Dilute horses and ponies are amongst the most attractive and eye catching equines of all. With their glorious array of colours, many with striking iridescence and starkly contrasting manes & tails, they stand out in any crowd.
Welcome to All About Dilute Horses And Ponies.
Hi there
If you’re here I’m guessing it’s because, like me, you have an interest in beautiful horses and ponies.You’re in great company then because ….
....this site is for owners, lovers, breeders and fanciers of dilute horses and ponies everywhere. The site is also dedicated to the memory of a very special palomino mare who catapulted me firmly into the world of dilutes.
If You .....
- Need advice or information about dilute horses and ponies...you’re sure to find it here but if not just ask and someone will almost certainly have an answer or some helpful tips and hints for you.
- Like looking at pictures of beautiful dilute horses and ponies….check out the photo brags in each of the sections
- Want to show off your dilute horse or pony….plenty of opportunity to do just that or if you want to brag about how well your dilute horse or pony is doing out there in whatever it is you do with him or her .... we have that covered too with our Brag pages.
- Like to pass on the tips and tricks that have helped you get the most out of whatever you do with your dilute horse or pony …. handy hints and timely tips is the place for you.
- Want information about dilute horse and pony registers .... contact details where known can be found on the relevant dilution pages.
- Want to buy something that is specifically dilute related .... you need to check out the Gift Shop
- Would like to promote your stud or stallion, or simply read about everyone else's studs and stallions, take a browse through the Studs And Stallions section.
Feel free to add your website link OR even start your own page so you can share your wonderful dilute horse or pony with the rest of us dilute horse and pony nuts!
What is a dilute horse or pony?
Very simply - a dilute horse or pony carries an inheritable genetic mutation in their DNA which dilutes the pigment in their coat and/or skin in some way. It is a mutation because it alters the ‘normal’ sequence of genetic events.
‘Normal’ when it comes to horse coat / hair colour genetics is for a horse to be either red or black. Which they are when it comes right down to it BUT at some point in equine evolution a tiny mutation occurred somewhere in the DNA of some individuals which altered their pigment slightly from the ‘norm’.
- In the cream dilute horse or pony a mutation made the red pigment granules in their hair shafts smaller and less dense and concentrated it towards the tips of the hair.
- In the dun a mutation concentrated the pigment granules down one side of the hair shaft which gives the dun its characteristic ‘muted’ appearance.
What colour are dilute horses and ponies?
Palomino, buckskin, cremello, perlino, silver, dun, champagne, pearl & mushroom. I have included a page for each of these dilutions on this site. These pages contain a very brief explanation of horse coat colour genetics as they relate to that particular dilution.
Why own a dilute horse or pony?
Good question. I love them because I am a dilute horse nut thanks in no small part to an ornery palomino gelding and a beautiful palomino Australian Stock Horse mare. I think many of us probably got 'into' dilutes by accident - we bred one or acquired one somehow and the more we learnt about them the more addicted we got to them.
Sound familiar....?
What makes dilute horses and ponies so special?
For me, I love….
- the iridescence and the range of shades dilute horses and ponies come in .... from pale cream to rich golden hues.
- the contrast in the cream dilutes in particular with their spectacular coats and their white or black points.
- the way they stand out in a crowd.
- the diversity and depth of type, breed and quality to be found. I mean - a QH is a QH right…! Sure, there are different types of QHs but look at them in a QH class line up and they’re all around about the same height. They all have similar basic characteristics and conformation up to a point (well, they’re supposed to because they’re a BREED) and so on. Look at a dilute class line up on the other hand and you’ll see everything from tiny miniatures right through to massive warmbloods and thoroughbred Xs with everything in between. Meaning …. with dilutes you can pretty much breed whatever breed you want to with the added bonus of colour. In my view that makes owning and breeding dilute horses or ponies pretty special indeed.
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