The mushroom gene is a recessive dilution gene that affects red pigment in horses. It was identified in 2014.[1]
On a chestnut base coat the horse is born a pale beige with sometimes a greyish or pinkish tint and often keeps that color when it becomes an adult, but some turn darker when an adult.[2]
On a bay base the horse is born a yellowish beige with a dark contrast stripe on the back, and as it grows older the horse will resemble a buckskin.
- ^ "What is a mushroom gene? Is it like silver dapple?". ilovehorses.net. 2021-02-20. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ "Mushroom | Veterinary Genetics Laboratory". vgl.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-19.