Different Coat Colors of Horses That Are Considered “Albino”:
Dominant White Horses (W genes):
Albino Horse Eyes: Usually brown or blue, not red.
Gene: 35+ variants of KIT gene (W1 to W35, SB1)
Coat: Fully white from birth, remains white throughout life.
Some gene variants (e.g. W15, W19, W20) survive even if repeated twice, but some are lethal in homozygous state.
Example: A white stallion named “Old King”, which created the American Albino horse breed.
Cremello Horses:
Coat: Light cream color, pink skin, blue eyes
Gene: Two cream dilution genes (on chestnut base)
Characteristics: Looks like white but has some pigment.
Key Highlights:
True Albinism is not found in Horses (i.e. red eyes + no pigment).
Horses with white or diluted coats usually appear white due to dominant white gene or cream dilution gene.
Dominant white horses are born white and remain white throughout their lives.
Gray horses gradually lose color but have dark skin and eyes.
Horses described as “albino” by genetics are usually Cremello, Perlino or Smoky Cream.
Horses with Perlino:
Coat: Light cream + reddish/apricot coloured mane and tail
Gene: Two cream dilution genes (bay or brown base)
Difference: Slightly darker than Cremello
Smoky Cream Horses:
Coat: Smoky white or off-white
Gene: Two cream dilution genes on black base
Often a little darker than cremellos
Gray Horses:
They are coloured at birth (black, bay, chestnut), but turn white with age
Eyes and skin remain dark
Gene: Dominant Gray gene
Conclusion:
True Albino Horses do not exist biologically.
The term “Albino horse” is most commonly used to describe horses that have a Dominant White, Cremello, Perlino, or Smoky Cream coat.
Genetic testing can accurately determine a horse’s true coat color and gene variants.