The Cream dilution gene is responsible for the palomino, buckskin, smoky black, cremello, perlino and smoky cream coat colors. There are two alleles: C^Cr and C.

C^Cr is semi-dominant and dilutes red to yellow in single dose (palominos, buckskins, smoky blacks) and to pale cream in double dose (cremellos, perlinos, smoky cream).

Cream dilution can have a very subtle effect on black pigment. C is recessive and does not dilute the base color.

The results of the test are reported as:

• N: Non-dilute.  Basic colors are chestnut, bay, black or brown in the absence of other modifying genes.
• N/Cr: Heterozygous, dilute, one copy of the Cream C^Cr allele.

Chestnut is diluted to palomino; bay is diluted to buckskin and black is diluted to smoky black. These colors can be further modified by the actions of other genes. Cr: Double dilute (two copies of the C^Cr allele).

Chestnut is diluted to cremello; bay is diluted to perlino and black is diluted to smoky cream.