Palomino: Breed or Color?
by Annamaria Tadlock

See palomino color info here.

The true meaning of "palomino" refers to a specific genetics and color of a horse. Genetically, a palomino is any horse that carries two red genes (meaning no black genes, it is basically a chestnut) and one cream gene, which lightens the red color generally into a golden/yellow color with lighter mane and tail. They are basically a chestnut horse with one cream gene which gives the golden color.

Most palominos are golden with a lighter mane and tail. But palominos can come in various shades. Very light palominos can be almost white and are sometimes called "isabella palominos", and very dark ones, called chocolate palominos, may be a rich brown color with pale manes and tails.

The reason it has been confused as a breed is because there are registries for palomino horses. However, these registries have restrictions on eligible colors and breeds. They register golden colored horses of certain breeds with a white mane and tail-- meaning not all palominos are eligible, such as very light or dark palominos. Colors that are golden but not true palomino may also be accepted in a "palomino" registry-- for example, golden chestnuts, or horses carrying the champagne gene (which can produce golden colors).

Light Palomino filly, photo from Karin.

Arabian horses, which cannot be palomino because the breed has no cream genes, have been accepted into palomino registries. So have haflingers, another breed that has no palominos, but very light flaxen chestnuts.

So a horse that is genetically and color wise a palomino may not be able to be registered in these registries. However, the palomino registry is purely a color registry-- meaning that it isn't based off of bloodlines, only color, so it isn't a primary registry for many horses. Horses are registered in a breed registry (for example, AQHA if they are Quarter Horse, TWHBEA lf they are a Tennessee Walker). Color registries are just additional registries that these horses can be registered in. Color registries aren't primary registries because they aren't based on anything other than coat color which is purely superficial.

Chocolate palomino AQHA mare, Cedar Ridge Sunrise.

Palomino is not a breed of horse, and never could be, because the palomino color does not breed true. A palomino is heterozygous-- meaning it has only one cream gene-- so two that are crossed have a 25% of producing an offspring with no cream genes (a red chestnut), 25% of producing an offspring with two cream genes (a cremello), and 50% chance of producing another palomino (one cream gene).
On the other hand, crossing a cremello with a chestnut gives 100% palomino foals.

Some chestnuts, such as this haflinger, resemble palominos: Aztec Warrior RIR, Halflinger Gelding. Thanks to Mary Wiltshire.