grey (born frame overo smoky cream dun)
gris (né frame overo smoky cream dun)
Description
Very pale cream coat with blue eyes, similar to cremello and perlino. Results from two Cream gene copies on a black base. Distinguished by a slightly more neutral, cooler tone than cremello.
Visual traits
Very pale cream body · Slightly cooler tone than cremello · Blue eyes · Pink skin
Genetic basis
Extension E/-, Agouti a/a, double Cream CrCr — double dilution of a black base.
The Dun gene dilutes the base coat and adds primitive wild-horse markings: a dorsal stripe along the spine, leg barring, and sometimes shoulder stripes.
The Frame Overo pattern adds irregular white patches to the base coat. Crossing two Frame horses is dangerous: 25% of foals will be homozygous O/O (OLWS) and will not survive.
This horse also carries the Grey gene, but it has no visible effect here: an already double-diluted coat is born as pale as progressive greying would eventually make it. Only DNA testing can reveal its presence — the melanoma risk associated with Grey still applies.