This page contains all variations of the Cream gene, including how it interacts with Pearl. 

Please Note: This page covers only the base coat effects of the Cream gene. In order to see other dilutes or modifiers, you will have to go to the individual pages for those genes. 

In order to search for a specific base coat on this page, use ctrl f to bring up a page search option, then type what you are looking for. 

Single Cream Bases

Base Coat: Palomino

Occurs as: ee A(any) nCr
Cream is a dilute gene which lightens the base of a horse to a golden or chocolate color. ​ 
Palomino horses are chestnut-based horses with a single copy of the cream gene. They can range in color from a very light, creamy golden color to a dark brown -- and will always have a cream or white mane and tail. Like with chestnut shades, the shade of palomino is not inherited from the parents, meaning that a chocolate palomino (dark palomino) can come from an isabella (light toned) palomino, and vice-versa. 

Horses with this gene CAN:
  • Range from a light cream to a dark golden brown color. 
  • Have a cream or white-colored mane and tail, which may show a slight gradient -- having darker hairs at the base / roots, and lighter hairs at the ends. 
  • Optionally have a grey muzzle, or no skin coloration, based on designer preference. 
  • Have slight shading and countershading, but not enough to make it appear as though the horse has pangare or sooty.
  • Have white markings that are not caused by any form of genetic white. Please see the Natural White page to learn more about what is acceptable for non-genetic white.

Horses with this gene CANNOT:
  • Have dark points, as the underlying base is chestnut. ​
  • Have pink skin. Pink or peach-colored skin is a trait of gold champagne. 
  • Have any eye color but brown, unless other genes are present which change eye color. 
  • Have a main and tail which are the same shade as or darker than the base coat, or which are not significantly lighter than the base coat color. 
The examples below show only a few of the accepted shades, for you to get an idea of the range of shades possible with Palomino. Overall, the color bar above should be your guide for the acceptable range of coloration. 

Base Coat: Buckskin

Occurs as: E_ A_ nCr || E_ At_ nCr || E_ A+_ nCr
Cream is a dilute gene which lightens the base of a horse to a golden or chocolate color. 
​Buckskin horses are on a bay, wild bay, or seal bay base with the addition of a cream gene. They will have yellowish, golden-toned bodies with dark points and a dark mane and tail. Overall, buckskins have a lighter body than a bay, but follow the same rules as the underlying bay base coat. For example: "Burnt" Buckskin is Seal Bay plus a Cream gene!

Horses with this gene CAN:
  • Range from a light cream to a dark golden brown color with dark brown or black points. 
  • ​Have black or dark points - including lower legs up to the hock, muzzle, eyes, and tip of the ears.
  • Have a mane and tail which matches the points in color. 
  • Optionally have a grey muzzle, dark muzzle, or no skin coloration, based on designer preference. 
  • Have slight shading and countershading, but not enough to make it appear as though the horse has pangare or sooty.
  • Have white markings that are not caused by any form of genetic white. Please see the Natural White page to learn more about what is acceptable for non-genetic white.

Horses with this gene CANNOT:
  • Be as dark in color as a bay. The darkest example below is the darkest allowed for buckskin. 
  • Have pink skin. Pink or peach-colored skin is a trait of champagne. 
  • Have any eye color but brown, unless other genes are present which change eye color. 
  • Have points which do not reach the knees and hocks at minimum on a bay or seal bay base. Buckskin on a wild bay base will follow the same rules as wild bay when it comes to points. 
  • Have a main and tail which are the same shade as or lighter than the base coat in color. Mane and tail should match the shade of the points.  
The examples below show only a few of the accepted shades, for you to get an idea of the range of shades possible with Buckskin. Overall, the color bar above should be your guide for the acceptable range of coloration. ​

Base Coat: Smokey Black

Occurs as: E_ aa nCr
Cream is a dilute gene which lightens the base of a horse to a golden or chocolate color. 
Smokey Black is a black horse with the addition of a cream gene. This causes the base coat to be lighter than a typical black horse, or create a brown-saturated (chocolate) base. 

Horses with this gene CAN:
  • Have a very dark desaturated black to a dark chocolate brown coloration.
  • Have a mane and tail which matches the base in color -- unless silver is present. 
  • Optionally have a grey muzzle, dark muzzle, or no skin coloration, based on designer preference. 
  • Have slight shading and countershading, but not enough to make it appear as though the horse has pangare or sooty.
  • Have white markings that are not caused by any form of genetic white. Please see the Natural White page to learn more about what is acceptable for non-genetic white.

Horses with this gene CANNOT:​
  • Have dark points, as the underlying base is black. ​
  • Have pink skin. Pink or peach-colored skin is a trait of champagne. 
  • Have any eye color but brown, unless other genes are present which change eye color. 
The examples below show only a few of the accepted shades, for you to get an idea of the range of shades possible with Smokey Black. Overall, the color bar above should be your guide for the acceptable range of coloration. 

Double Cream Bases

Base Coat: Cremello 

Occurs As: ee A(any) CrCr
Double Cream will always dilute the whole base coat, mane, and tail to a near-white or cream color. They will also not be heavily affected by sooty, points, or other genes which add darkening to the base coat. All double dilutes will have pink skin, which may be shown on the muzzle, around the eyes, on the armpit, and flank / groin area. All double dilutes will also have blue eyes. 
When one or more Cream genes and one or more Pearl genes are in the same genotype, it will have the same effect as double cream. However, on a chestnut base, Cream + Pearl may also have a mane and tail which are the same color as the base, which is not allowed for Cremello. 
​Cremello is Double Cream on a chestnut base. It will always be pale cream tones, with a white or very light mane and tail and blue eyes. 

Horses with this gene CAN:
  • Have a pale cream-toned base. 
  • Have a mane and tail which is white or very pale cream in color -- must be significantly lighter than the base coat.  
  • Have slight shading and countershading, but not enough to make it appear as though the horse has pangare or sooty.
  • Have white markings that are not caused by any form of genetic white. Please see the Natural White page to learn more about what is acceptable for non-genetic white.

Horses with this gene CANNOT:​
  • Have dark points, as the underlying base is chestnut. ​
  • Have a mane and tail which match the base coat. 
  • Have grey skin. Double dilutes are very pale, and must have pink-toned skin. 
  • Have any eye color other than blue, unless another gene which alters eye color is present.  

​The example to the left shows only one of the accepted shades, for you to get an idea of what Cremello looks like. Overall, the color bar above should be your guide for the acceptable range of coloration. ​

Base Coat: Perlino

Occurs As: E_ A_ CrCr || E_ At_ CrCr || E_ A+_ CrCr
Double Cream will always dilute the whole base coat, mane, and tail to a near-white or cream color. They will also not be heavily affected by sooty, points, or other genes which add darkening to the base coat. All double dilutes will have pink skin, which may be shown on the muzzle, around the eyes, on the armpit, and flank / groin area. All double dilutes will also have blue eyes. 
When one or more Cream genes and one or more Pearl genes are in the same genotype, it will have the same effect as double cream on a bay base. 
​Perlino is Double Cream on a bay, wild bay, or seal bay base. It can be the same range of base coloration as a cremello, but will also have slightly darker points, as it is on a bay base instead of a chestnut base. The mane and tail will either match the base, or be slightly darker in order to match the points. 

Horses with this gene CAN:
  • Have a pale cream-toned base. 
  • Have a mane and tail which is the same color as the base or a few shades darker, to match the points. 
  • Have points which are either slightly or a few shades darker than the base. How the points present depends on the underlying bay base. 
  • In the case of Burnt Perlino, be darker than a standard perlino. 
  • Have slight shading and countershading, but not enough to make it appear as though the horse has pangare or sooty.
  • Have white markings that are not caused by any form of genetic white. Please see the Natural White page to learn more about what is acceptable for non-genetic white.

Horses with this gene CANNOT:​​
  • Have a mane and tail which are lighter than the base coat, unless silver is present.  
  • Have grey skin. Double dilutes are very pale, and must have pink-toned skin. 
  • Have any eye color other than blue, unless another gene which alters eye color is present.  ​​​

​The example to the left shows only one of the accepted shades, for you to get an idea of what Perlino looks like. The example to the right shows how Burnt Perlino differs from regular Perlino. Overall, the color bar above should be your guide for the acceptable range of coloration. ​

Base Coat: Smokey Cream

Occurs As: E_ aa CrCr 
Double Cream will always dilute the whole base coat, mane, and tail to a near-white or cream color. They will also not be heavily affected by sooty, points, or other genes which add darkening to the base coat. All double dilutes will have pink skin, which may be shown on the muzzle, around the eyes, on the armpit, and flank / groin area. All double dilutes will also have blue eyes. 
When one or more Cream genes and one or more Pearl genes are in the same genotype, it will have the same effect as double cream on a black base. 
Smokey Cream is Double Cream on a black base. It can be any range of cream or pale grey tones, and will have a mane and tail which either match the base, or is slightly darker. 
​
Horses with this gene CAN:
  • Have a pale cream-toned to pale grey-toned base.  
  • Have a mane and tail which is the same color as the base or a few shades darker.
  • Have slight shading and countershading, but not enough to make it appear as though the horse has pangare or sooty.
  • Have white markings that are not caused by any form of genetic white. Please see the Natural White page to learn more about what is acceptable for non-genetic white.

Horses with this gene CANNOT:​​
  • Have dark points, as the underlying base is black. 
  • Have a mane and tail which are lighter than the base coat, unless silver is present.  
  • Have grey skin. Double dilutes are very pale, and must have pink-toned skin. 
  • Have any eye color other than blue, unless another gene which alters eye color is present.  ​​​

​The example to the left shows only one of the accepted shades, for you to get an idea of what Smokey Cream looks like. Overall, the color bar above should be your guide for the acceptable range of coloration. ​
Please note: Nordanner genes may simplify certain genes from real life. Genes may not present in Nordanner the way they do in real life or in other ARPG breeds, and are as close to being realistic as possible while still maintaining standards within the breed. ​​