W8 is one of the many different variations of white spotting.
¶ Phenotype
The amount of white can vary wildly, from high (irregular) socks and blazes or a mottled coat to near-white with only a few specs of colour. Since W8 can look similar to other white spotting variations, testing may be necessary to tell the difference!
W8 affects any base colour, but the presence of grey may make the white pattern harder to see.
| W8 - Icelandic Horse |
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¶ Genotype
W8 is a white spotting mutation on the KIT locus (a nonsense mutation at exon 4). In real life, it is predicted to be embryonic lethal in the homozygous form. In Horse Reality, breeding two horses together that both have any of the white spotting alleles (W/n), will result in a failed pregnancy on the 4th day if the foal is W/W (25% chance). A homozygous white spotting foal will, therefore, never be born.
Below, the resulting phenotype of each genotype is listed:
- W8/Wx = Failed pregnancy
- W8/n = White spotting 8
- n/n = No white spotting
W8 can be tested at the Laboratory.
¶ Breeds
The W8 allele is found in Icelandic Horses and was first found in the mare Þokkadís vom Rosenhof. W8 was likely the result of a spontaneous mutation in the mare. The following table lists all breeds that can currently have the W8-allele in-game.
| Breeds |
| Akhal-Teke Horse |
| Arabian Horse |
| Brabant Horse |
| Brumby Horse |
| Camargue Horse |
| Cleveland Bay |
| Exmoor Horse |
| Finnhorse |
| Fjord Horse |
| Friesian Horse |
| Haflinger Horse |
| Icelandic Horse |
| Irish Cob Horse |
| Kathiawari |
| Kladruber Horse |
| Knabstrupper |
| Lipizzaner |
| Lusitano |
| Mongolian Horse |
| Mustang Horse |
| Namib Desert Horse |
| Noriker Horse |
| Norman Cob |
| Oldenburg Horse |
| Pantaneiro Horse |
| Pura Raza Española |
| Quarter Horse |
| Shetland Pony |
| Shire Horse |
| Suffolk Punch |
| Thoroughbred |
| Trakehner Horse |
| Welsh Pony |
¶
References
- Bellone R., Sponenberg D. P., Equine Color Genetics, 4th Edition, 2017, Wiley-Blackwell,
- Castle N., Equine KIT Gene Mutations, Dun Central Station, 2009
- Haase B. et al., Seven novel KIT mutations in horses with white coat colour phenotypes, Animal Genetics, 2009
- Islandpferde Recherbusch; https://www.islandpferde-recherbusch.de/; Access: February 2026