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Questions and Answers
July 1961 Appaloosa News 

 

by George Hatley

       George Hatley’s extensive involvement with the ApHC ranges over 40 years. Hatley served as Executive Secretary for the ApHC for 31 years. He published the first stud book, became the first editor of the Appaloosa News, worked to develop the Chief Joseph Trail Ride, and was a manger for the first National Appaloosa Sale and the first National Appaloosa Show. He bred several well-known horses, one being Apache Double, and a successful racing competitor.

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      In planning this year's breed­ing program there are some cold genetic facts that all Appaloosa owners must be aware of. One is the greying gene. This is an epi­static gene which is carried in addition to the usual genes for color. This gene causes the dark hairs to be replaced by white hairs and in a short time the horse is white.

 

       Crossing an Appaloosa to a grey sometimes produces a foal with prominent Appaloosa coat markings at birth, but these markings are usually short lived because of the action of the greying gene. The spots and the colored  foreparts  soon  show white hair (usually by weaning time) ; by the time the foal is a yearling the colored areas have become grey and by two or three years the horse is nearly a white horse.

 

The greying gene, added to the horse's genetic make-up by crossing to a grey has robbed the horse of its striking Appa­loosa color pattern and will breed on to do the same for suc­ceeding generations. Breed Appaloosas that look like Appa­loosas their entire life. Do not make crosses which produce a horse that looks like an Appa­loosa for only one or two years and then looks like a white horse.

 

     In selecting breeding stock from registration records, avoid pedigrees which show crosses to greys. When selecting individ­uals by sight, watch for notice­able evidence of the graying gene. If the animal is only one or two years old and its dark spots are turning grey there is a good chance that it carries the greying gene. The greying gene can be eliminated from Ap­paloosas by discontinuing to breed grey mares and white mares, also by discontinuing using the results of Appaloosa to grey crosses and by gelding the results of Appaloosa to grey crosses.

 

Another cross which kills the colorful Appaloosa markings is the cross to roans such as fig­ures 26, 27 and 28 in the pam­phlet "Appaloosa Horses, Col­or Patterns, Breed Characteristics and Descriptions."  This cross results in a roan foal with very little or no Appaloosa coat markings.

 

Another genetic factor to avoid is the dilution factor. This is the factor that produces duns, Palominos and Albinos. (*NOTE: Mr. Hatley is referring to what are now called Cremellos, chestnut horses that are homozygous for the Cr dilution. Every instance of his use of the term “Albino” should be replaced with “Cremello”.)  The re­sult of crossing Appaloosas to Albinos is not eligible to regis­ter. Crossing to dons, Palominos or Albinos introduces the dilu­tion factor into Appaloosas. The dilution factor lightens the dark pigment, thus there is little or no contrast between the white and the color in the horse's coat.

 

Since every serious breeder wants Appaloosas to continue to show contrast and continue to be a colorful horse, breeders should discontinue to cross to Albinos, white mares, greys, roans, creams, Palominos and duns. Breeders should also, of course, avoid crosses to paints, Pintos and other patterns and types such as are pictured in figures 9 through 41 of the pam­phlet "Appaloosa Horses, Color Patterns, Breed Characteristics and Descriptions." If crossing Appaloosas to solid colored mares use the darkest of solid colors, first black, then brown, bay, dark chestnut and then sorrel. Avoid the light colors.

Figures 1 through 3 show the results of Appaloosa ½ grey crosses at a few weeks of age. Note the typical  light  ring around the eye. This light ring indicates presence of the grey­ing gene.

 

Figures 4 through 6 show the result of Appaloosa + grey crosses at from two to three months of age. The greying has become more pronounced about the head, neck and shoul­ders.

 

Figures 7 through 10 are the results of Appaloosa + grey crosses at from 5 to 7 months of age. They have lost their foal hair and have already lost a great deal of their color.

 

Figures 19, 20 and 21 show the result of crossing to roans such as are pictured in the pam­phlet "Appaloosa Horses, Color Patterns, Breed Characteris­tics and Descriptions," figures 26, 27 and 28.

 

Figures 22 through 30 show the results of crosses of Appa­loosa to duns and Palominos. The loss of pigment in the dun or Palomino, due to the dilution factor, causes very little con­trast between the white and the color. Often it is nearly impos­sible to recognize the results of this cross as having Appaloosa coat markings.

 

Figures 31 through 45 show the results of crosses of Appa­loosas to the darker colors such as black, bay, brown and chest­nut. Note how the Appaloosa markings are definite at all ages, note the striking contrast in the markings between the white and the dark, and note how the markings are retained through all ages.

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Questions and Answers About the Article

1)Question: The article seemed to refer to crosses of Appaloosa stallions on grey, Palamino or dun mares, would the results be different if the cross was re­versed?

 

Answer: The results of those crosses would be the same whether it was a grey stallion to an Appaloosa mare or an Ap­paloosa stallion to a grey mare. The same is true with the croses to duns and Palominos. Neither the graying gene nor the  dilution  factor  are  sex linked

2) Question: How do you distin­guish the action of the greying gene from the natural "Appa­loosa" roaning that takes place on many Appaloosas which have no grey in their pedigree.

 

Answer: It should be recog­nized that a large number of Appaloosas, not carrying the greying gene, undergo a slow greying or roaning process with age.  Many of the Appaloosas which are foaled solid colored gradually turn to a "red" or "blue” roan.  This loss of col­or, however, is quite slow and the pigment does not leave the spots, although the foreparts of the animal may become lighter, or even white.

 

In the greying process result­ing from the presence of the greying gene, the loss of color is rapid and includes the loss of color in the spots.

3) Question: Clarify the differ­ence between the problem of crossing to greys and the prob­lem of crossing to duns or Palominos.

 

*NOTE : In the following answer, Mr. Hatley refers to “Albino”, which is a color now called Cremello, chestnut horses that are homozygous for the Cr dilution. Every instance of his use of the term “Albino” should be replaced with “Cremello”. 
Source: Lorri of Scratchbottom Appaloosas

 

Answer: The disadvantage of crossing to greys is the rapid loss of markings, or the rapid replacement of dark hair by white hair. In crossing a horse with no grey in his genetic makeup to a grey, the result in a large population would be ap­proximately 50 per cent greys. However, in crossing two ani­mals, both heterozygous greys, the result in a large population is approximately 75 per cent greys. Few people can afford to knowingly cut their chances of a successful mating by 50 to 75 per cent. Since the presence of the greying gene in Appaloosas causes a rapid loss of markings, it is to the advantage of the breed to not cross to greys and to try to breed away from ani­mals which obviously carry the greying gene.

 

The problem involved in cross­ing to Albinos, creams, Palo­minos and duns is different than the problem involved in cross­ing to greys. In greys we are concerned with having a foal which is easily recognizable at birth, whose colored hair is rap­idly replaced by white hair, leaving the animal unrecogniz­able as an Appaloosa in a short period of time, and in crossing to horses carrying the dilution factor, we are concerned with producing an Appaloosa which has a base color that, because of its lightness or lack of pigment, shows little contrast with white. We are not concerned with the color of the animal resulting from the Appaloosa to Palomino cross having the colored hairs replaced by white hairs such as is in the case with greys, al­though it would be possible for the animal to inherit both the dilution factor and the greying gene if both were present in the parents.

The problem here is simply one of it being difficult to rec­ognize an Appaloosa which car­ries the dilution factor as being an Appaloosa.  An Appaloosa with Albino base color would of course be an entirely white horse and be completely unrec­ognizable as an Appaloosa. The same would be nearly true of the cream as a little more pig­ment is added. The Palomino would be  recognizable  under good conditions and the dark dun would be still more recog­nizable.  From here the colors become progressively more rec­ognizable from sorrel to black, which would be the optimum.

 

At a recent livestock show, several of the winners were duns with Appaloosa markings. The Appaloosa markings were not visible from the stands and therefore the judge's placings precipitated a great deal of boo­ing from the crowd. It is not in the best interest of the breeder or the breed to show horses which people cannot recognize as Appaloosas, and therefore precipitate the ill will of other breeders and of the spectators. Another problem which would ultimately be created by the Ap­paloosa to Palomino cross which was not mentioned in the article, would be the mating of Palo­mino colored Appaloosa to a Palomino or a Palomino colored Appaloosa.  This mating would result in 1/4 Albinos, 1/2 showing Palomino color and 1/4 showing sorrel color. The 1/4 showing Al­bino color would, of course, be ineligible to register, as well as being ineligible to be used for breeding Appaloosas.

4) Question: Does the article in­fer that 100 per cent of the crosses to dark colored horses produce a perfect colored foal? 

Answer: Indeed no. The ar­ticle does not state nor infer that 100 per cent of crosses to dark colored animals will be ideally marked, it merely states and illustrates that there is more contrast in the markings of the results of crossing to dark colored horses than there is in the results of crossing to light colored horses.

 

It was not the purpose of this article to discuss percentages of Appaloosas produced from Ap­paloosa to   non-Appaloosa crosses. It was also not the pur­pose of the article to determine what pattern of markings is produced from what pattern parent mated to a solid colored horse. Subjects such as these would require quite a lengthy article, entirely separate from this one.  The article does not state any opinion as to what is the most desirable marking in Appaloosa to Appaloosa mat­ing, nor does it officially recommend blanket hips. Tt merely attempts to prove that more desiirable markings can be ob­tained in cross-breeding to dark colored animals than to light colored animals.

 

5) Question: Does this article indicate a change of policy, a de-emphasis of conformation, action and soundness and an over-emphasis of color?

 

Answer:    Definitely and em­phatically no. Nowhere in the article does the reader find we are trying to lead him to be­lieve that color markings are more important than conforma­tion, type, action and sound­ness. In fact, this article deals only with cross-breeding and color.  It does not in any way compare the value of conforma­tion, type, action and soundness to color.

 

We have published Appaloosa News for fifteen years (Ed: As of February 1962) and this is the first article of any size to appear on the subject of color. Hundreds of articles have stressed the importance of con­formation, type, action and soundness.  We have long been under pressure to put some judging points on color, but we have always held by our original policy that all the color in the world would not save you if you did not have a horse.  Read a copy of the Appaloosa Judging Guide.  You will note that it states that "we do not want to sacrifice conformation, action, or anything of importance for coat markings, but people do ex­pect winners and champions to 'look like Appaloosas.'  Coat markings do contribute some to Appaloosa breed type the same as a Hereford's markings contribute to Hereford breed type. Therefore, if a pair is close in points, the nod should go to the one that is 'more easily recog­nizable' as an Appaloosa."

 

This is certainly giving a min­imum of importance to color in judging, and is using it only to break ties. A policy such as is stated in the judging guide and one article in fifteen years would not be considered as over­emphasizing color.

 

Following our meeting with the National Association of Registration Boards in 1950, one of the board members told Dr. Haines and myself that one of the things about the Appa­loosa Horse Club which im­pressed them favorably was the fact that we had no judging points on color.

 

Prices paid at Appaloosa auc­tions during the past two years have proven that a good horse with a little color sells much better than an undesirable horse with lots of color. This is the way it should be. The ideal, of course, and the combination that brings the top price is to have both horse and color in the same individual.  All through the fifteen-year life of Appa­loosa News, it has stressed con­formation, type, action  and soundness. We plan to continue the same policy.  We do, how­ever, want to discourage the matings which will tend to de­stroy Appaloosa color. The pur­pose of the article was to dis­courage those matings.

6) Question: On what genetic evidence is the article based?

  Answer: The genetics of the inheritance of horse colors such as grey and Palomino have been quite well worked out and very well documented by a geneticist named W. E. Castle. One of his most widely used articles ap­peared in Genetics, Volume 33, No.1, 1948, pages 22 to 35. The title of the article was the "ABC of Color Inheritance in Horses." George Gaylord Simp­son refers to Castle's work in his book, Horses, published by the Oxford University Press in 1951. Pages 69-80 deal with the inheritance of color in horses. There are some excellent illus­trations on pages 78-79. 

 

       In checking the results of crosses to duns and Palominos in our records, we found that 50 per cent of the results of an Appa­loosa to dun or Palomino pro­duced a foal showing the dun or Palomino color. This was exactly as expected.  We found that 60 per cent of the results of the Appaloosa to grey cross pro­duced a foal showing the action of the greying gene. This indi­cated that some of the Appa­loosas used in crossing carried the greying gene.

 

7) Question: What evidence made the article necessary, and why was it written?

 

Answer: In 1955 there were 500 horses registered in the Ten­tative during that calendar year.  Of that number only 1.6 per cent were the result of crosses to greys and approxi­mately the same per cent were the result of crosses to Palo­minos or duns. During the past calendar year, because of the in­creased popularity of Appaloo­sas, more cross-breeding was done and we registered a total of 7,000 horses during the year in the Tentative System. Of this number, 6 per cent were the re­sults of crosses to greys and a fraction less than 6 per cent were the result of crosses to Palominos and duns. The six or seven individuals registered, in each category, in 1955 did not seem too important, but the 400+, in each category, during 1961 is important.  Because of the increase in cross-breeding and the percentage increase in breeding to both greys, Palo­minos and duns, we felt it was necessary to point out to breed­ers  the  reasons  why  these crosses were  disadvantageous to the breed.

 

It is as important to keep the spots on Appaloosas as it is to keep the white face on Herefords.  If we can see from the applications for registration which are received that crosses are being made which are  de­stroying the Appaloosas' mark­ings, it is our duty to let peo­ple know about it. There are a large number of new people en­tering the Appaloosa field and very few of them are aware of these facts.  Information suchas appeared in the article is of great value to these people and by lessening the number of these crosses, it is of great value to the breed.

8) Question: Your article "Crosses That Kill Color" was of inter­est to Appaloosa breeders, es­pecially those who are crossing their solid colored mares to Ap­paloosa studs. 

To me, however, the article was not complete, in that if you had shown what type of Appa­loosa parent the resultant foal had, it would tend to save a lot of confusion.

 

Your example of the grey to Appaloosa is mainly the subject that I talk about. How many of the foals that you picture were sired or produced out of a grey horse and a roan type or grey type Appaloosa?  Your article talks only of the cross of a grey mare to an Appaloosa.  What would be the results of a cross between a grey mare and a black Appaloosa with blanket or any other dark, solid colored Appaloosa with a blanket?

 As you know, more than 50 per cent of the Appaloosas are of the grev or roan type with blankets. Why then, look down on the outcross of greys to Ap­paloosas?  Why not encourage owners with grey mares to cross them with a solid colored stud with blanket rather than the grey or roan type Appaloosa stud?  It would seem that this type of cross would also tend to make the percentage of "the greying gene" go down.

  Answer: It is true that by mating an Appaloosa stallion which did not carry the greying gene (one with dark, solid col­ored foreparts) to a grey mare, the percentage of greys pro­duced would be 50 per cent rather than 75 per cent which occurs in the case of mating an Appaloosa stallion which car­ried the greying gene to a grey mare.

 

However, in either case more Appaloosas with the greying gene are being produced. There is no way to breed grey mares or to breed Appaloosas which carry the greying gene without producing more animals which carry the greying gene. The only way the percentage of animals carrying the greying gene can be reduced is by breeders being willing to stop breeding to greys and discontinuing their use of animals which carry the grey­ing gene for breeding purposes.

 

It should be recognized that a large number of Appaloosas, not carrying the greying gene, un­dergo a slow greying or roaning process with age. Many of the Appaloosas which are foaled solid colored gradually turn to a "red" or "blue" roan. This loss of color, however, is quite slow and the pigment does not leave the spots, although the fore-parts of the animal may become lighter, or even white.

 

In the greying process result­ing from the presence of the greying gene, the loss of color is rapid and includes the loss of color in the spots. The greying gene in Appaloosas produces a white or nearly white horse in only four to six years.

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