CHAMPAGNES
What is Champagne?
Champagne is the name of a dilution gene, and the term champagne is often used as a sort of generic term to refer to any horse with the Champagne gene regardless of shade. Although at first glance they may appear similar to a palomino, buckskin, or grulla, the gene is completely separate and different from the Cream or Dun genes that cause those colours.
Champagne is a dominant gene, and is expressed on any base colour. Like all dominant genes, at least one parent must be champagne in order to get a champagne foal. It cannot skip generations or "hide" (except for rare occasions such as an all-white pinto or a grey-gone-white). A palomino cannot produce a champagne foal (from a non-champagne mate), because the two colours are caused by different genes.
This gene has only been known for about ten years now, and was not very well understood at first, but is quite well researched and understood by now. It's important to remember, though, that it is a fairly recent discovery, and only a very few registries have added "champagne" as a colour choice. The vast majority of them are still, as they have been all along, registered as palomino, buckskin, dun, grulla, or whatever fits most closely.
What makes Champagne different from the other dilution genes?
Each of the different dilution genes have something that makes them unique. The Cream gene affects only red pigment, not black, when heterozygous, and has a different appearance depending on whether it is heterozygous or homozygous. The Dun gene affects all colours, but dilutes only the body, leaving the points dark, and also adds the "dun-factor" markings. The Silver gene affects only black pigment, not red, and has an exaggerated effect on the mane and tail. The Champagne gene, too, is unique -- it dilutes the skin pigment as well as the hair. The other diluted colours (except homozygous Cream) have dark skin like any other colour, but a champagne has pink skin, and often, lighter-than-normal eyes. Their adult eye colour is often described as "hazel" or "amber".
What does a Champagne look like?
The Champagne gene has a very unusual trait. The foals usually, but not always, are born looking the same colour as a bay, black, or chestnut foal -- but with bright pink skin and bright blue eyes. Then, when they shed their foalcoats at about 2-4 months, they change to the diluted colour. This is the opposite of most other foal colours, which start out much lighter than the adult colour will be.
Gradually during the first year or so, the eyes will darken to hazel, and the skin will develop dark freckles. The pink freckled skin is unique to this colour, and is different from the sort of mottling seen on Appaloosas. Sometimes the freckling is so dense in areas that are exposed to the sun (i.e., the muzzle) that the skin may look dark, especially in photos as opposed to seeing the horse in person. But a quick look at the skin "where the sun don't shine", so to speak, will tell the skin's true colour.
Champagne dilutes both red pigment and black pigment -- the red changes to a golden colour, and the black changes to a sort of light chocolate brown.
Classic Champagne
The Champagne gene acting on a non-bay,
black base creates a rare Classic Champagne horse, which looks, in many
ways, like a buckskin, brown, or dun horse with darker brown points.
The newborn foal will have bright pink skin and bright blue eyes.
The skin remains basically pink throughout its life, developing freckles on the
muzzle, around the eyes, and on its "private parts" as it matures. The
taupe or mocha-coloured coat is darker at birth than at maturity, unlike most
non-Champagne colours. The newborn-blue eyes on these beautiful dark horses will
often turn first green, then usually a shade of "amber"... but not
dark brown or black. The mane and tail of a Classic Champagne, however,
will never be truly black, but, rather, a dark brown shade. And though the lower
legs of this black-based horse will be darker than the body, they are often not
even as dark as the mane & tail, and are, of course, a shade of brown, and
not black.
Classic Champagne - photo very kindly supplied by Gwendolyn Gregorio and was taken by Susanne Hoffmann
Sable Champagne
The Champagne gene acting on brown creates a Sable Champagne horse,
Sable champagne mare
Amber Champagne
The Champagne gene acting on a bay base creates an Amber Champagne horse, which looks, in many ways, like a buckskin or dun with brown points. But the newborn foal will have bright pink skin and bright blue eyes. The skin remains basically pink throughout its life, developing freckles on the muzzle, around the eyes, and on its "private parts" as it matures. The tan-colour coat is darker at birth than at maturity, unlike most non-Champagne colours. The newborn-blue eyes on these beautiful tan horses will turn first green, then usually a shade of "amber"... but not the dark brown or black of a buckskin or dun. And, of course, the dorsal stripe and leg barring, etc. of the dun is absent unless the horse also carries the dun gene. The mane and tail of an Amber Champagne, however, will never be truly black, but, rather, a dark brown shade. And though the lower legs of this bay-based horse will be darker than the body, they are often not even as dark as the mane & tail, and, of course, are a shade of brown, and not black. Sometimes the darker shading of the lower legs of an Amber is hardly even noticeable. So, this may explain that "buckskin with brown points" you thought you saw!
Amber Champagne mare & champagne foal. Note the 'buckskin with brown points' appearance of the mare.
Pictured foal as a two year old.
Amber Champagne gelding.
Amber Champagne mare
From left to right: amber ivory (buckskin champagne), amber and classic champagnes. This lovely photo was very kindly supplied by Gwendolyn Gregorio
Gold Champagne
The Champagne gene acting on a chestnut or sorrel base creates a Gold Champagne horse, which looks, in many ways, like a Palomino. The foal will have bright pink skin and bright blue eyes at birth. "Real" Palominos are sometimes born with blue eyes and pink skin, but they usually change very quickly to the characteristic, and required, darker skin and eyes of the true cream-gene-based Palomino. The skin of the Gold Champagne, however, remains basically pink throughout its life, developing freckles on the muzzle, around the eyes, and on its "private parts" as it matures. The golden coat is darker at birth than at maturity, unlike most non-Champagne colours.The newborn-blue eyes on these beautiful golden horses may turn green, then usually a shade of "amber"... but not the dark brown or black of the usual Palomino. The mane and tail may stay the same shade of gold as the body, or they may be flaxen like those of a Palomino.
Gold Champagne mare.
