# Champagne mare?



## 4HGirl (Jul 17, 2014)

This is a mare at my barn that I've used for 4-H in the past. She is gaited, but she's a registered paint. After months of debate, we finally decided that she was a champagne due to her freckled skin. I don't know very much about the champagne color, so it would be great if someone could confirm this for me. I would also like to know what type of champagne and I would love it if someone could explain champagne color genes to me! Thanks in advance!








This is a really unattractive picture of her, but she's the paint in the back.


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## Mercy98 (Jul 25, 2013)

I don't know about her coloring..besides the fact that she is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!


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## 4HGirl (Jul 17, 2014)

Thanks! I love her and she's probably the most comfortable horse I've ever ridden bareback because of her round barrel and her gaits! She's amazing! She loves to sleep in the mud though, so she's hardly ever this clean. If you look closely at the first picture, you can see that we couldn't even get her tail clean for that show. We literally soaked it in a bucket of some of that special white horse shampoo. 

This is her right after we first bathed her for that show. She was throwing a fit, so we let her loose in the pen. Naturally, she rolled before she was dry.








Here's another picture of her with one of my friends. Her mane is this dark caramel color and her tail is a really dark chocolate brown. They're two completely different colors. It's really strange.


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

What is her registered name? It would help to know the color of her dam and sire.


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## 4HGirl (Jul 17, 2014)

I honestly have no idea. She gets dapples on her colored portions during the summer, just in case that helps.


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## 4HGirl (Jul 17, 2014)

After doing some more research, ti seems that champagne is sort of like another creme gene that dilutes regular colors. Is that correct? Is there anyone out there that knows more about champagne and could help me understand this?


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

neat color, it reminds me of a yellow dun shade, she is palomino looking on her body, but not the mane.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Champagne is a diluting gene similar to cream and dun (both dilute the base color).


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## EmilyJoy (Dec 30, 2011)

She looks like maybe an amber champagne?


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## EmilyJoy (Dec 30, 2011)

^^Actually maybe not a amber but Classic or Sable?
Sable

Classic


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Emily, those are really neat colors. Interesting genetics.


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## 4HGirl (Jul 17, 2014)

After looking at that champagne horse website, I don't think she's a sable. She's more golden than that. I can't decide between the classic and amber. I wish the website had more photos because I feel like her color is in between the two. Maybe there's another gene in there like cream or something?


NdAppy said:


> Champagne is a diluting gene similar to cream and dun (both dilute the base color).


 So does champagne work like cream then? Is there a color it doesn't show up on, like smoky black with the cream gene?


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## 4HGirl (Jul 17, 2014)

I found this girl here







She looks a lot like Dot. They basically have the same butt, even with the same markings! Dot just has dapples. This girl has a slightly different head, but the butt is the exact same color. Her dam is bay and her sire is listed as buckskin/champagne, but registered as amber champagne here.
I'm guessing that this mare is Amber Champagne, which means Dot probably is too.


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

4HGirl said:


> I found this girl here
> View attachment 632906
> 
> She looks a lot like Dot. They basically have the same butt, even with the same markings! Dot just has dapples. This girl has a slightly different head, but the butt is the exact same color. Her dam is bay and her sire is listed as buckskin/champagne, but registered as amber champagne here.
> I'm guessing that this mare is Amber Champagne, which means Dot probably is too.


The name of the champagne color depends on the background color. 

Chestnut + Champagne = Gold Champagne

Bay + Champagne = Amber Champagne

Black + Champagne = Classic Champagne

Basically, you can color test for red factor and agouti to determine what Champagne she is. There will be large variations of color within each Champagne name as there is large variations of color within each base coat. 

https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/horse/champagne.php


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