Silver Dilution Characteristics

The best way to know for sure if your horse is a silver is to have them tested.  A silver dilution test was created and offered to the public in October of 2006.  For links to the labs that offer silver testing, please go to the Color Testing page. Silver Body Colors BLACK  SILVER Conley's Graceful Star Black Silver Rocky Mountain Horse mare Photo courtesy of Sheree Swanson BRF's Poet's Silver Seranade 2007 Black Silver Rocky Mountain Horse filly Photo courtesy of BLUE ROCK FARM   SILVER  BAY / BROWN Unconventional Silver Bay Morgan Colt Photo courtesy of Brookridge Morgans   Ms Barbarella Image Silver Bay AQHA Mare Photo courtesy of Redbud Quarter Horses   Commander's Crescent Society Silver Bay Saddlebred Mare Photo courtesy of Julia Lord   Foxton Frosty Dawn Silver Bay Morgan Mare Photo courtesy of Brookridge Morgans   Champs Guthrie Dark Silver Bay AQHA Stallion Photo courtesy of Meadow View Farm   CHESTNUT ~* silver gene carrier *~ NOTE:  Chestnut can be silver carriers, however, it has no affect on the body color since the silver "Z" gene only dilutes black pigmentation.  Stardust Angyl 1/2 Arab mare - confirmed silver carrier Photo courtesy of Stardust Arabians Stardust Angyl 1/2 Arab mare - confirmed silver carrier Photo courtesy of Stardust Arabians   SMOKY  BLACK  SILVER   BUCKSKIN  SILVER Conley's Classic Caper Silver Buckskin RMH Mare Photo courtesy of Sheree Swanson    Stars Angel Too Silver Buckskin APHA Mare Photo courtesy of Talia Chiodo   ROAN  SILVER Spring Roan Silver Miniature mare  Photo courtesy of Mary Stewart FIRESIDE MINIATURE HORSES Spring Roan Silver Miniature mare  Photo courtesy of Mary Stewart FIRESIDE MINIATURE HORSES   Characteristics MANE & TAIL The mane and tails on silver horses can vary greatly.  Some have very white/flaxen looking manes and others are self-colored (same color as their body) with a lot of variation in between.  The roots of the mane and tail are darker like the body color. Tails also can be very light to self-colored.                                     EYELASHES White eyelashes on foals can be a characteristic of silver but not all foals will be born with them.  The eyelashes will darken as the horse ages.     STRIPED  HOOVES Striped hooves are a characteristic of silver but they aren't a characteristic all silvers have.  Some breeds (like Icelandics) are more prone to having striped hooves than other breeds but they can pop up in any breed that has silver.  Silver hoof stripes have a very distinct shape (very sharp V's both up and down pointing) and the hoof itself is not light like on a hoof with white markings but is a in between shade with the darker stripes.  Many silvers will lose the hoof stripes as they mature - they are most often seen on young foals. The stripes have a thick, wedgy appearance.         LEG WEBBING or MARBLING   DAPPLES Dapples are another characteristics that some silvers have but not all as you can see in the following photo. The horse below dapples show up in the summer months and then disappear in the winter months.

Silver Characteristics

Last updated - December 8, 2007
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