In 2008 a colt with a striking white-spotting coat colour was born out of two solid-coloured bay Franches-Montagnes parents. The coat colour looks like a combination of white-spotting and coat colour dilution and it was named ‘‘macchiato’’. A clinical examination revealed that the macchiato stallion was deaf and had a low progressive sperm motility.

The Coat Macchiato (Splashed White)  test (P593) tests for a mutation in the MITF gene. This test detects two variants (alleles). The allele M is dominant. One or two copies of the M allele result in the Macchiato coat colour. The allele N is recessive and does not have an effect on the basic colour.

The Coat Macchiato (Splashed White) test encloses the following results:

Result Macchiato

Coat Colour

Description

N/N

Non-Macchiato

 

Non-Macchiato. The basic colour is not modified unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele N to its offspring.

N/M

Macchiato

Macchiato pattern. One copy of the M allele. Horse has Macchiato coat pattern unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can pass on either allele N or M to its offspring.

M/M

Macchiato

Macchiato pattern. Two copies of the M allele. Horse has Macchiato coat pattern unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele M to its offspring.

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