Homozygous for black question

[eagles ring farm]

If mare and stallion are homozygous for black

does that make a foal guaranteed homozygous for black?

Our stallion is EE black but have a mare we would like to maybe test for the same so we would know with foals from this combination

or do you think foals would still have to be tested to be sure

 

[Gizzmoe]

If mare and stallion are homozygous for black

does that make a foal guaranteed homozygous for black?

Our stallion is EE black but have a mare we would like to maybe test for the same so we would know with foals from this combination

or do you think foals would still have to be tested to be sure

yes it does since the only gene each of them could pass on is the black. neither would have the red gene so cannot pass it on. Is the sire and dam of the mare black based? If either one is a sorrel or red based horse it would be pointless to test since there is no way she could be homozygous then.

 

[eagles ring farm]

If mare and stallion are homozygous for black

does that make a foal guaranteed homozygous for black?

Our stallion is EE black but have a mare we would like to maybe test for the same so we would know with foals from this combination

or do you think foals would still have to be tested to be sure

yes it does since the only gene each of them could pass on is the black. neither would have the red gene so cannot pass it on. Is the sire and dam of the mare black based? If either one is a sorrel or red based horse it would be pointless to test since there is no way she could be homozygous then.

Good point I will have to try to find out

thank you

 

[Songcatcher]

If either parent is homozygous for Black, the foal will always be black based (Black is dominant over Red). However, the Black base can be modified by Agouti, Silver, Dun, Gray, and Cream (especially if homozygous for Cream). Certain patterns can also cover almost all visible color to leave a Black based horse almost totally white.

 

[Loess Hills]

We have a stallion who is homozygous for black. When bred to different mares he has produced: black, black pinto, silver bay, bay, bay pinto, smokey black, and silver black pinto. Although he is a miminal tobiano himself, registered as solid black, he does have sabino roaning. And he comes from a long line of black pinto ancestors.

 

Remember, here are a lot of modifiers which can affect the base color of black, diluting the color even further. So while one can make a "guesstimate" of what homozygous black can produce, it is sometimes a roll of the dice, unless you test for every modifying color dilution in both the sire and the dam.

 

[Dona]

As to your original question.....yes, if both sire & dam are homozygous for black, their resulting foals will all be homozygous for black. Now, that doesn't always mean they will always LOOK black. Just means they will be a black-based color. Bay is a black-based color, the black body being modified with agoute. Certain pinto patterns can obliterate colors as well. I once had a Max White Sabino mare who was totally white. She color tested to be homozygous for black, homozygous for sabino, and homozygous for silver. LOL She certainly didn't "look" black, but could only throw black-based Silver Sabino foals.

 

[maestoso]

Homozygous only guarantees that a specific trait will be passed on . . . it does not guarantee that that trait won't be modified by other traits(pinto patterns, silver, cream, dun, grey, roan, appy patterns, agouti, etc).