Pearl (prl)
Pearl is a recessive dilution that affects both red and black pigment but typically requires two copies to visibly change the horse's coat.
Pearl can affect all three base colors, although its appearance varies depending on the underlying coat color. Most horses with two copies of Pearl develop a paler coat.
Pearl Inheritance
Because Pearl is recessive, a horse generally needs two copies of the gene for the dilution to be visibly expressed.
- prl/prl - The horse has two copies of Pearl and will always pass Pearl to its offspring.
- prl/n - The horse has one copy of Pearl and has a 50% chance of passing Pearl to its offspring.
- n/n - The horse does not have the Pearl gene and will not visibly display it or be able to pass it to its offspring.
Pearl & Cream Interaction
Pearl can also interact with the Cream gene, as both are located at the same genetic locus.
A horse carrying one copy of Cream and one copy of Pearl (CR/prl) can produce what's known as a "pseudo double dilute."
In game, this combination produces a diluted appearance similar to a horse with two copies of the Cream gene (CR/CR), despite the horse carrying only one copy of each dilution.