking Horses, but the most common breed is probably the Rocky Mountain Horse, in which silver dapple is a very popular and common color.
