Genetics Decoded

A Gene Guide, Simplified

Last revised: 3/17/18

Introduction

The point of this gene guide is to simplify things from the main genetics guide. This is meant to be a supplemental guide, not a substitute, for the main site genetics guide. You may find errors, they are unintentional or based upon a prior understanding of the genetics that may change as the game evolves. Please contact me if you find an error so I can correct it! Although I will try to keep this updated please realize that this may not be 100% accurate and there are aspects of genetics within this game that are hidden or unknown. You can find other discussions on the forums that go deeper into specific genes and, at this time, they will not be covered in-depth here. If you think something should be changed or added, please PM me. I hope this is helpful for people! Please refrain from posting/commenting on this thread and instead send me a PM, post on the discussions thread which can be found here, or start a new thread. Thanks!

Words To Know

Phenotype - Observable (seen) characteristics or traits
Dominant - Expressed in the phenotype over recessive
Recessive - Expressed only when inherited from both parents (Masked if dominant allele is present)
Heterozygous - Having one dominant and one recessive gene
Homozygous - Having two of the same genes (either both dominant or both recessive)
Incomplete Dominant - The expressed trait is a combination of the phenotype of both alleles.

EE - Black(Dominant) and Red Pigments

E - dominant and produces both black and red pigments.
Colors produced can include: Black, blue, bay, buckskin, grullo, brown
e - produces red pigment only. If recessive ee...
Colors produced can include: chestnut, red dun, palomino, liver chestnut, cremello

AA - Bay (Dominant)

A - dominant, restricts black pigment
a - non-bay, fully black

                A+ (wild bay) - Masks all (reduces black points)
		AA (classic) - Masks a and t
		At (brown) - masks a (heavy black remains on body)
		Aa (black) - masked by all above

CC - Cream (Cr) and Pearl (Prl)

Cream and Pearl are dilution genes that are more noticeable on red pigment.
            C cr - Cream (Incomplete Dominant)
When heterozygous, pigment become paler/more yellow. 
		Red → palomino
		Bay → buckskin
		Black → smokey
When homozygous, pigment is greatly reduced/soft cream throughout with blue eyes. 
		Red → cremello
		Bay →  perlino
		Black →  smokey cream

             C prl - Pearl (Recessive)
When heterozygous it is not noticeable phenotypically (carried only)

When homozygous both red and black pigments are diluted.
The coat develops a metallic sheen.
Blue eyes turn green instead. 

**Pseudo Double Cream** - If carrying one copy of cream and one copy 
of pearl (CCr/CPrl) horses will look like a darker version of homozygous cream horses.

DD - Dun (Dominant)

D - dun
d - no dun
Dun is a dilution gene that affects both red and black by diluting the base body coat. A dun horse will always have a dorsal stripe with darker legs +/- horizontal striping. They may have a darker mane, tail, face, and ear tips. Other mottling or smokey marks may appear.

GG - Gray (Dominant gene that, if present, will express over other colors)

G - gray
g - no gray

Gray causes a gradual fading of color/removal of pigment - these horses often turn white over time.

FF - Flaxen (recessive)

F - no flaxen
f - flaxen

Flaxen is a recessive gene that requires homozygous ff to express and only shows on red based horses.

SS - Sooty (Incomplete dominant)

Affects both red and black pigments.

	S - no sooty - bright form
	S sty - darkens coat.
	Homozygous causes more darkening than heterozygous. 
	May add dapples.
	S+ - sooty plus adds the most darkening. 
	Homozygous causes more darkening than heterozygous. 
	May add dapples. 

**DP - Dense Pheomelanin (Incomplete dominant)** 
A related hidden gene that affects the red pigment and makes it darker. 
For Liver or Chocolate to express it requires 3 darkening genes, 
any combination of sty/s+ and DP. 
Want more info on DP? Check out the Ninja Liver Guide

PP - Pangere (Dominant)

P - pangere
p - no pangere

Pangere lightens the pigment in specific areas (muzzle, flanks, +/- legs) and only affects red pigment to any significant amount.

ZZ - Silver (Dominant)

Z - silver
z - no silver

Silver only needs one copy to express. Causes the mane and tail to lighten and dilutes the body, may also cause dapples. Silver only alters black pigmented horses (EE/Ee) and has no effect on red horses (ee).

ChCh - Champagne (Dominant)

Ch - champagne
ch - no champagne

A dilution gene that lightens the base coat color and always expresses if there is one copy of Ch.

	Classic - uniform black horses dilutes to classic champagne
	Gold - chestnut base dilutes to gold (usually flaxen mane/tail) 
	Amber - bay dilutes to amber
	Sable - brown dilutes to sable

SaSa - Satin (Recessive)

Sasa - does not show with one copy of sa, carrier only
sasa - satin

Satin causes light to refract differently off the hair causing a satin sheen.