Instructions
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Finding a perlino is no easy task. Genetically, a perlino is a bay horse with two copies of the "dilute" gene, making the Perlino a "double dilute" (essentially an albino). What this means in the breeding world is that the perlino will always throw one copy of the dilute gene, and either one copy of the bay or one copy of the chestnut gene. Sometimes a perlino will be "homozygous" for the bay gene as well as the dilute gene.
Visually identifying a Perlino is not a guaranteed way to make certain of its genes. Although they are fairly recognizable with their pale coats (creme), possibly slightly pinkish manes and tails, and blue or pink eyes, the only way to be absolutely sure they are Perlino is to have them tested through a genetics lab.
Once you have identified that the horse is a Perlino, you have done the first step. Next, you would look either for another Perlino or a buckskin horse of the opposite sex. Since the Perlino will always give one copy of the dilute gene and one copy of the color gene to its foal, if you breed it to another confirmed Perlino, you will always have a Perlino foal, and if you breed it to a buckskin you will always have a Perlino foal.
Another option for getting the rare double dilute Perlino color is to breed to a cremello horse of the opposite sex. You will roughly a 50 percent chance of producing another Perlino, since both parents are double dilutes, but the cremello carries a copy of the chestnut gene.
Breeding for color is not an easy business. You must always remember that quality is far more important that color. After all, a Perlino horse of the most beautiful color can have the worst conformation and disposition and not be breeding material.
How to Breed a Perlino Horse
Breeding for color is a tricky business and producing horse colors is like playing genetic dice. Sometimes you get what you want and sometimes you don't. Your results will be living, breathing creatures that need care and good homes, so it is a serious game you are playing. Here are the basics on how to go about breeding a horse with the Perlino coat color.