Champagne Horses and Ponies

Champagne horses have only been recognised as unique dilutes for a couple of decades but the colour is believed to have been around in some American breeds for much longer.

Welcome to Champagne Horses And Ponies, the pages of the site dedicated to the beautiful Champagne dilute.

On these pages you'll find tips on

• feeding
• advice for showing champagnes 
• examples of the different shades of champagne

 

 

 

Champagnes....what are they?

Champagne was thought to be a simple dominant until recent observations by experienced champagne people indicated that there are subtle differences in appearnce between homozygous and heterozygous individuals. Therefore it is possible that champagne is more of an incomplete dominant like cream.

Champagne modifies both red and black pigment. It also dilutes both skin and coat pigment.

 

The colours....

Because champagne dilutes all coat colours, champagne horses and ponies come in all shades.

On the base coats (chestnut, bay, brown and black) it creates a dilute that for many decades was mistaken for a light or wheaten skinned single cream dilute. This has led to them being registered as palominos and buckskins with most registers.

The most common shades of champagne are:

• Amber - champagne on bay
• Sable - champagne on brown
• Classic - champagne on black
• Gold - champagne on chestnut

Composite champagnes are also becoming increasingly more common as people try to breed unusual and distinctive coloured horses. Champagne and cream composites in particular are quite popular as are champagne duns.

• Amber cream - champagne and buckskin
• Sable cream - champagne and brown buckskin
• Classic cream - champagne and black buckskin (smoky black)
• Gold cream - champagne and palomino

Champagne and cream however creates a dilute that can be very similar to double cream dilutes in appearance due to the double diluting effects of the two different dilutions.

Then there are the more unusual champagne composites like the champagne silver and champagne dun composites.