• About This Guide
  
• How This Guide is Being Developed
  
• Philosophy of this guide
  
• Using this Guide
  
• Thinking Scientifically
  
• About the Author
  
• Documented Genes
  
• What is a documented gene?
  
• Black/Red (MC1R)
  
• Bay (ASIP)
  
• Cream/Pearl (SLC45A2)
  
• Dun (TBX3)
  
• Gray (STX17)
  
• Silver (PMEL17)
  
• Champagne (SLC36A1)
  
• Roan/Tobiano/Sabino/White Spotting (KIT)
  
• Splash White (MITF/PAX3)
  
• Leopard Complex (TRPM1/ECA3P)
  
• Frame (EDNRB)
  
• Tiger Eye (SLC24A5)
  
• Height Regulation (HMGA2/LCORL)
  
• Mushroom (MFSD12)
  
• Hypothetical Genes
  
• What is a hypothetical gene?
  
• Borrowed Genes
  
• Glossaries
  
• Glossary of Colors
  
• Glossary of Terms
  

Silver (PMEL17)

• Last updated: 2026-01-13

  Common Names: Silver, Silver Dapple, Taffy

  Scientific Name: Premelanosome protein 17 (PMEL17)

  Equine Chromosome: 6

  General Overview:

  The silver gene dilutes black pigment into a chocolatey brown color. Chestnut horses will have no coat color effect. [1] Silver black horses can range from silver to dark chocolate in color with lightened manes and tails. They are sometimes mistaken for sooty palominos. Silver bay horses will have mid to light bay bodies with lightened manes and tails and legs with minimal dark markings. Silver bays can be easily mistaken for chestnut horses. 

  
  

  The silver gene is also responsible for Equine Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA). This condition causes a wide range of eye anomalies. Heterozygous silver horses have a less severe version while homozygous silver horses can have significant eye issues. Chestnut horses, which can not visibly show the silver gene, are still impacted by MCOA. [2]

  
  

  Silver horses on HorseGeneticGame.com have no negative impact from the silver gene.

• Citations:

  1. Brunberg, E., Andersson, L., Cothran, G., Sandberg, K., Mikko, S., & Lindgren, G. (2006). A missense mutation in PMEL17 is associated with the Silver coat color in the horse. BMC Genetics, 7(46). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17029645/ 
  2. Andersson, L. S., Wilbe, M., Viluma, A., Cothran, G., Ekesten, B., Ewart, S., & Lindgren, G. (2013). Equine Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies and Silver Coat Colour Result from the Pleiotropic Effects of Mutant PMEL. PLoS ONE, 8(9). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0075639

• Examples:

  Silver Black E/? a/a Z/?, Silver Brown E/? A/? Z/?, Silver Bay E/? A/? Z/?