Pearl

Update - We have a PEARL Gypsy Horse!!!!!! Pearl is a recessive, cream activated, dilution gene. Recessive means that one copy of  the gene in a horse has no expression (is "invisible"), and two copies (homozygosity) results in full expression (dilutes the base color once). Cream activated means that it also reacts with cream: it shows up, adding another instance of dilution, if there is a cream gene present. In this case it manifests as a "double dilution": pearl AND cream. The Pearl gene is thought to come from horses of spanish desent. There had been noticed, and documented, several startling cases of a cream dilute horse being crossed with a base color horse (chestnut, bay, black, brown) and producing a foal that looks like a double cream dilute. When these foals were color tested, without exception they were found to have only one cream gene, as expected by their parentage. Now, most of these foals have also been tested for Pearl, and those who have been tested all carry it. This was in spanish bred horses and some paint bred horses, who it is assummed must have some spanish ancestors. It was known as Barlink factor in Paint horses. Pearl looks VERY similar to Champagne. In fact the first registered Champagne has now been proven to be a homozygous red based Pearl. Champagne however must have the characteristic freakled skin, Pearl seems to have no more speakles on their diluted skin than would a double cream dilute. Also a Champagne must have a Champagne parent, Champagne is a dominant gene.  Desert Jewel Mystery (below) was born in 2006 and had us all stumped as to her colour, so she was tested for everything LOL. Her sire is a palomino and her dam a piebald. She came back with one Black, no Agouti, one cream and ONE PEARL! The first Gypsy Pearl!! It seems there is no limits for colour with these Gypsy Horses. Mystery is owned by Jennifer Gilson of Desert Jewel Gypsy Horses and more photos of her can be seen here . The most known Pearl horse in Australia is Majodero R, a Lusitano stallion in Victoria. I've included a pic of him below too. It is believed that Pearl is some kind of Cream mutation, because of this it is also believed that it a cream/pearl will always pass on either the pearl gene or the cream gene to their foal. Never both or none. So in effect, act as a homozygous cream and not as two independant genes. All foals born to pearl/creams so far support this but not alot born yet. Two years on from Mystery's birth there are now quite a number of confirmed Pearls in the Gypsy Horses. So many I can't put them all here!! Here is a few of them though. This is Mystery as a new born foal. Her diluted skin and pale eyes tells us she's something different! Photo from Clononeen Irish Cobs Mystery as a yearnling. We are calling her colour Smokey Black Pearl. Photo from Desert Jewel Gypsy Horses  Majodero R - Lusitano He is a black based cream pearl like Mystery. This is Harrie, a Pearl gypsy stallion in the UK. He is tested to be a Buckskin Pearl Photo from Vines Gypsy Horses This is Corny (Camella Boy Warrior), a Pearl gypsy stallion in Norway. He is tested to be a Buckskin Pearl Tobiano Corny had a palomino pearl filly born 2008 Photo from Vestlandshandens Tinker   This is Love Biscuit, a Pearl gypsy stallion in the US. He is tested to be a Buckskin Pearl Tobiano Photo from Lucky Charm Ranch This is Amber , a Pearl gypsy mare in the US. She is tested to be a Smokey Black Pearl Tobiano. Her foal is a smokey black tobiano. Photo from Dragon Fire Gypsy This is Chardonnay, a Pearl gypsy mare in the US. She is tested to be a Smokey Black Pearl Tobiano. Her foal is a Black Pearl. Photo from Desert Jewel Gypsy Horses This is Erwyn, a Pearl gypsy colt in France. He is tested to be a Buckskin Pearl Tobiano. Now known as The Butler and is in NZ! Photo from Du Vallon Gypsy Cobs