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Barlink factor?

I was looking at the different explanations of the colors on the website and noticed that pearl dilution is somtimes called the Barlink factor. Is that in relation to Barlink Macho Man since he carries pearl? I actually just noticed that he did and he is Annies great grand sire so does that mean that Annie could be a carrier also?I f she did then the foal would only be pearl if bred to another horse that had pearl and it got the gene from both parents right?

lillith Fri, 06/04/2010 - 11:20

I think the colour was originally called pearl in the Iberian breeds and barlink in QH's because Barlink Macho Man was though to be the source there.

They then standardised it to pearl.

nerd Fri, 06/04/2010 - 11:22

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what we now call "pearl" was first observed in Barlink Macho Man's line (where it was called "Barlink factor") and in several spanish breeds; when it was determined they were the same mutation it was initially called "apricot," then the name was switched to "pearl."
So if your horse Annie has him in her pedigree, she could indeed carry it. Pearl is only noticeable when two copies are present, or when one copy is present with cream (ie, 2 pearl or 1 pearl + 1 cream), so it would only show up if (a) Annie carries pearl, (b) the foal inherited the pearl gene from Annie, and (c) the foal also inherited pearl or cream from the sire.

Monsterpony Fri, 06/04/2010 - 11:56

They used Apricot after the gene was found because Barlink's owners didn't want the association (or some other political something-or-other). Once it was realized that Apricot and the color known as Pearl in Iberian breeds were the same mutation, they dropped Apricot for the pre-existing name.

rodeoratdogs Fri, 06/04/2010 - 12:44

Oh that is interesting ok, so maybe I might test her just to settle my curiosity since she is a direct close decentant of Barlink Macho Man. She is already a red dun so I wonder what a offspring that was pearl would look like, it all depends on the base color right? If is was a red dun pearl lets say would it look kinda like a perlino but a bit darker?
[img]http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy13…]

lipigirl Fri, 06/04/2010 - 13:39

I do remember us all being quite relieved when they got rid of Apricot - it was not a good name for it !! :rofl

TheRedHayflinger Fri, 06/04/2010 - 15:32

I'm wondering where they came UP with apricot...lol. Pearl suits it so much better.

beautiful mare you have there btw :)

rodeoratdogs Fri, 06/04/2010 - 15:52

[quote="TheRedHayflinger"]I'm wondering where they came UP with apricot...lol. Pearl suits it so much better.

beautiful mare you have there btw :)[/quote]

Thankyou so much she was a pretty much a surprize gift from a long time friend that is terminally ill with cancer, he actually has a very short time to live and Annie has turned out to be truley a dream horse, but the fact that he wanted me to have her makes her that much more special. She wasn't even started so I have only been riding her about 2 1/2 months but I can ride her anywhere already, she crosses water, very agile on the trail and a smooth ride.

rodeoratdogs Fri, 06/04/2010 - 16:14

I just called animal genetics and they said since they already have her sample from my previous tests they can go ahead and test her for pearl anytime I want, so I just might do that.

Morgan Fri, 06/04/2010 - 16:49

lol I think cause the earlier ones documented in the paint lines were mostly kind of pinkish orange. Pearl is much better, I could never remember that apricot term.

rodeoratdogs Fri, 06/04/2010 - 17:30

lol pinkish orange huh?, are they always the same shade or does it depend on the base color I imagine?

rodeoratdogs Fri, 06/04/2010 - 18:47

Awwwwww, very interesting thankyou for all the info horsegen! and nerd thanks for the photo, I will google some more.

accphotography Mon, 06/07/2010 - 17:31

Hahaha... I think I shall choose not to go there as I honestly don't know which story is correct. I choose to stand by UC Davis though.

peruvianpasogal Mon, 06/07/2010 - 21:55

[quote="rodeoratdogs"]Oh that is interesting ok, so maybe I might test her just to settle my curiosity since she is a direct close decentant of Barlink Macho Man. She is already a red dun so I wonder what a offspring that was pearl would look like, it all depends on the base color right? If is was a red dun pearl lets say would it look kinda like a perlino but a bit darker?
[img]http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy13…]

Dun and pearl dont appear to effect each other, there are q few dun/pearl carriers.

rodeoratdogs Mon, 06/07/2010 - 22:49

[quote="peruvianpasogal"][quote="rodeoratdogs"]Oh that is interesting ok, so maybe I might test her just to settle my curiosity since she is a direct close decentant of Barlink Macho Man. She is already a red dun so I wonder what a offspring that was pearl would look like, it all depends on the base color right? If is was a red dun pearl lets say would it look kinda like a perlino but a bit darker?
[img]http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy13…]

Dun and pearl dont appear to effect each other, there are q few dun/pearl carriers.[/quote]

So since my horse is a dun, are you saying it is unlikely she also carries pearl? Or just that dun and pearl dont have an affect on each other, she could still carry it right? and produce it with a horse that had a cream or pearl gene.

accphotography Mon, 06/07/2010 - 23:03

Pearl will only show if it is a) homozygous, or b) coupled with cream. So yes, it's possible she carries it. She could "show" it if she were bred to a cream or pearl (or combo).

rodeoratdogs Mon, 06/07/2010 - 23:39

Ok thats what I thought, I just was trying to imagine the result of a red dun based that was cream/pearl or pearl/pearl. I would imagine it being a little darker that a perlino or cremello.

accphotography Mon, 06/07/2010 - 23:46

A red dun cream/pearl would likely look like a dark cremello with purplish skin and green eyes and likely dun factor. A red dun pearl/pearl would likely look dunalino with maybe paleish skin.

rodeoratdogs Mon, 06/07/2010 - 23:55

Pretty light, I think the pearl would probably show off better on a darker based coat.

Danni Tue, 06/08/2010 - 00:42

A pearl/cream/dun and probably pearl/pearl/dun will look the same as a cream/cream/dun as far as I know.

rodeoratdogs Tue, 06/08/2010 - 10:04

I really like DUN IT OK but that is one thing I would have to consider is that I think my chances on getting a DD is pretty high with him being that they are both Duns, he carries cream and Annie may carry pearl. I love Duns but am not as fond of the DD's. I think one of my favorite is the Grulla's with alot of pimitive markings. Annie being a red dun doesn't have as much PM but she does have the leg bars in the front.

accphotography Tue, 06/08/2010 - 11:30

Well I wouldn't worry about that until you test her as it's very possible she's not.

rodeoratdogs Tue, 06/08/2010 - 12:14

Even if she wasn't would I have a %50 chance of a perlino right since they are both duns and he's HZ black, or would she only have a double Dilute if she carries cream or pearl? Anyway I just gave my other paint mare to my friend since Annie was a surprize and I really don't have room for that many horses being that I board, so breeding is going to be saved for when we buy our own horse property again. It's just fun to wonder for now and Judi, DUN IT OK's owner lives in WA as well. I like his breeding first his color is just a bonus.

accphotography Tue, 06/08/2010 - 12:39

She will never have a true double dilute since she doesn't carry cream. If she carries pearl she could have a pseudo DD, but not a real one. So if she doesn't carry pearl you're only going to get some variation of dun + cream (which will be dunalino, dunskin or smokey grullo).

horsegen Tue, 06/08/2010 - 14:45

[quote]Hahaha... I think I shall choose not to go there as I honestly don't know which story is correct. I choose to stand by UC Davis though.[/quote]

Very smart of you. :razz: Since we ARE the ones who found it, and we ARE the ones who discovered it was also pearl, and we ARE the ones who had to decide what to name it before we knew that, I think I can guarantee that anything else you're hearing is not true. ;-) I would be curious to hear the "other" story though...and why whoever's telling it would claim to know more about it than those of us who "lived it", so to speak.