# Can you breed two mini with the silver gene?



## MindySchroder (Mar 27, 2020)

My mare is a silver dun and I am tossing around the idea of breeding her to a silver bay stallion that isn't too far from me. Is this okay? I thought maybe there was something about doing that that could result in a dummy foal? Any info you can share would be great!


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## Maryann at MiniV (Mar 27, 2020)

The silver gene is so common in minis and sneekie too... I've never heard of anyone having a problem crossing two silvers. Were you worried over something like Lethal White? That's what happens with the Overo gene.


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## MindySchroder (Mar 27, 2020)

I thought I had heard about something similar to that... But I'm glad you haven't heard anything bad about crossing the two!


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## elizabeth.conder (Mar 27, 2020)

I have heard of some possible eye issues in full sized horses that have to copies of silver. But I am not sure that it is conclusive or not.


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## Barbie-GypsyFeverFarms (Mar 27, 2020)

elizabeth.conder said:


> I have heard of some possible eye issues in full sized horses that have to copies of silver. But I am not sure that it is conclusive or not.


Yeah they say that eye cysts are possible, I breed Gypsy horses and there is a split field on this issue, some have done it without issue and say it's not a problem and some are strongly against breeding two silver Gypsy Vanners together. I think there are a lot of double silver crosses done in minis and also obviously Rocky Mountain horses, I am just not sure there is enough solid evidence either way.


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## LostandFound (Mar 30, 2020)

Nothing like a dummy foal or lethal white, but research shows that all silver dapples have eye issues. Doubling it up causes MCOA. However, most horses with it have few to no problems. I'm pretty sure it's fact at this point, not something they are still looking into. Unless you have your horse color tested there is a chance that both your mare and the stallion are homozygous, and both have MCOA already. You probably would never know. It's a decision you have to make for yourself, and some people are wary about buying a horse that they know is a double. But no one ever talks about not breeding rocky mountain horses because of it.


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## chandab (Mar 30, 2020)

If you are friends with Lewella on FB, ask her, she's very up on the silver gene and the eye anomaly that can occur with double silver. I want to say it rarely affects miniature horses, and is more prevalent in full-size horses with silver, especially I think it's Rocky Mountain Horses.


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## Maryann at MiniV (Mar 30, 2020)

Good idea Chanda!!! Lewella is highly respected in the mini horse world....


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