The existence of the following colors has not yet been proven to exist in the Chincoteague. If you have photographic evidence of Chincoteagues in these colors in the present or in the past please contact The Colorful Chincoteague!
Brindle
Brindle causes dark or white striping on a pony's body and is similar in appearance to what is found in cattle and dogs. In horses a true breeding brindle color has not been found. Some brindles are a result of chimerism, which is when fraternal twins fuse in utero resulting in one horse with two sets of DNA. Another form of brindle is heritable, but is a symptom of the genetic disease Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP). IP is dominant and results in partial hairlessness with abnormalities of the teeth, hooves, and eyes. IP is also only found in females as the males die in utero. Striping effects can also be found due to grey, dun, and roaning that can resemble brindle.
The rare somatic/chimera brindle is or could be possible in Chincoteagues. The genetic condition type of brindle is unlikely as it only occurs in female members of a certain family.
The rare somatic/chimera brindle is or could be possible in Chincoteagues. The genetic condition type of brindle is unlikely as it only occurs in female members of a certain family.
Champagne
Champagne (CH) is a dilution that lightens the body and the points. Champagne is dominant, meaning it cannot skip generations. A distinctive trait of champagnes is a metallic sheen to their coats. Champagnes are born with pink skin that darkens with mottling. They are born with blue eyes that darken to hazel. Champagnes often go through seasonal coat changes and as they age. Gold champagnes are chestnut with champagne, they are sometimes mistaken for palominos. Amber champagnes are bay champagnes, and are sometimes mistaken for buckskins. Classic champagne is black with champagne, and are a mousey brown color. There is a test available for champagne and it is located on the SLC36A1 gene.
Unlikely to have been in Chincoteagues as it mostly occurs in certain bloodlines in the North American breeds Tennessee Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, American Saddlebred, Quarter Horse, Paint Horse, Appaloosa, and American Cream Draft. Only the Quarter Horse and Paint is known to have been crossed into the Chincoteague Pony.
Unlikely to have been in Chincoteagues as it mostly occurs in certain bloodlines in the North American breeds Tennessee Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, American Saddlebred, Quarter Horse, Paint Horse, Appaloosa, and American Cream Draft. Only the Quarter Horse and Paint is known to have been crossed into the Chincoteague Pony.
Gold Champagne American Cream Draft
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Amber Champange
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Amber Champagne Appaloosa
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Classic Roan
Classic roan (Rn) has roaning on the body with the points and head remain dark. The main and tail may have scattered white hairs or none. Classic roan can have any color with it, black, bay, chestnut, palomino, buckskin, silver, etc. They often look lighter or darker based on the season. Classic roan foals won't be roan at birth but will roan out as they shed the foal coat. Scrapes and cuts will grow out without any roaning, these non roaned spots are called corn spots.
Three testable versions of roan have been discovered, with more likely to follow. RN1, RN2, and RN3 are dominant and found near the KIT gene. Only one copy of RN has to be present to cause a roan and a homozygous roan looks the same as a heterozygous. The addition of a dilution appears to lesson the visual effect of roan. RN1 appears to be the oldest as it has been found in Stock Horses, Mustangs, Tennessee Walking Horses, Draft Horses, Irish Cobs, Welsh Ponies, etc. RN2 and RN3 have been found primarily in Stock Horses.
Classic roan is found in breeds such as Welsh Ponies, Shetland Ponies, Quarter Horses, and Mustangs that have been crossed into the Chincoteague Pony. However, no examples of classic roan has been found in Chincoteague Ponies so far. The types of roan that have been found in Chincoteagues appear to be different unrelated types. Classic roan appears to be in the feral horses of Cumberland Island which have had many various breeds introduced.
Three testable versions of roan have been discovered, with more likely to follow. RN1, RN2, and RN3 are dominant and found near the KIT gene. Only one copy of RN has to be present to cause a roan and a homozygous roan looks the same as a heterozygous. The addition of a dilution appears to lesson the visual effect of roan. RN1 appears to be the oldest as it has been found in Stock Horses, Mustangs, Tennessee Walking Horses, Draft Horses, Irish Cobs, Welsh Ponies, etc. RN2 and RN3 have been found primarily in Stock Horses.
Classic roan is found in breeds such as Welsh Ponies, Shetland Ponies, Quarter Horses, and Mustangs that have been crossed into the Chincoteague Pony. However, no examples of classic roan has been found in Chincoteague Ponies so far. The types of roan that have been found in Chincoteagues appear to be different unrelated types. Classic roan appears to be in the feral horses of Cumberland Island which have had many various breeds introduced.
Chestnut Classic Roan Welsh Pony
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Bay Classic Roan Ardennes
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Black Classic Roan Standardbred
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Black Classic Roan Cumberland Island Horse
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Chestnut Classic Roan Cumberland Island Horse
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Dun
Dun (D) is lightens the body color while leaving the points fairly close to the base color. Dun is characterized by a distinctive dorsal stripe and leg barring. Duns can also have shoulder stripes or cobwebbing/spiderwebbing. Dun is dominant, meaning it cannot skip generations. Chestnut duns are generally called red duns, bay duns are sometimes called yellow duns, and black duns are often called grulla or grullo. There is a test available for dun.
Dun has not been found in Chincoteagues; past or present. Buckskin and dun are sometimes used interchangeably or mistaken for one another, this is incorrect as they are two different colors genetically.
Horses with primitive markings but don't have a lighter body color have Primitive Markings or countershading, but are not dun. This testable mutation called non-dun1. Foals are also often born with dorsal stripes that disappear when the foal coat is shed and is presumably a type of camouflage.
Dun may have existed early in the breed as there are a few accounts describing ponies as dun. However, dun is traditionally used to describe buckskins and the term is still used today in parts of Europe. It's likely the described ponies were likely the modern descriptions of buckskin not dun. A 1891 article in the New York City newspaper The Sun stated that the ponies "are most frequently black, gray, sorrel, or dun." Additionally the 1910 Pittsburgh Times stated that "White and dun-colored ponies are exceedingly rare." A 1923 St. Petersburg Times article described the ponies as "bay, gray, dun, black, and sorrel". Conversely Leonard D. Sale wrote in 1896 in The Horse Review of Chicago that, "I have never yet seen a grey, piebald, dun, or yellow purely bred island pony." The buckskin Spanish Mustangs donated by Bob Evans in 1976 may have been dun considering how common it is in that breed, but not likely.
Dun has not been found in Chincoteagues; past or present. Buckskin and dun are sometimes used interchangeably or mistaken for one another, this is incorrect as they are two different colors genetically.
Horses with primitive markings but don't have a lighter body color have Primitive Markings or countershading, but are not dun. This testable mutation called non-dun1. Foals are also often born with dorsal stripes that disappear when the foal coat is shed and is presumably a type of camouflage.
Dun may have existed early in the breed as there are a few accounts describing ponies as dun. However, dun is traditionally used to describe buckskins and the term is still used today in parts of Europe. It's likely the described ponies were likely the modern descriptions of buckskin not dun. A 1891 article in the New York City newspaper The Sun stated that the ponies "are most frequently black, gray, sorrel, or dun." Additionally the 1910 Pittsburgh Times stated that "White and dun-colored ponies are exceedingly rare." A 1923 St. Petersburg Times article described the ponies as "bay, gray, dun, black, and sorrel". Conversely Leonard D. Sale wrote in 1896 in The Horse Review of Chicago that, "I have never yet seen a grey, piebald, dun, or yellow purely bred island pony." The buckskin Spanish Mustangs donated by Bob Evans in 1976 may have been dun considering how common it is in that breed, but not likely.
Chestnut Dun Quarter Horse
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Bay Dun Australian Stock Horse
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Black Dun Spanish Mustang
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Dun Fjord
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Mushroom
Mushroom (Mu) is a dilution that affects red hairs. Black hairs are unaffected. Mushroom is a recessive so it can be carried with no affect on the pony. In order for a pony to visually be a Mushroom it must have two copies of the dilution. Mushroom is found on the MSDF12 gene and a genetic test is available.
Chestnut Mushroom is born a light beige or greyish color. The birth color darkens to a color visually similar to silver black. The mane and tail are usually white or cream with some the body color. Bay Mushroom is born a beige color. The adult color resembles a buckskin.
Mushroom is found in certain Shetland Pony and Miniature Horse lines. With the Shetland outcrossing in Chincoteagues it's theoretically possible, but Mushroom is rare even in Shetlands.
Chestnut Mushroom is born a light beige or greyish color. The birth color darkens to a color visually similar to silver black. The mane and tail are usually white or cream with some the body color. Bay Mushroom is born a beige color. The adult color resembles a buckskin.
Mushroom is found in certain Shetland Pony and Miniature Horse lines. With the Shetland outcrossing in Chincoteagues it's theoretically possible, but Mushroom is rare even in Shetlands.
Pearl
Pearl (prl), also known as apricot or the Barlink Factor, is a dilution that dilutes both red and black/bay based horses. Pearl is recessive thus only a homozygous pearl has a diluted coat. The skin of a homozygous pearl is pale with dark tan eyes. One copy of pearl has no effect and as such it can skip generations. When one copy of pearl is combined with cream pseudo double dilutes are created that have pale skin with blue or green eyes. There is a test available for pearl. It is located on the same gene as cream MATP.
Pearl has been found in certain bloodlines of Andalusians, Lusitanos, Peruvian Pasos, Quarter Horses, Paint Horses, and Gypsy Horses. With the Chincoteague's spanish roots it's theoretically possible Pearl may have been in Chincoteague, but not highly likely. Limited Quarter Horse and Paint Horse outcrossing occurred in the past, but none appear to have had Pearl.
Pearl has been found in certain bloodlines of Andalusians, Lusitanos, Peruvian Pasos, Quarter Horses, Paint Horses, and Gypsy Horses. With the Chincoteague's spanish roots it's theoretically possible Pearl may have been in Chincoteague, but not highly likely. Limited Quarter Horse and Paint Horse outcrossing occurred in the past, but none appear to have had Pearl.
Sabino1
Sabino 1 (SB1) is a pinto pattern. SB1 is an incomplete dominant where a heterozygous horse (1 copy) will look different from a homozygous (2 copies). Heterozygous SB1 have white on the legs and face, sometimes has white on the body, and often have roaning. Homozygous SB1 are mostly all white with pink skin. Sabino 1 has been found in several spanish breeds and gaited breeds, most well known in the Tennessee Walking Horse. It may be found in the feral horses of Cumberland Island due to Tennessee Walking Horse introduction. Sabino1 looking horses are in the Cumberland herd. No examples of Chincoteague Ponies with the distinct characteristics of Sabino1 have been found.
Black Sabino1 Tennessee Walking Horse
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Black Sabino1
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Bay Sabino1
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Chestnut Sabino1
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Snowdrop
Snowdrop (sno) is a recessive dilution that requires two copies in order for the coat color to be diluted. Horses with snowdrop look similar to a double cream dilute with a pale coat and blue eyes. A horse with only one copy is not diluted. It's found on the same gene known as MITF as Cream, Pearl, and Sunshine.
Snowdrop was first found in Irish Cobs/Vanners and research is ongoing to find what other breeds it may be found in.
Snowdrop was first found in Irish Cobs/Vanners and research is ongoing to find what other breeds it may be found in.
Sunshine
Sunshine (sun) is a recessive dilution. Horses with sunshine have a very pale near white coat with blue or green eyes. Since it's a recessive a horse must have two copies of it in order for there to be a pale coat. Horses with one copy are not diluted. Sunshine can also be paired with cream for there to be a pale coat. It's found on the MITF, the same gene as Cream, Snowdrop, and Pearl.
It was originally found in a Standardbred/Tennessee Walker cross and research is ongoing to see what other breeds it may be found in.
It was originally found in a Standardbred/Tennessee Walker cross and research is ongoing to see what other breeds it may be found in.