The Champagne Colors

GOLD

chestnut/sorrel + champagne

AMBER

bay + champagne

SABLE

(seal) brown + champagne

CLASSIC

solid black + champagne

Depending upon which base colors and other color modifiers
are present in a horse with a Champagne gene, the appearance of the horse varies.
Also, a lighter or darker shade of the base color may affect the horse's appearance.

This first page deals with champagne's effect on the four basic colors:
chestnut (sorrel), bay, black and (seal) brown.

Links to DNA tests to identify your horse's base color and other modifiers are HERE.
Also see: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000195

Since the Champagne gene has been determined to be a North American mutation, which seems to have occurred sometime around 1890, a horse must have at least one ancestor (parent, great-grandparent, etc.) of North American bloodlines to be considered a Champagne.
Click this link to read more.

Effect of Champagne on the four basic horse colors:

Base Color

These horses will have dark or black skin in all pigmented areas.

With Champagne

These horses will have pink skin with darker freckles in all pigmented areas.

Starting with a red based horse (a chestnut / sorrel) :

Chestnut

ee

If the red-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Gold. (Occasionally a gold may have a reddish mane and/or tail.)

Gold

ee, Ch_

Starting with a black based horse with a bay (agouti) gene:

Bay

E_, A_

If the bay-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Amber.

Amber

E_, A_, Ch_

Starting with a black based horse with the (seal) brown (agouti-t) gene:

Brown

E_, At_

If the brown-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Sable.

Sable

E_, At_, Ch_

Starting with a solid black horse (without an agouti gene):

Black
E_, aa

If the black-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Classic.

Classic
E_, aa, Ch_

Genetic notation used: E = black, e = red; A = bay, At = brown, a = solid; Ch = champagne, ch = non-champagne; __ = any version of same gene

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The Champagne Colors

Depending upon which base colors and other color modifiers
are present in a horse with a Champagne gene, the appearance of the horse varies.
Also, a lighter or darker shade of the base color may affect the horse's appearance.

This first page deals with champagne's effect on the four basic colors:
chestnut (sorrel), bay, black and (seal) brown.

Links to DNA tests to identify your horse's base color and other modifiers are HERE.
Also see: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000195

Since the Champagne gene has been determined to be a North American mutation, which seems to have occurred sometime around 1890, a horse must have at least one ancestor (parent, great-grandparent, etc.) of North American bloodlines to be considered a Champagne.
Click this link to read more.

Effect of Champagne on the four basic horse colors:

Base Color

These horses will have dark or black skin in all pigmented areas.

With Champagne

These horses will have pink skin with darker freckles in all pigmented areas.

Starting with a red based horse (a chestnut / sorrel) :

Chestnut

ee

If the red-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Gold. (Occasionally a gold may have a reddish mane and/or tail.)

Gold

ee, Ch_

Starting with a black based horse with a bay (agouti) gene:

Bay

E_, A_

If the bay-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Amber.

Amber

E_, A_, Ch_

Starting with a black based horse with the (seal) brown (agouti-t) gene:

Brown

E_, At_

If the brown-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Sable.

Sable

E_, At_, Ch_

Starting with a solid black horse (without an agouti gene):

Black
E_, aa

If the black-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Classic.

Classic
E_, aa, Ch_

For a crash course in horse color genetics, including Champagne, click here.

Otherwise, continue learning about the Champagne Colors, below:

For details about each color,
click on the horse or button that represents the color.

"Other Champagne colors" : see "Combinations"

For in-depth help in determining whether a horse is champagne, see "Identification"

The Champagne Colors

Depending upon which base colors and other color modifiers are present in a horse with a Champagne gene, the appearance of the horse varies. Also, a lighter or darker shade of the base color may affect the horse's appearance.

This first page deals with champagne's effect on the four basic colors: chestnut (sorrel), bay, black and (seal) brown.

Links to DNA tests to identify your horse's base color and other modifiers are HERE.Also see: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000195

Effect of Champagne on the four basic horse colors:

Base Color

These horses will have dark or black skin in all pigmented areas.

With Champagne

These horses will have pink skin with darker freckles in all pigmented areas.

Starting with a red based horse (a chestnut / sorrel) :

ee

If the red-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Gold. (Occasionally a gold may have a reddish mane and/or tail.)

ee, Ch_

Starting with a black based horse with a bay (agouti) gene:

E_, A_

If the bay-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Amber.

E_, A_, Ch_

Starting with a black based horse with the (seal) brown (agouti-t) gene:

E_, At_

If the brown-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Sable.

E_, At_, Ch_

Starting with a solid black horse (without an agouti gene):

Black E_, aa

If the black-based horse has one or two champagne genes from one or both parents, it's Classic.

Classic E_, aa, Ch_

Otherwise, continue learning about the Champagne Colors, below:

For details about each color, click on the horse or button that represents the color.

"Other Champagne colors" : see "Combinations"

For in-depth help in determining whether a horse is champagne, see "Identification"

Depending upon which base colors and other color modifiers
are present in a horse with a Champagne gene, the appearance of the horse varies.
Also, a lighter or darker shade of the base color may affect the horse's appearance.

This first page deals with champagne's effect on the four basic colors:
chestnut (sorrel), bay, black and (seal) brown.

Links to DNA tests to identify your horse's base color and other modifiers are HERE.
Also see: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000195

Black
E_, aa

Classic
E_, aa, Ch_

For details about each color,
click on the horse or button that represents the color.