Dilute genes alter the base colour of a horse...by diluting it :)

Dilute genes are dominant. Dominant genes require at least one parent to have the gene for it to be passed on to the offspring. 

Some dilution genes effect the whole of the horse, others only effect the body hair or the mane and tail hair.

Two of the dilution genes (Silver and Cream) do not affect certain colour pigments, at times it may seem as though the gene appears out of nowhere in foals. Where as Dun and Champagne effect both red and black based horses and is always seen on horses that carry the gene.

To get a foal diluted by the cream gene you must start with at least one parent that carries the cream gene... Using a DUN dilute horse will not give you a CREAM dilute foal... these are 2 different dilution genes.
 

Dilution Strength

One dilute gene is not STRONGER then another. For instance if you breed a cream horse to a silver horse and get a cream foal - it does not mean the cream gene was stronger then the silver gene - the foal had a 50% chance of getting the cream and a 50% chance of getting the silver gene. it just means in this instance the cream parent passed on the cream gene, but the silver parent did not pass on the silver gene... if you repeat the cross you may get exactly the same result OR just silver OR silver and cream OR no dilute in the next foal.

This works the same when breeding from one horse that carries 2 different dilute genes - such as silver and dun for instance - you may find the horse throws more silver foals then dun, but this does not mean silver is STRONGER then dun, as these two genes are passed on independently of any other gene.

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