Double cream dilutes are when a pony has two copies of the cream dilution. Cream is categorized as an incomplete dominant because that type of dominant looks different when there's one copy vs when there's two. Double dilutes have a near white body color, blue/green eyes, and pink skin. Some will have creamy gold manes, tails, and legs; areas that should have been black. Double dilutes can have white markings but they're often hard to see. There's three types of double dilutes cremello, perlino, and smoky cream and they are usually visually indistinguishable from each other.
Cremello is a chestnut with two copies of the cream dilution. Chestnut+Cream+Cream=Cremello
Perlino is a bay or brown with two copies of the cream dilution. Bay+Cream+Cream=Perlino
Smoky Cream is a black with two copies of the cream dilution. Black+Cream+Cream=Smoky Cream
Perlino is a bay or brown with two copies of the cream dilution. Bay+Cream+Cream=Perlino
Smoky Cream is a black with two copies of the cream dilution. Black+Cream+Cream=Smoky Cream
In order to get a double dilute both parents must have the cream dilution. Statistically you'll get a double dilute 25% of the time when two cream dilutes have a foal. Double dilutes will pass on their cream dilution 100% of the time. This makes them valuable for those wanting to produce cream dilutes. A single dilute crossed on a double dilute will produce a double dilute or a single dilute. You're guaranteed to get another double dilute when two double dilutes are bred together.
There's a longstanding misconception that double cream dilutes have health issues. They have no health issues at all. They tend to sunburn, any pony with pink skin sunburns, they just have it all over their bodies. Double dilutes were unwanted by breeders for decades and some registries barred their registration. This myth in Chincoteagues came up again when the cremello tobiano Misty's Double Platinum didn't thrive on Assateague and was removed. His color is not why he failed to thrive. Multiple double dilutes have lived long lives on Assateague, several mares and at least one stallion.
Double dilutes have historically been called albinos. Albinos lack color pigment also known as melanin. They are characterized by white hair, pink skin, and red eyes. An example of a red eyed albino horse has never been found. The cream dilution is the closest thing to albino in horses, but it does not have many of the issues and characteristic found in other species.
Double dilutes have historically been called albinos. Albinos lack color pigment also known as melanin. They are characterized by white hair, pink skin, and red eyes. An example of a red eyed albino horse has never been found. The cream dilution is the closest thing to albino in horses, but it does not have many of the issues and characteristic found in other species.
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Perlino or Smoky Cream. Produced buckskin and smoky black foals with chestnut stallions.
Blonde Pedigree |
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Double dilute tobiano in summer and winter coat. Sire is a smoky black tobiano and dam a buckskin tobiano.
Misty's Honeymoon (WH Clear Blue Sky x Martha) Pedigree |
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Perlino. Color tested. Parents are both buckskins.
MCC's Scottish Princess (Oso Blanco x MCC's Lady Liberty) Pedigree |
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Cremello tobiano. Color tested. Both parents are palomino tobianos.
Misty's Double Platinum (Misty's Silver Moon x Island White Gold) Pedigree |
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Double dilute stallion on Assateague in the 1960s. He was described as white during his lifetime.
The King of Assateague Pedigree Photo from The King of Assateague by Talmage S. Wilchcher. |
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Article mentioning an "albino" Chincoteague stallion that was used in the wild pony rides during Pony Penning.
Richmond Times Dispatch on July 27, 1945 |