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 Breeding
for Champagne Colors
Finding just the right Champagne stallion for your mare
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ICHR ENCOURAGES
RESPONSIBLE BREEDING
An ethical horse breeder will never breed just for color. Before you
pair two horses, ask yourself if you'd want a foal from those two if it came out
a plain base color; for example, chestnut. Ask yourself if it would still
sell at a decent price to a good home. Please don't breed horses that will add to
the thousands, if not millions, that are unwanted and neglected. Thank you.
ICHR expects advertisers to hold to a code of conduct and disclosure.
Breed-appropriate testing for genetic lethal or other genetic defect should be
performed, and the results included in your stallion listing with ICHR - whether
in printed or web form. These tests include but are not limited to: OLW
(frame overo), HYPP, HERDA, GBED, JEB, SCID, or as appropriate for your breed of
horse.
Breeders should be familiar with the gene(s) and combinations that result in
lethal or severe debilitation in their breeds. Take the time, and ask the hard
questions, to be sure that you don't reproduce any of these defects in your
precious foals.
The "right" Champagne stallion for your mare
It is a true saying that "a good horse is never a bad color." But if you
want a good horse that also has champagne color, we list here some guidelines to
help you achieve that.
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First, two important definitions:
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Heterozygous for champagne:
has one champagne gene and one
non-champagne gene.
Genes for every trait come in pairs in mammals.
Most champagne
horses are heterozygous for champagne, since the gene is so rare.
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Homozygous for champagne:
has
two champagne genes. -- Every foal will be champagne.
There is now a DNA test for the champagne gene. If there is a doubt whether a particular horse
has one or two champagne genes, this test will settle it. Check with the
reputable lab of your choice for more information.
If you have a Champagne mare:
You may get a Champagne foal by breeding either with a Champagne or a
non-Champagne stud.
If your mare is homozygous for Champagne (has two Champagne genes), you will always get a Champagne foal of some kind, no matter
what color stallion you breed to (100% Champagne.)
If your mare is heterozygous for Champagne (one Champagne and one
non-Champagne gene), you have a 50% chance of Champagne if you breed to a non-Champagne
stallion, and a 75% chance of Champagne if you breed to a heterozygous
Champagne stallion.
Of course, if you breed any mare to a homozygous Champagne
stallion,
you will get 100% Champagne foals.
If you have a non-Champagne mare:
With any Champagne stallion you have at least a 50% chance of a Champagne
foal; but...
...if you breed your non-Champagne mare to a stallion that is homozygous for
Champagne,
you will have 100% champagne foals.
Knowing exactly which shades of champagne are possible from a particular
cross, and whether other color modifiers such as cream or spotting will be
present, requires a thorough knowledge of the parent horses' color genetics, and
the ability to do the math required to calculate those percentages of chance.
You may wish to join the ICHR Yahoogroup to ask its knowledgeable members for
more information, or for help planning your breeding program (link to join the
Yahoogroup list is just below).
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Emailing
ICHR