Colors and Markings

Anastasia Kellogg

The Five Basic Coat Colors

• Black– The horse’s coat,

mane, and tail are black

The Five Basic Coat Colors

• Brown– The horse’s coat, mane, and

tail are brown. The color may be nearly black, or lighter. Very dark seal brown may be distinguished from black by looking at the muzzle. If there are brown hairs here, the horse is brown.

The Five Basic Coat Colors

• Bay– The horse’s coat is

reddish brown. The mane and tail are black, as are the horse’s legs. Bay horses are said to have black points, and these are the legs, mane, tail, points of the ears, and the muzzle

The Five Basic Coat Colors

• Chestnut– The horse’s coat is a shade

of red. The mane and tail are also chestnut, and may be the same shade as the coat, lighter than the coat (flaxen) or darker than the coat, but NEVER BLACK. (If he had a black mane and tail than he’d be a bay).

The Five Basic Coat Colors

• White– The horse is entirely white,

with pink skin. If he has dark skin, he isn’t white, he’s gray

• Doesn’t really exist (at least not in a surviving specimen) just play along. This “white” color is often a misidentification of color (double crème or maximal white sabino are the most common mistakes)

The Epistatic Modifiers

• The three epistatic modifiers are gray, roan, and dominant white. (although dominant white is one of the five basic coat colors, the genes that cause it are classed as epistatic modifiers).

The Epistatic Modifiers

• Gray– A progressive silvering

after birth. The horse is born one of the other colors and then goes from dark gray to almost white with age. The color may change at various rates depending on the individual

– No visible difference between heterozygous or homozygous gray

The Epistatic Modifiers

• Roan– White hairs are mixed

with hairs of any other color. Roan on bay is red roan, roan on black is blue roan, and roan on chestnut is strawberry roan

– No visible difference between homozygous and heterozygous roan

The Epistatic Modifiers

• Dominant white– An absence of pigment

which causes the fifth basic coat color, white

– Once more, this doesn’t exist, this is outdated information, but the approved sources have yet to update

• Just learn it and play along

The Epistatic Modifiers

• Sabino– Not sure whether this is

epistatic or a color pattern, I will list it under both

– Sabino often causes high stockings, loud facial markings and a mixture of white hairs with the colored (though to a lesser degree than a roan, notice the silver look to this horse, his black coloration is silvered by the white hairs)

The Epistatic Modifiers

• Sabino– This is the

homozygous form of the sabino gene

– Causes white pigment with dark eyes

– Often mistaken for white

• Note the dark eyes, in a contest you would identify this as white

The Dilutions-Cream

• Smoky Black– Body color ranges

from black to this chocolate color. Yellow hairs may be visible on the muzzle and flank. Sometimes misidentified as liver chestnut.

The Dilutions-Cream

• Buckskin– Body color ranges

from light yellow to deep gold, with black points. Mane and tail are black and skin is dark.

– A single dilution of bay

The Dilutions-Cream

• Palomino– Body color ranges

from deep gold color to light yellow with white or flaxen mane and tail with brown eyes and dark skin.

– A single dilution of chestnut

The Dilutions-Cream

• Smoky Cream– Body color is a cream

color, often slightly darker than a cremello. Eyes are blue with pink skin.

• In a contest you would identify this as a cremello, as it is hard to identify the difference between a smoky cream and a cremello without genetic testing.

The Dilutions-Cream

• Perlino– Body ranges from

white to cream color with legs a slightly darker shade. Mane and tail are several shades darker than body color. Blue eyes with pink skin.

– A double dilution of bay

The Dilutions-Cream

• Cremello– Body ranges from

white to cream. Mane and tail range from white to cream. Blue eyes and pink skin.

– A double dilution of chestnut

The Dilutions-Dun

• Grullo– Body is often a mousy

color with a dorsal stripe and zebra markings. Mane and tail are black. Eyes and skin are dark.

– A dilution of black

The Dilutions-Dun

• Dun– Golden body color

with a dorsal stripe and zebra markings. Black mane and tail. Dark skin and eyes.

• Often mistaken for buckskin. LOOK FOR THE DORSAL STRIPE!

The Dilutions-Dun

• Red dun– Often a light reddish,

or apricot color with a dorsal stripe. Slightly darker mane and tail with dark eyes and skin.

• Can be mistaken for chestnut. LOOK FOR THE DORSAL STRIPE!

The Dilutions-Silver

• Silver Dapple– Body ranges from

black to chocolate color. Mane and tail range from white to silver with darker roots. Lighter dapples are often present on the body. Dark skin and eyes.

The Dilutions-Silver

• Bay Silver– Body is reddish brown,

lighter dapples may be present with silver points. Dark skin and eyes.

The Dilutions-Champagne

• Classic Champagne– Body is taupe to dove

gray. Darker mane, tail, and points. Amber eyes with pink skin. Reverse dappling may occur.

The Dilutions-Champagne

• Sable Champagne– Body is a sable color

with darker mane and tail. Eyes are amber with pink skin. Reverse dappling may occur.

The Dilutions-Champagne

• Amber Champagne– Body ranges from gold to

amber. Mane, tail, and points are chocolate colored. Eyes are amber and the skin is pink. Reverse dappling may be present.

• Look at this horse, he exhibits reverse dappling, where the dapples are darker rather than lighter.

The Dilutions-Champagne

• Gold Champagne– Body is shaded very similar

to the palomino. Mane and tail are white. Eyes are amber with pink skin.

• When identifying between gold champagne and palomino look at the eye and skin color

• Note that this horse has a strange sheen to his coat. This is common in champagnes, but not exclusive.

Color Patterns

• Piebald– Black with white spots,

or vice versa

Color Patterns

• Skewbald– White with any other

color

Color Patterns

• Pinto– Large spots (includes

Tobiano and Overo)

Color Patterns

• Tobiano– Color on white (white

extends over the back)

Color Patterns

• Overo– White on color (white

does not cross over the top line)

Color Patterns-Overo Patterns

• Frame Overo

Color Patterns-Overo Patterns

• Splash Overo

Color Patterns-Overo Patterns

• Sabino Overo

Color Patterns

• Small spots (includes leopard, blanket, snowflake, and roan with appy markings)

Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns

• Blanket

Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns

• Leopard

Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns

• Snowflake

Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns

• Frost

Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns

• Marble

Facial Markings

• Star– White marking

approximately between the eyes

Facial Markings

• Snip– White marking on the

nose

Facial Markings

• Stripe– Narrow band of white

running down the face

Facial Markings

• Blaze– White extends almost

to the eyes, but not past

Facial Markings

• Bald face– White extends past the

eyes

Leg Markings

• Stocking

Leg Markings

• Sock

Leg Markings

• Fetlock

Leg Markings

• Pastern

Leg Markings

• Coronet

Leg Markings

• Distal spots