Palomino is a coat color, not a horse breed. Any horse with a chestnut base coat and one copy of the cream dilution gene can be palomino, whatever breed it belongs to.
A palomino horse has a gold coat with a white or cream mane and tail. The color shows up across many breeds, which is why you can find palomino Quarter Horses, Saddlebreds, and Morgans side by side. This page is part of our broader animals section and covers the genetics behind the color, which breeds carry it most often, how color registries work, and basic care for a palomino coat.
What makes a horse’s coat palomino?
A horse turns palomino when it has a chestnut (red) base coat and inherits one copy of the cream dilution gene. The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory explains that this gene, found in SLC45A2, dilutes red pigment to a gold or yellow shade. One copy of the gene on a chestnut coat produces palomino. Two copies produce a much paler horse called cremello. Coat color genetics like this apply across the horse world, which our wider animals section explores in other species too.
This section covers the palomino color only. It does not cover other dilution colors such as buckskin or dun, which come from different genes acting on different base coats.
Which breeds commonly carry the palomino color?
Palomino coloring appears most often in Quarter Horses, American Saddlebreds, Morgans, Arabians, and Tennessee Walking Horses. According to Oklahoma State University’s breed database, the Palomino Horse Breeders of America registers horses in three divisions built around these breed groups, since palomino itself has no breed standard for body type or size.
Not every breed can produce a palomino. The color requires a chestnut base coat, so breeds where chestnut does not occur, or occurs only rarely, will rarely or never produce a palomino foal. This page does not list every breed where the color is possible. For how horses connect to Plains nations’ history and culture, see our page on Native American horses.
How does a palomino color registry work?
A color registry accepts horses based on coat color and markings, not on breed pedigree, so a horse can be registered with both its breed association and a color registry like the Palomino Horse Breeders of America. Oklahoma State University’s database notes that horses generally need a gold coat, height between 14 and 17 hands, and a light mane and tail with limited dark hairs to qualify.
This section describes how color registries work in general. It does not cover the specific rules of any single registry beyond what is cited here, and requirements can change, so anyone registering a horse should check the registry’s current rules directly.
What does a palomino horse need for basic care?
A palomino needs the same feed, exercise, hoof care, and veterinary attention as any other horse of its breed, since palomino is a color, not a health condition. The main care difference is coat maintenance. Light manes and tails show dirt and staining more easily and often need regular washing and conditioning to stay bright.
Sun can fade a palomino’s coat over time, so some owners provide shade or a light sheet during peak summer sun.
This section covers general grooming only. It is not veterinary or nutritional advice, and any specific health concern should go to a licensed veterinarian.
Sources
- UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Cream Dilution Gene Test
- Oklahoma State University. Palomino Horses