The American Cream Draft is the only draft horse breed developed in the United States that is still in existence. The breed was developed in Iowa during the early 20th century, beginning with a cream-colored mare named Old Granny. The ideal coat color for the breed is a medium cream with pink skin, amber eyes and a white mane and tail.
About American Cream Draft in brief
The American Cream Draft is the only draft horse breed developed in the United States that is still in existence. The breed was developed in Iowa during the early 20th century, beginning with a cream-colored mare named Old Granny. The Great Depression threatened the breed’s existence, but several breeders worked to improve the color and type of the breed, and in 1944 a breed registry was formed. The ideal coat color for the breed is a medium cream with pink skin, amber eyes and a white mane and tail. Mares stand 15–16 hands high and weigh 1,500–1,600 pounds, while stallions and geldings stand 16–16. 3 hands and weigh 1,800 pounds or more. The American Cream is at risk for the autosomal recessive genetic disease junctional epidermolysis bullosa. The champagne gene produces diluted color, and the gold champagne body color, light skin, light eyes, and ivory manes and tails associated with the breed are produced by the action of the champagne gene on a chestnut base coat. The only other color found in the breed of draft horses is chestnut, and it is not needed to produce the champagne color in the American Cream.
The horses are actually not homozygous for the champagne genes, but only one dilute allele is needed to create the desired color. The horse’s characteristics are the result of the gene’s action on the chestnut gene, and are the defining characteristics of the Breed’s coat and eye color, though the eye color remains the same. It has a calm, willing temperament, particularly suited for owners who are new to handling draft horses. 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. Purebred American Cream foals that are too dark to be accepted into the main breed registry may be recorded into an appendix registry. The appendix will also accept half-bred Cream Draft horses crossed with other draft bloodlines if they meet certain requirements. The registry provides an upgrade system that uses appendix horses to strengthen genes, increase breed numbers, and allow more diversified bloodlines.
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This page is based on the article American Cream Draft published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 06, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
