2013 AQHA Stallion
FK Snow Camo “Cam” is a 2013 AQHA stallion (APHA approved) standing stud to the public. He carries lines indicative of Cowan breeding program. I argue at current breeding fee rates; Cam is the working person’s alternative to Frenchman’s Guy. Cam’s genetic makeup allows us to guarantee color – genetically Cam can only produce buckskin and palomino babies. Cam had a short two year show career, where he missed a bronze trophy by a half point to an on-son of Metallic Cat.
Breeding
Sun Frost; Tuff Time Peppy, Orphan Drift, Poco Speedy and Laughing Boy were cornerstones Cowan sires. Cam was shown by the late team roper Rick Rosaschi as a 4-year-old he ended the year in the AQHA top 10 healers and earned his ROM in Healing, and as a 5-year-old with Casper May aboard, Cam finished 4th at the AQHA World Show in Heading – just missing a bronze trophy by ½ a point to an own son of Metallic Cat. Not bad considering Rick was roping on a horse bred to run barrels. Cam’s a true athlete; he’s quickness and agility are amazing matched only by his behavior. It’s easy to forget he’s a stud.
Guaranteed Color
Cam is a perlino AQHA stallion homozygous for both the cream dilution gene and Aqouti Bay/Black gene. Explanation, all horses have 2.7 billion gene pairs a gene pair (aka DNA) has 1 gene from their sire and 1 gene from their dam. the name given to all the 2.7 billion DNA pairs is Horse DNA Genome. Each DNA pair has a single specific purpose. The cream dilution gene lightens the horse base color. Because Cam is a perlinos he has two DNA cream genes and he will always pass it along. Cream gene a dominate gene which means it will be expressed by the baby. All of Cams his babies will be either buckskin or palomino.
There are two other genes that will determine between buckskin and palomino. They are Red Factor DNA gene and the Agouti. Red Factor DNA gene can be either BLACK or RED. Red (sorrel or chestnut) is the horse base color. A sorrel horse is a clean slate it carries no dominate color genes. Black is dominate, if a horse Red Factor has at least 1 black gene the horse will not be sorrel – it may be true solid black or it may be a bay. Cam is heterozygous for the Red Factor he carries 1 black gene and 1 red gene. He can pass on either black or red to a baby.
The Agouti DNA pair comes into play when the Red Factor DNA pair has at least 1 black gene. When Red Fact has a black gene, Agouti determines if the black covers the entire body, or if it’s restricted to the horse points (mane, tail, and socks). All DNA gene pairs have two genes and each gene has 2 possibilities: Black Restricted to Points Only and No Restriction (Restricted and No Restriction). Cam is homozygous Restricted Agouti he will always pass along Restricted Agouti.
Net result – Cam babies will inherit:
– Cream gene only 1 possibility all babies will be yellow.
– Restricted Aqouti 1 possibility Black gene it will be restricted to points.
– Red Factor 2 possibilities: Cam can pass along Black or Red.
A baby that inherits Back gene will be a buckskin. Otherwise, the baby will be a palomino.
Of course the dam has something to say about this as well. If the dam is a buckskin or palomino there is chance you may get a Perlino baby Cremello – a palomino with 2 DNA Cream genes. A bay mare increases chances of a buckskin baby (87% chance), a sorrel mare has 50/50 chance of a buckskin or palomino. See Animal Genetics Coat Color Calculator.
