Splash Info
The SW1 gene is rare in Morgan horses and is responsible for producing white markings that vary in expression including pinto markings. Read on to learn more.
Homozygous splash
In homozygous splash (SW1/SW1), pinto patterns often result in maximum expression of white giving the appearance that the horse was dipped in white paint. In the mare above both of her eyes are blue and she has a very large white belly spot with white also in her tail.
Heterozygous splash
Heterozygous splash carriers can have minimal to extensive white markings and occasionally, heterozygous splash (nSW1) has no white at all. Their eyes can be blue and the above black splash Morgan has a wide blaze and 2 partial faintly blue colored eyes.
What is splash?
go
In the buckskin Morgan directly above you can see that he has maximum expression of white because he has 2 copies of the splash gene. His color markings don't look like a "traditional" Morgan horse at all. Even though he is genetically the same as the buckskin mare pictured at the top of the page, the white pattern expressed differently between them. Her large belly spot doesn't go up along her barrel and the white on her legs is not as high either. The common characteristics between them are the blue eyes, significant white on the face and the white in the tail. What they look like visually does not mean they will produce splash foals that mirror their pattern in appearance. They are all unique and no two are identical even though they may be similar.
It is common for Morgans with the splash gene to have both blue eyes, one blue eye, partial blue eye(s) or no blue at all. The blue is most prevalent in homozygous splash carriers.
How do you get a splash foal?
The splash gene "hides" only in the context that it isn't always visually obvious. It doesn't skip generations or express only on specific base colors. If you suspect a horse carries splash, DNA color testing for Splash 1 confirms whether or not it is present.
Why is it so hard to produce a pinto pattern in a Morgan?
If a horse has one copy of the splash gene and it is mated to a non-splash Morgan the resulting foal will have a 50% chance of inheriting one copy of the splash gene, 50% will have no splash gene at all.
If a Morgan has one copy of the splash gene and it is mated to a Morgan with one copy of the splash gene, there is a 50% chance of inheriting one splash gene, a 25% chance of inheriting two splash genes, and 25% no splash gene at all.
If a Morgan has one copy of the splash gene and it is mated to a Morgan with two copies of the gene there is a 50% chance the foal will inherit two splash genes and 50% it will inherit one splash gene. This pairing is better but still only 50% odds for a homozygous splash.
If both Morgans have two copies of the splash gene the resulting foal will have two splash genes and breeders are assured the white pattern will express maximum white. This 100% homozygous pairing is the ideal scenario for a breeder to get foals with pinto patterns. It is also the most difficult to get.
In reviewing the above a person can clearly see that it is very difficult, and often takes a breeder years, to produce a homozygous splash foal with maximum white expression. When they are born, because they are so rare (less than 20 in the breed), they are not inexpensive and they are not sold on the open market often. As the number of Morgan horses possessing the splash gene increases, the breed may see more pinto marked Morgans and prices may eventually come down too. That will take many years to accomplish with breeders who have a passion for more white pattern in the Morgan breed.
Our goal is to increase the number of quality splash Morgans with proven ancestry and the "icing on the cake" will always be foals that are homozygous splash - 2 copies of the splash gene.