International Champagne Horse Registry

Identification

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Identifying Champagne Colored Horses

It's a common misconception that,
"If your horse is a strange color, it must be champagne."  

Champagne is just another color-modifying gene, like bay or dun,
and not a classification for shiny, light or strangely-colored horses.

If one studies photographs, or better yet live examples, of champagne colored horses, and also horses of other colors that are sometimes confused with champagne, one can develop an almost infallible "eye" for "true champagne".

COLOR

EXPLANATION

COLOR

 

CHAMPAGNE COAT COLOR

The body, leg, mane and tail hair of a champagne horse will be "diluted" colors.  Dilution is what milk does to the color of coffee -- it lightens it.  Champagne horses often have darker coats in winter than in summer.  However, if the horse also has a cream gene, it will usually be lighter in winter, like most cream dilutes. For foal coat colors, see the foal section at the bottom of this page.

Champagne

Coat Color

Other

ereidifarmnewwebsite008.jpg
Amber Champagne

Left: an amber champagne, the result of Champagne on a bay base.  If you click on it to see it full size, you can easily see that the points are coffee-colored, not black.

Right: a buckskin, the result of CREAM, not Champagne, on a bay base.  In the same way, you can see that her points are black.

13-hellenagraze.JPG (73664 bytes)
buckskin

Gold Champagne

Shine is not taken into account, because many non-champagne horses' coats are extremely shiny or iridescent, and many champagne horses' coats do not show any unusual shine.

Left: a famous gold Champagne, the result of  the gene acting on a red (chestnut) base.  

Right: a famous chestnut Arabian.


bright chestnut
DustyDapples.jpg (83958 bytes)
Classic Champagne
Luke dapples.jpg (65905 bytes)
Gold Champagne
Sweet Apples-r.jpg (75603 bytes)
Classic Champagne

Reverse dappling is often found in Champagne colored horses, depending on the time of year, etc.  (Reverse dappling is the effect of dark spots with light surrounding "lacing".)

However, it also may be found in dun, and other colors.

Left: champagne colors with reverse dappling.

Right: dun with reverse dappling.

ereidifarmnewwebsite008.jpg
Amber Champagne

When coat colors are mysterious, one must look further to determine the genetics of the horse.  For example, compare these two horses:

Left: an amber champagne mare

Right:  this Palomino turned
this color in later years. 
He has dark skin, and
DNA tests prove he is a palomino.

Commando Fritz - l.jpg (28622 bytes)
"sooty" palomino
Cajuns Cayenne Kid-run.jpg (46838 bytes)
Dark Gold

Another mysterious color:

Left: there are some Gold
champagnes with the unusual
"Dark gold" coloration.

Right: red duns may look 
a little similar, but duns have 
dark skin, and stripes.

Buddy 2 years old great picture.jpg (57713 bytes)
red dun

Champagne 

SKIN - general

Others

Please click these pictures to see them properly
Sweet Champagne- head.jpg (658779 bytes)
 
  dominators anustail.jpg (71059 bytes) Goldie Lasan -bc.jpg (171943 bytes)
(all champagne horses)

The pink skin of a Champagne horse is "pigmented pink" -- not the pigment-free paler color found under all white markings of all horses. It is able to tan.

It has MANY, DARK freckles.  Not mottles, splotches, specks or blotches.  Champagne skin is this color EVERYWHERE.  

It's easiest to identify, however, in these places:

around the eyes, on the muzzle, and ON AND around the private parts.

Left: champagne skin; facial and under-tail

Right: Palomino skin - around eye, 
udder, chest, and under tail.  

Also Right: a perlino dun Morgan Horse 
stallion, with green eyes.

Also Right: Appaloosa skin

Bottom right: pink dots on
 the skin of an aging chestnut 
with minimal sabino markings
(he used to shed parts of his 
winter coat suddenly, apparently
due to Cushing's syndrome,
and is now on medication for it
and sheds normally)

Please click these pictures to see them better
  
doc's left eye.jpg (259103 bytes)  T udder.jpg (32313 bytes)Tari skin 2.jpg (24757 bytes)   
(all palominos) 
wpe1.jpg (8007 bytes)
perlino dun
Click to see full size fewspotmuzzle.jpg (12593 bytes)
appaloosa skin
amir's pink spots.jpg (93898 bytes)
chestnut skin 
(minimal sabino)

More detailed comparisons, below.

 

CHAMPAGNE

SKIN AROUND eyes

OTHER

Sweet Champagne - eye.jpg (41610 bytes)

Annie12.jpg (34330 bytes)

The skin touching, and near, the eye of a champagne horse will be pigmented-pink with numerous dark freckles.  Though a few other genetic combinations can produce pink, freckled skin, they're usually different in quality or quantity (see below.) 

MOST horses have very dark (black or charcoal gray) skin around their eyes, except for under white pinto/paint/Appaloosa markings.

Left: typical champagne eye; amber champagne.

Right: dark eye skin typical of most non-champagnes

doc's left eye.jpg (259103 bytes)
palomino
a dash of champagne eye 3-31-03.jpg (38445 bytes)

wpe1.jpg (20496 bytes)

The skin around the eyes of a double cream dilute, like cremello or perlino, will be a slightly different shade of pink, and have just a few black "specks" rather then typical champagne "freckling".  Compare these pics to get a very good idea of the difference.

Left: champagne plus cream

Right: young double cream dilute. 

1yrvanityeye.JPG (55414 bytes)
17-reye.JPG (20103 bytes)
both cremellos
Champagne Showcase - eye.jpg (54117 bytes)

Often, horses with one cream gene will be born with pink skin.  It usually darkens to black within weeks.  Compare this dark champagne horse's "eye skin", left, with that of this smoky black, right.

Left: Classic champagne

Right: a smoky black
mare's eye with pinkish
skin and some "freckles"

stc5.jpg (111682 bytes)
Auge2.jpg (32454 bytes)

Left, champagne eye skin

<=================

 
chaser eye sm.jpg (43005 bytes)

Left: gray on champagne

Right: non-champagne
gray depigmentation

 
appypagne-e.jpg (48746 bytes)

Left: Appaloosa PLUS champagne

Right: non-champagne
Appaloosa eye skin

 

CHAMPAGNE

MUZZLE SKIN

OTHER

champagne_muzzle.jpg (35508 bytes)

Left: typical champagne muzzle skin

Right: "pink-skinned Palomino" muzzle

Asti4ichr3.jpg (96104 bytes)

Left: Amber champagne

Right: buckskin

 
angel2-muzzle2.JPG (47832 bytes)

Left: gold cream muzzle at 4.5 months

Right: adult cremello muzzle

20-lmuz.JPG (47023 bytes)
cremello

Left: Amber champagne

Right: Appaloosa

App mare - m.JPG (59385 bytes)
Appaloosa
Champagne Showcase - muz.jpg (34928 bytes)

Left: classic champagne muzzle in WINTER.  Freckled skin is much harder to see through heavier winter coats.

Right: muzzle of a smoky black (one cream on black)

stc2.jpg (84929 bytes)

Any champagne muzzle could be shown here!

Why it's so important  to use pedigree as well as appearance (and DNA testing where possible) to determine a horse's true genetic color identity.

Right: Barlink dilute  (Pearl dilution gene)

MUZ-2-J.jpg (18173 bytes)

CHAMPAGNE

PRIVATE PARTS SKIN

OTHER

 Boo Boo - ppp.jpg (53020 bytes) Annie13.jpg (7390 bytes) Sweet Champagne - b.jpg (96544 bytes)

Left: under-tail shots of typical champagne skin, mares

Right: under-tail shot of typical
double-cream skin, mare

1yrvanppp.jpg (30988 bytes)
cremello
appypagne.jpg (17701 bytes)

Left: under tail of champagne + Appaloosa

Right: private parts of Appaloosa

App - b.JPG (51440 bytes) App - s.JPG (79919 bytes)
 

Right: private parts of a palomino stallion

Madame Ginger of HUKFarms-u.jpg (170741 bytes)

When it comes to udders, some cream dilutes have pink, freckled, skin there, but the nipple color is dark on a cream, and light on a champagne. 

Left: the skin on the udder of a champagne mare (very large photo)

Right: skin on the udder of 
a smoky black mare
(one cream gene on black)

stc4.jpg (63272 bytes)
 

CHAMPAGNE FOALS

 

CHAMPAGNE FOAL COATS

The first foal coat of a champagne is sometimes darker than the adult coat.  Others are born the color they will remain; still others vary from year to year.  The following pictures show the colors during age progression of a few horses of different champagne base colors.  You can see the various ways they can change from birth through adulthood.

They are shown here, in order, with the youngest to the left.


Gold (champagne on chestnut/sorrel): Zillertal Atom


Amber (champagne on bay): Pocos Blue Champagne

Another Amber: Champagne Ambassador, aka "Ricky"

  


Sable (champagne on seal brown): California Champagne, aka "Fred"


Classic (champagne on black) pinto: Champagne Leap of Faith

   

 

CHAMPAGNE FOAL SKIN & EYES

All champagne foals are born with bright pink skin and blue eyes.  As they mature, the skin stays a shade of pink and develops freckles; the eyes turn "amber" (yellow-green to medium brown) over months to years.

Some foals of other colors also start out with pink skin and blue eyes. 
Know what else to look for.

CHAMPAGNE

Explanation

OTHER

Chestnuts can be born with pink skin and blue eyes, which turn dark in a few days to weeks. 

Left: champagne foal

Right: chestnut foal

My apologies to those who have sent me pics for this space.  I'll try to find them...
RTTL-foal1.jpg (64866 bytes)

SSP-3days2.jpg (171618 bytes)

Single cream dilutes - Palominos, buckskins, brown buckskins, and smoky blacks are frequently born with pink skin and blue eyes, which turn dark in a few days to weeks.

Left: amber champagne dun foal

Right: buckskin foal

Left: 3 day old champagne foal

Right: buckskin foal

 

Duns (a dilution which includes striping) can be born with coats much lighter than their adult colors.  Some duns are even born with pink skin and/or blue eyes, which darken in a few days to weeks.

 My apologies to those who have sent me pics for this space.  I'll try to find them...

DNA COLOR TESTING

Horses can now be tested for most color genes to find out their true genetic color identities.  This is very useful for those who wish to breed for certain colors (or to avoid certain colors.) Several labs currently offer tests for black (black or bay) or red (chestnut) pigment, agouti (bay or solid), and cream, in addition to the two paint gene tests available (tobiano and frame/LWO).  There is currently no test for champagne, so that must be determined by appearance, pedigree, and the process of elimination.

Color test links:

http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/service/horse/coatcolor.html  

http://www.petdnaservicesaz.com/ 

http://www.vetgen.com/oborder.html 

 

SOME RARER, NON-CHAMPAGNE  DILUTIONS

During the course of examining horses to be registered with the ICHR, some horses were discovered whose colors could not be explained by any then-known genetic color combination!  They looked somewhat like champagne colors, but several factors were not there.

When these unexplained colors were thoroughly researched, they turned out to have distinct genetic signatures, 
different from any currently catalogued!  There is now a test for PEARL, which was one just developed in October of 2006.

You can read more about Pearl HERE.

The founders and friends of the ICHR continue to research unusual and undocumented colors in horses.  We suggest you join the ICHR list as a launching point to learn more.  (See Yahoogroups button below to join.)

If you still find it impossible to tell what is a champagne, and what is not, after studying this page, just remember, it takes years of study and experience, including some scientific training (usually), to become a color "expert".  Don't give up;  join the Yahoogroups ICHR discussion list (see button, below) ; learn from the experts!

 

 

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cannot be answered without the horse's
breed and registered name, if any.


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Legal information:

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including the exhaustive pedigree and color research 
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