Black

Black has been the most common color in the Percheron breed for over a hundred years in the United States and Canada. With roughly 700 foals on average per year being registered with the Percheron Horse Association of America as Black out of 1100 total foals, it is easy to see that Black dominates the Percheron breed. This, however, was not always true. Grey was once the most common color of the Percheron breed and has remained so for decades in the breed's native country of France. This is most evident in thousands of early importations as the Percheron breed was brought by ship to Canada and the United States during the early 1800s through the 1940s.

 

 As time has progressed, Black has gained a stronger foothold in France, and because it has gained more ground in popularity, so has that choice spread to countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, South Africa, and Japan, which still import from France to this day.

Black is considered the easiest color to match by those working with teams and in hitches. Black is simply black with only some mild shade differences known widely as ‘sun fading’. Sun fading occurs due to mineral imbalances and sun exposure. On some occasions, you may notice it is more prevalent in certain familial lines. 

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 For years, many have simplified the genetic differences of black horses down to Homozygous Black and Heterozygous Black. It’s not technically correct and leads to a certain level of confusion, particularly when discussing Bay. Black horses that are ‘EE’ will be discussed as Homozygous Dominant Extension here. Black horses that are ‘EE’ will always contribute one copy of ‘E’ Dominant Extension to all of their foals. Meaning that particular black horse will never produce a chestnut foal. Black horses that are ‘Ee’ have a 50% chance of contributing ‘E’ or a 50% chance of contributing ‘e’, meaning that they could, depending on the genetic makeup of the other horse that they are paired with, produce a chestnut foal. There is no visual differences between the two options and must be tested for with a reputable Equine Color Genetics company. 

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 The majority of black Percherons have very minimal white markings. On lesser occasions, some black horses will have a star, stripe, and snip. On very rare occasions, the white may extend to the lower lip. Leg markings are usually very minimal. White heel bulbs occasionally happen. You may more commonly see lower white fetlock height socks with black ermine spots. Hind limbs are more likely to have white leg markings than front limbs. As of this point, I have never seen a black Percheron with white leg markings on all four limbs extending above the front mid cannons, or above the hocks. The Percheron breed has been intentionally bred for numerous years to have minimal white, and this is most evident in the black version within the breed. Black is known to suppress white markings the most within the breed.