The effect of the silver dapple gene is most striking on a black horse, where the body color is diluted to a chocolate and the mane and tail are lightened to a silvery blonde. Dapples are often seen on the body and legs. The right above the hooves is usually lighter than the rest of the body. The mane and tail color may range from nearly black to completely blonde. At birth, classic silver dapples are usually dark brown/chocolate, and the mane/tail begin to grow out lighter. The most common characteristic amoung classic SD's is blonde/silver eyelashes.

The result of the silver dapple gene on a bay horse is less obvious. The body color remains red or brown (though some sources insist it is lightened slightly), the lower legs are lightened to chocolate, and the mane and tail are a silvery blonde. The silver dapple bay is often assumed to be a sorrel horse with a flaxen mane and tail.

Shown at left: "Northgait's Dakota" - Mountain Pleasure Horse gelding

Copper is actually a black horse with the creme dilution gene and the silver dapple dilution gene. His sire is a cremello, which guarantees that he carries the creme dilution gene, and his chocolate body with blonde mane and tail confirm the presence of the silver dapple gene. Because of the combination of these two dilution genes, copper has changed color drastically since birth. Copper has been tested by UC Davis, and he tested positive for the Silver Dapple gene.

Many people argue that the champagne dilution gene is the only dilution gene that lightens a horse's eyes (with the exception of cremello and perlino), but Copper's eyes are VERY light gold. The only explanation for this is the silver dapple dilution gene and the creme dilution gene.

If a horse has the silver dapple gene, then that horse's dam or sire has the silver dapple gene. Since it is a dominant gene, it can be confirmed by observing the color characteristics of the horse - BUT ONLY IF the horse is a classic silver dapple (black basecoat + silver dapple dilution gene). The silver dapple color does not just magically appear from a mating of two jet black horses. Silver dapple bay and silver dapple sorrel are nearly impossible to recognize by their color alone.

Silver dapple is not a coat color recognized by the TWHBEA, so without a photograph, there is no way to trace what lineage the silver dapple gene comes from. The only links I can provide are listed below:

Miss Lady of Gold, pictured at left, is TWHBEA registered as "chestnut." Missy is the dam of Gold Apache and Silver Apache, pictured above. Since her sire is black tobiano, she got her silver dapple gene from her dam, Pride's Dust Doll. Pride's Dust Doll is by Pride's Black Shadow and out of Sun Dust Doll. I suspect that Sun Dust Doll carried the silver dapple gene, because I have been told that Pride's Black Shadow was black.