Many people often mistake cremellos and perlinos for being albino or white horses. This isn’t the case though! Both of these colors have the cream gene. To be specific, they have two copies of the cream gene, which makes them double diluted.  These gorgeous horses are on the more rare side. Consider yourself lucky if you own one!

Perlinos Cremellos
Left: Cremello Right: Perlino

Similarities

As mentioned, both cremellos and perlinos have two copies of this gene. Palominos and buckskins only have one copy of the cream gene.

Furthermore, both of these colors have pink skin and blue eyes. Their hair is actually an off-white, creamy color. It can be hard to tell, until you put one of them next to a truly white horse.

Differences

Even though they’re both double diluted they have different base colors. This gives them a slightly different tint.

A cremello has a chestnut base with two cream genes. If it only had one cream gene, then it would be a palomino.

A perlino has a bay base with two cream genes. With only one cream gene, it would be considered a buckskin.

The only true way to confirm the differences between the two colors is through a DNA test.

These beautiful coat colors are stunning to look at. Not all breeds come in cremello or perlino, but quite a few do. You can find these colors in Quarter horses, Miniature horses, Andalusians, various ponies, and sport horses to just name a few.

Want to learn more about coat colors? Check out: Buckskin or Dun: What’s the Difference?