Luiseach of Liosmor kindly supplied by Wendy Sanders of Ruwenzori Highland Pony stud in the UK
The Silver Dilution.
The silver dilution gene is a dominate gene over black based ponies (EE & Ee), it does not show on red based ponies (ee) and therefore can be hidden. The silver gene varies greatly through the different coat colours but typically it will cause lightening of the mane and tails to give a silver/flaxen appearance and on a uniformly black pony it will typically cause the dilution of the ponies body to a chocolate colour (often with dapples), whereas on a bay pony you will get the lightening of the mane, tail and body, the same as a black, but also lightening of the legs, causing the pony to easily be mistaken for a liver chestnut. A yellow dun carrying the silver dilution gene can also easily be mistaken for a flaxen chestnut.
Below you will find examples of the Silver Dilution effect on the Highland Pony colours –
Silver Balck, Silver Bay, Silver Mouse dun & Silver Yellow dun
It has been a couple of weeks in the making and I could not have accomplished these without the help of other Highland Pony breeders,
which whom I cannot thank enough for supplying me with photo examples of the different colours within the breed.