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A true white horse is caused by the W gene. This color is referred to as dominant white, since W is a dominant gene. The presence of the W gene masks the expression of all other color genes (a mechanism called epistasis). White horses are born solid white with pink skin and usually brown eyes. All dominant white horses are Ww genotypically. Homozygous WW foals die in utero or shortly after birth.

White horses are not albinos. An albino would not have the brown or blue eyes characteristic of a white horse.

There are other colors that resemble white. They are:

• Cremello and perlino. These aren't white, they're cream, and perlinos have pale reddish-tinted manes and tails.
• Grey. An old grey horse may have a white coat, but its skin remains dark, unlike the pink skin of a white horse. Also, greys are born colored and get whiter with age, while a white horse is born white.
• Extensively marked pintos. Some pintos, particularly sabinos, may look white, but this is caused by a spotting gene. Dominant white is caused by a solid white gene. A sabino will often have some color on it somewhere, perhaps atop the head or at the dock of the tail, but a white horse is solid white.

All of these colors are different genetically, so not only do they not look the same visually, they will also breed differently.

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