The Cream gene is the cause of Palomino, Buckskin, Smokey black and also the Double Dilute colours of Cremello, Perlino and Smoky Cream.  

Cream does not noticeably affect black pigment when it is in a single dose, this would explain why a Buckskin keeps the black legs, mane and tail, but the red of the body lightens and also why a black foal with one cream gene looks black. 

The Cream gene makes the horse's base colour lighter, it doesn't removes it. Think of it like adding milk to coffee, the more you add, the lighter it gets. 

• This gene is incompletely dominant because it acts differently if it is present in one dose or two doses (heterozygous or homozygous cream). 
• Red colours are lightened to tan or yellow which causes Bay to become Buckskin and Chestnut to become Palomino.
• The Cream gene only affects Black coloured horses when it is in homozygous form (double dilute).

Single cream dilutions:

Horses that are Buckskin, Palomino or Smoky Black have one copy of the Cream gene and are capable of producing offspring with the Cream gene, but do not always pass it on, there is a 50% chance that the foal will carry the gene. 

Palomino ~ Buckskin ~ Smokey Black

Double cream dilutions:

Double dilutes (Cremello, Perlino and Smoky Cream) will pass on ONE cream gene EVERY time - every foal from a double dilute parent will carry the cream  dilute gene.

Horses that are double cream dilute can still carry modifiers such as grey, other dilutions such as dun or silver and patterns such as pinto or frame etc... although you may not always be able to see them.

Cremello ~ Perlino ~ Smokey Cream

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