American Cream Draft

Last updated
American Cream Draft
American Cream Draft Horse.jpg
Country of originUnited States
Traits
Distinguishing featuresCream color, medium-heavy build
Breed standards

The American Cream Draft is an American breed of draft horse, characterized by the cream or "gold champagne" color of its coat. It was developed in Iowa during the early twentieth century from a cream-colored mare named Old Granny. A breed registry was formed in 1944 but became inactive for several decades when breed numbers dropped due to the mechanization of farming. It was reactivated in 1982 and population numbers have slowly grown since then. It is a rare breed: its conservation status is considered critical by The Livestock Conservancy and the Equus Survival Trust.

Contents

Characteristics

American Creams have refined heads, with flat facial profiles that are neither concave nor convex. [1] They have wide chests, sloping shoulders and short, strong backs. Their ribs are well sprung, and they are short-coupled with well-muscled hindquarters and with strong well-proportioned legs set well apart. They are sure-footed with strong hooves, and their movement is free and easy. [2] According to enthusiasts, the breed has a calm, willing temperament, particularly suited for owners who are new to handling draft horses. [3] Mares stand 15–16  hands (60–64 inches, 152–163 cm) high and weigh 1,500–1,600 pounds (680–730 kg), while stallions and geldings stand 16–16.3 hands (64–67 inches, 163–170 cm) and weigh 1,800 pounds (820 kg) or more. [4]

The ideal coat color for the breed is a medium cream with pink skin, amber eyes and a white mane and tail. [5] The characteristic cream color of the breed is produced by the champagne gene. [3] Recognized colors include light, medium and dark cream, with amber or hazel eyes. [1] A cream mare with dark skin and a light mane and tail may be accepted by the registry as foundation stock, while stallions must have pink skin and white manes and tails to be registered. [2] Purebred American Cream foals that are too dark to be accepted into the main breed registry may be recorded into an appendix registry. [4] The appendix will also accept half-bred Cream Draft horses crossed with other draft bloodlines if they meet certain requirements, and the registry provides an upgrade system that uses appendix horses to strengthen genes, increase breed numbers, [2] and allow more diversified bloodlines. [4]

Color genetics

The champagne gene produces diluted color, and the gold champagne body color, light skin, light eyes, and ivory mane and tail associated with the American Cream Draft are produced by the action of the champagne gene on a chestnut base coat. [6] [7] In the adult horse, the skin is pink with abundant dark freckles or mottling, [8] and the eyes are hazel or amber. The eyes of champagne foals are blue at birth, darkening as they age, and a foal's skin is bright pink. [9] The breed registry describes foals' eyes as "almost white", [2] which is consistent with the nature of the champagne blue foal eye, which is creamier than other types of blue eye. [10]

Skin freckling is slightly visible around the muzzle of this resting horse Sleeping American Cream Draft Horse.jpg
Skin freckling is slightly visible around the muzzle of this resting horse

Champagne is a dominant trait, based on a mutation in the SLC36A1 gene. [9] The mapping of the gene was announced in 2008, and the American Cream Draft cross was among the breeds studied. [11] The authors of this study noted that it was difficult to distinguish between homozygous and heterozygous animals, thus distinguishing champagne from incomplete dominant dilutions such as the cream gene. However they noted that homozygotes may have less mottling or a slightly lighter hair color than heterozygotes. [11] Anecdotal reports also note mild differences, including lighter freckling, skin and hair coat, though eye color remains the same. [12]

Dark-skinned American Cream Draft horses are actually chestnuts, as the breed is not homozygous for the champagne gene; only one allele is needed to produce the proper color. Champagne dilutes any base coat color, and in the American Cream Draft, the underlying genetic base color is chestnut. As of 2003, scientists have not found the breed to carry the cream gene, even though breeders refer to the desired color as "cream". [13] The American Cream Draft is never cremello or white, and though the gold coat color with a white mane and tail resembles palomino, the breed's defining characteristics are the result of the champagne gene. [1]

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa

The autosomal recessive genetic disease junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) has been found in some American Cream Drafts. [14] This is a lethal genetic disorder that causes newborn foals to lose large areas of skin and have other abnormalities, normally leading to euthanasia of the animal. [15] It is most commonly associated with Belgian horses, but is also found in other draft breeds. A DNA test was developed in 2002, and JEB can be avoided as long as two carriers are not bred to one another. [16] The American Cream registry states that it has "been pro-active in testing its registered animals since JEB was discovered". [17]

Breed history

Head and shoulders of an American Cream American Cream Draft Horse1.jpg
Head and shoulders of an American Cream

The American Cream Draft descends from a foundation mare named Old Granny. She was probably foaled between 1900 and 1905, and was first noticed at an auction in Story County, Iowa, in 1911 and purchased by Harry Lakin, a well-known stock dealer. [5] She was eventually sold to Nelson Brothers Farm in Jewell, Iowa. Her breeding is not known, but she was cream-colored and many of her foals were as well; they sold for above-average prices because of their color. [4] Her cream-colored coat, pink skin and amber eyes are defining standards for the breed, [17] and the color is now known as gold champagne. [3] In 1946, two years after the breed registry was formed, 98 percent of the horses registered could be traced back to Old Granny. [4]

In 1920, a colt of Old Granny's named Nelson's Buck No. 2 impressed veterinarian Eric Christian to the point that Christian asked the Nelsons not to geld him. [4] They agreed to let him remain a stallion, and he sired several cream-colored foals, though only one was registered: [5] a colt named Yancy No. 3, whose dam was a black mare of Percheron breeding. [4] Yancy sired Knox 1st, born in 1926 to an unregistered bay mare of mixed Shire ancestry. [5] From this sire line, in 1931, a great-great-grandson of Nelson's Buck was born, named Silver Lace No. 9. Silver Lace was to become one of the most influential stallions of the American Cream breed. His dam was a Belgian mare with light chestnut coloring, and she is credited with Silver Lace's size – at 2,230 pounds (1,010 kg) he weighed considerably more than most of his bloodline. Silver Lace quickly became a popular stallion in Iowa. However, stallions standing for public stud service in Iowa were required to be registered with the Iowa Department of Agriculture, and this agency only allowed horses of recognized breeds. As Silver Lace was not registered with any breed registry, his owners created a breeding syndicate, and mare owners who bought shares in the "Silver Lace Horse Company" could breed their mares to him. However, his main breeding career coincided with the economic struggles of the Great Depression, and Silver Lace was at one point hidden in a neighbor's barn to prevent his sale at auction. [4] Another significant foundation stallion was Ead's Captain, whose bloodlines appear in about one-third of all American Cream Drafts. [17]

Around 1935, despite the Depression, a few breeders started to linebreed and inbreed cream-colored horses to fix their color and type. [2] In particular, C.T. Rierson began buying cream-colored mares sired by Silver Lace and developing the American Cream breed in earnest. In 1944, a breed association, the American Cream Association, was formed by 20 owners and breeders and granted a corporate charter in the state of Iowa. [4] [17] In 1950, the breed was finally recognized by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, based on a 1948 recommendation by the National Stallion Enrollment Board. [4]

The mechanization of farming in the mid-20th century led to a decrease in the overall draft horse population, [5] and with Rierson's death in 1957, American Cream Draft numbers began to decline. [2] By the late 1950s there were only 200 living American Creams registered, owned by only 41 breeders. [5] The registry became inactive until 1982 when three families who had retained their herds reactivated and reorganized the registry. [2] [17] In 1994, the organization officially changed its name to the American Cream Draft Horse Association (ACDHA). [2]

1990s to the present

In 1982, owners began blood-typing their horses, [1] and by 1990, genetic testing found that "compared with other draft breeds and based upon gene marker data, the Creams form a distinct group within the draft horses." [5] The American Cream Draft was found to have a genetic relationship with the Belgian breed that was no closer than the ones it had with the Percheron, Suffolk Punch and Haflinger breeds. [5] Registry records dating to the early 20th century show no bloodlines other than draft breeding. [2] As of 2000 there were 222 registered horses, a number that increased to 350 as of 2004. Of these, 40 were "tracking horses" – either purebred American Creams that did not meet color requirements or crossbred horses that mix American Cream and other draft blood, but still meet the physical requirements for the registry. These tracking horses are allowed by certain regulations to be used as breeding stock, with the resulting foals able to be registered as purebred American Creams. Around 30 new horses are registered each year. [4] The Livestock Conservancy considers the breed to be at "critical" status, [18] meaning that the estimated global population of the breed is less than 2,000 and there are less than 200 registrations annually in the US. [19] The Equus Survival Trust also considers the population to be "critical", meaning that there are between 100 and 300 active adult breeding mares in existence today. [20] To help replenish numbers, the ACDHA has developed regulations to permit foals to be registered when produced via methods such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer. Careful use of the appendix registry also allows numbers to increase. [2]

The American Creams that live in Colonial Williamsburg have been called "the most famous of all American Cream Draft horses". [21] In the village they are used for wagon and carriage rides, and as of 2006, there is a breeding program run by Colonial Williamsburg that is working to increase breed numbers. [21]

Related Research Articles

A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected. Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appaloosa</span> American horse breed noted for spotted color pattern

The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colorful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's color pattern is genetically the result of various spotting patterns overlaid on top of one of several recognized base coat colors. The color pattern of the Appaloosa is of interest to those who study equine coat color genetics, as it and several other physical characteristics are linked to the leopard complex mutation (LP). Appaloosas are prone to develop equine recurrent uveitis and congenital stationary night blindness; the latter has been linked to the leopard complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palomino</span> Genetic color in horses

Palomino is a genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" (chestnut) base coat. Palomino is created by a genetic mechanism of incomplete dominance, hence it is not considered true-breeding. However, most color breed registries that record palomino horses were founded before equine coat color genetics were understood as well as they are today, therefore the standard definition of a palomino is based on the visible coat color, not heritability nor the underlying presence of the dilution gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian horse</span> Horse breed originating in the Middle East

The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses in the West Asia that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses have spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Paint Horse</span> American breed of horse

The American Paint Horse is a breed of horse that combines both the conformational characteristics of a western stock horse with a pinto spotting pattern of white and dark coat colors. Developed from a base of spotted horses with Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred bloodlines, the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) breed registry is now one of the largest in North America. The registry allows some non-spotted animals to be registered as "Solid Paint Bred" and considers the American Paint Horse to be a horse breed with distinct characteristics, not merely a color breed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan horse</span> Breed of horse

The Morgan horse is one of the earliest horse breeds developed in the United States. Tracing back to the foundation sire Figure, later named Justin Morgan after his best-known owner, as well as mares of the now-extinct Narragansett Pacer breed, Morgans served many roles in 19th-century American history, being used as coach horses and for harness racing, as general riding animals, and as cavalry horses during the American Civil War on both sides of the conflict. Morgans have influenced other major American breeds, including the American Quarter Horse, the American Saddlebred, the Tennessee Walking Horse, and the Standardbred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lethal white syndrome</span> Medical condition

Lethal white syndrome (LWS), also called overo lethal white syndrome (OLWS), lethal white overo (LWO), and overo lethal white foal syndrome (OLWFS), is an autosomal genetic disorder most prevalent in the American Paint Horse. Affected foals are born after the full 11-month gestation and externally appear normal, though they have all-white or nearly all-white coats and blue eyes. However, internally, these foals have a nonfunctioning colon. Within a few hours, signs of colic appear; affected foals die within a few days. Because the death is often painful, such foals are often humanely euthanized once identified. The disease is particularly devastating because foals are born seemingly healthy after being carried to full term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay (horse)</span> Hair coat color of horses

Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish-brown or brown body color with a black point coloration on the mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream gene</span> Gene responsible for a number of horse coat colors

The cream gene is responsible for a number of horse coat colors. Horses that have the cream gene in addition to a base coat color that is chestnut will become palomino if they are heterozygous, having one copy of the cream gene, or cremello, if they are homozygous. Similarly, horses with a bay base coat and the cream gene will be buckskin or perlino. A black base coat with the cream gene becomes the not-always-recognized smoky black or a smoky cream. Cream horses, even those with blue eyes, are not white horses. Dilution coloring is also not related to any of the white spotting patterns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champagne gene</span> Simple dominant allele responsible for a number of rare horse coat colors

The champagne gene is a simple dominant allele responsible for a number of rare horse coat colors. The most distinctive traits of horses with the champagne gene are the hazel eyes and pinkish, freckled skin, which are bright blue and bright pink at birth, respectively. The coat color is also affected: any hairs that would have been red are gold, and any hairs that would have been black are chocolate brown. If a horse inherits the champagne gene from either or both parents, a coat that would otherwise be chestnut is instead gold champagne, with bay corresponding to amber champagne, seal brown to sable champagne, and black to classic champagne. A horse must have at least one champagne parent to inherit the champagne gene, for which there is now a DNA test.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinto horse</span> Horse with coat color that consists of large patches

A pinto horse has a coat color that consists of large patches of white and any other color. The distinction between "pinto" and "solid" can be tenuous, as so-called "solid" horses frequently have areas of white hair. Various cultures throughout history appear to have selectively bred for pinto patterns.

The Colorado Ranger is a horse breed from the Colorado High Plains in the United States. The breed is descended from two stallions imported from Turkey to the US state of Virginia in the late 1800s. These stallions were then bred to ranch horses in Nebraska and Colorado, and in the early 1900s the two stallions who every registered Colorado Ranger traces to, Patches #1 and Max #2, were foaled. The breed was championed by rancher Mike Ruby, who founded the Colorado Ranger Horse Association in 1935. Original registry membership limits resulted in many Colorado Ranger horses being registered instead as Appaloosas, but pedigree research is ongoing to discover additional horses who trace their ancestry back to the original stallions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut (horse color)</span> Horse coat color

Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs. It is one of the most common horse coat colors, seen in almost every breed of horse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Bashkir Curly</span> Breed of horse

The American Bashkir Curly or North American Curly Horse is a North American breed of horse, characterized by an unusual curly coat of hair. It derives from American horses of Iberian origin, in which curly-coated individuals occasionally occur; it is unrelated to Asian horses such as the Bashkir and Lokai, which may also be curly-coated. The American Bashkir Curly has been extensively cross-bred with horses of other breeds, and varies widely in size and conformation; it may be of any color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equine coat color</span> Horse coat colors and markings

Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. A specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabino horse</span> Color pattern in horses

Sabino describes a distinct pattern of white spotting in horses. In general, Sabino patterning is visually recognized by roaning or irregular edges of white markings, belly spots, white extending past the eyes or onto the chin, white above the knees or hocks, and "splash" or "lacy" marks anywhere on the body. Some sabinos have patches of roan patterning on part of the body, especially the barrel and flanks. Some sabinos may have a dark leg or two, but many have four white legs. Sabino patterns may range from slightly bold face or leg white markings—as little as white on the chin or lower lip—to horses that are fully white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Warmblood</span> American horse breed

The American Warmblood is a horse of warmblood type, intended primarily for the traditional sport horse disciplines of dressage, show jumping, eventing and combined driving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pintabian</span> Breed of horse

The Pintabian horse is an American part-Arabian horse breed. It has over 99% Arabian blood, but also exhibits the tobiano color pattern, which is not found in thoroughbred Arabians. The registry began using the term "Pintabian" in 1992 and trademarked the word in 1995. which is the official registering authority for Pintabian horses worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Part-Arabian</span> Breed of horse

A part-Arabian, partbred Arabian or, less precisely, half-Arabian, is a horse with documented amounts of Arabian horse breeding but not a purebred. Because the Arabian is deemed to be a breed of purebred horse dating back many centuries, the modern breed registries recognized by the World Arabian Horse Organization generally have tightly closed stud books which exclude a horse from registration if it is found to contain any outside blood. However, Arabian breeding has also been used for centuries to add useful traits to countless other horse breeds. In the modern era, crossbreeding has been popular to combine the best traits of two different breeds, such as color, size, or ability to specialize in a particular equestrian discipline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flaxen gene</span> Flaxen is a genetic trait that causes a lighter mane and tail than body color of chestnut horses.

Flaxen is a genetic trait in which the mane and tail of chestnut-colored horses are noticeably lighter than the body coat color, often a golden blonde shade. Manes and tails can also be a mixture of darker and lighter hairs. Certain horse breeds such as the Haflinger carry flaxen chestnut coloration as a breed trait. It is seen in chestnut-colored animals of other horse breeds that may not be exclusively chestnut.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lynghaug, Fran (2009). The Official Horse Breeds Standards Guide: The Complete Guide to the Standards of All North American Equine Breed Associations. Voyageur Press. pp. 342–345. ISBN   978-0-7603-3499-7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "American Cream Draft Horse: The Cream of Drafts" (PDF). American Cream Draft Horse Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  3. 1 2 3 "What is a cream draft?". American Cream Draft Horse Association. Archived from the original on 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Dutson, Judith (2005). Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America. Storey Publishing. pp. 340–342. ISBN   1-58017-613-5.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "American Cream Draft Horse". International Museum of the Horse. Archived from the original on 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  6. ↑ "Gold Champagne". Colors. International Champagne Horse Registry. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  7. ↑ "Gold Champagne". Classifications. Champagne Horse Breeders and Owners Association. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  8. ↑ "Identifying the Champagne Colored Horse". International Champagne Horse Registry. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
  9. 1 2 "Horse Coat Color Tests". UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
  10. ↑ Anderson, Michelle (October 1, 2006). "Blue's Clues" . The Horse. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  11. 1 2 Cook D, Brooks S, Bellone R, Bailey E (2008). Barsh GS (ed.). "Missense Mutation in Exon 2 of SLC36A1 Responsible for Champagne Dilution in Horses". PLOS Genetics. 4 (9): 1–9. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000195 . PMC   2535566 . PMID   18802473.
  12. ↑ Shepard, Carolyn (June 2010). "Just About Everything You Need to Know about Champagne Colored Horses" (PDF). International Champagne Horse Registry. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
  13. ↑ Sponenberg, Dan Phillip (2003-04-14). Equine Color Genetics. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 47. ISBN   0-8138-0759-X.
  14. ↑ King, Marcia (October 1, 2005). "Equine Genetic Disease: Who's At Risk?" . The Horse. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
  15. ↑ Church, Stephanie L. (February 17, 2004). "Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa (JEB) in Belgian Draft Horses: AAEP 2003" . The Horse. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
  16. ↑ Church, Stephanie L. (March 1, 2004). "JEB in Belgian Draft Horses" . The Horse. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "Our History". American Cream Draft Horse Association. Archived from the original on 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
  18. ↑ "Conservation Priority List". The Livestock Conservancy. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  19. ↑ "Parameters of Livestock Breeds on the ALBC Conservation Priority List (2007)". American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  20. ↑ "Equus Survival Trust Equine Conservation List" (PDF). Equus Survival Trust. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  21. 1 2 Harris, Moira C.; Langrish, Bob; Bob Langrish & Moira C. Harris (2006). America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A. Globe Pequot. p. 7. ISBN   1-59228-893-6.
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