# Silver dapple, and other 'silvers'?



## Elizabeth Bowers (Jan 26, 2012)

Color guru's i'm asking for assistance please! 
I'm fascinated with the silver dapple. I understand that silver dapple X with a bay gets you a 'silver bay'. 
But are there any other 'silver' combinations out there? 
Also what is the genetic code for a silver dapple? 
And what combinations can you use to hopefully help getting the 'silver dapple'? And i hear about the 'true black' silver dapple? 
Is that even possible? :shock:

Thank you for your help!

A beautiful example of a silver dapple







"blackest" silver dapple?


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## Critter sitter (Jun 2, 2012)

IDK but they are both Purty Horses!! I love the contrasts with the manes


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## cowgirl4753 (Aug 3, 2012)

All I know about silver is it doesnt express on red based horses.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kenda (Oct 10, 2008)

The "silver dapple" or "silver bay" is caused by the same gene, denoted by the letter "Z". The term silver dapple is somewhat of a misnomer since the gene that produces a black with silver will not always produce the dappled effect.

A black horse with silver is:
E? aa Z?

A bay with silver is:
E? A? Z?
where the ? denotes that the second gene can be either dominant or recessive and make no difference in the resulting horse colour.

The silver gene can be carried by a chestnut/red based horse, but it will not show up externally.

The appearance of the silver horses can also be effected by other genes present. A silver bay with a single cream gene would result in a silver buckskin, for example. With two cream genes present, the silver effect would be diluted right along with the rest of the horse to the point that physically you could not tell that it was present. Similarly, the champagne, and dun genes would change the outward appeanance of the coat, while the tobiano, overo, roan, and appaloosa genes would still display their own effects as normal.


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

Silver can express on brown, buckskin, brownskin, smokey black, black based duns, etc. 

This web site has examples of many silver dapple horses: Silver Equine - Silver Dapple


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## Elizabeth Bowers (Jan 26, 2012)

Thanks everyone! This is great to know! I'll be going and checking it out!!


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## kenda (Oct 10, 2008)

Oops, I typoed,

The black horse with silver should be:
E? *aa Z?



ETA: and now I know why, the forum autocorrected it to a capitalized A.


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## Elizabeth Bowers (Jan 26, 2012)

LOL Kenda, that makes more sense :wink:


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

From what I know, silver can only effect black based horses - every black based horse, with any other dilution will show silver (unless double dilute cream, then it may not be noticeable ). It's mostly noticeable on horses who are all black or have at least black points.

I have a silver brown and t our rescue we have a silver black, who's more diluted through the body than your OP pic.

Our silver black sabino mare:









My silver brown pony with his little giraffe legs :3


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## Peppy Barrel Racing (Aug 16, 2011)

Silver cannot effect red pigment so red based horses can not show silver but can carry it. That's why on silver bays only the black pigmented hairs are effected.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Elizabeth Bowers (Jan 26, 2012)

Ok, i get it now. I was getting really confused on what is was specifically affecting. I understand it much better now.
Maybe i should get a horse colors and genetics book...any good suggestions LOL


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