Colors and Markings

Bay

Reddish-brown body with black mane, tail, and lower legs.

Brown

Dark brown or black body with lighter areas around the muzzle, eyes, flanks, and upper legs.

Black

True black body, mane, and tail without lighter areas.

Chestnut

Dark red or reddish-brown body with matching or flaxen mane and tail.

Sorrel

Copper-red body with matching or flaxen mane and tail.

Gray

White and colored hairs mixed together; often becomes lighter with age.

Steel gray

Dark gray or black hairs evenly mixed with white hairs.

Rose gray

Bay or chestnut hairs mixed with white hairs.

Flea-bitten gray

Gray coat with small reddish flecks.

Dapple gray

Gray coat with lighter spots throughout a darker coat.

White

Horse born white with pink skin; very rare.

Palomino

Golden-yellow body with white mane and tail; no dorsal stripe.

Cremello

Cream or white coat with pink skin and blue eyes.

Perlino

Cream-colored body with pink skin, blue eyes, and slightly darker mane, tail, and lower legs.

Buckskin

Yellowish-gold body with black mane, tail, and lower legs; usually no dorsal stripe.

Dun

Dull yellowish-gold body with a dorsal stripe and often zebra-like leg stripes.

Red dun

Yellowish or flesh-colored body with a reddish dorsal stripe.

Brindle dun

Dun coat with additional dark streaks or flecks.

Roan

Even mixture of white and colored hairs on the body with darker head and lower legs.

Red roan

Roan variation with red-colored hairs mixed with white.

Blue roan

Roan variation with black-colored hairs mixed with white.

Bay roan

Roan variation with bay-colored hairs mixed with white.

Brown roan

Roan variation with brown-colored hairs mixed with white.

Grulla or Grullo

Smoky or mouse-colored body with black mane and tail and usually a dorsal stripe.

Paint

Horse breed based on bloodlines, often with large white and colored patches.

Pinto

Coat pattern with large patches of white and another color; found in different breeds.

Tobiano

Paint or Pinto pattern with white crossing the back.

Overo

Paint or Pinto pattern with white spreading from the underside.

Appaloosa

Horse breed known for spotted coat patterns, mottled skin, and often visible white sclera.

Blanket Appaloosa

Solid body with a white rump that may contain spots.

Leopard Appaloosa

White coat with dark spots all over.

Snowflake Appaloosa

Dark coat with white spots all over.

Star

White marking on the forehead.

Snip

White marking between the nostrils.

Strip

Narrow vertical white marking between forehead and nostrils.

Blaze

Medium-width white marking extending down the face.

Bald face

Very broad blaze extending around the eyes and/or nostrils.

Coronet

Narrow white marking just above the hoof.

Half pastern

White marking covering half of the pastern.

Pastern

White marking covering the entire pastern.

Sock

White marking reaching halfway up the cannon bone.

Stocking

White marking extending to the knee or hock.

Ermine

Dark spots on or near the coronet band.

Whorl

Swirl of hair growing in a different direction from surrounding hair.

Cowlick

Another name for a whorl or distinctive hair swirl.

Bay versus Chestnut

Bay has black mane and tail; chestnut usually has reddish or brown mane and tail.

Buckskin versus Dun

Dun has a dorsal stripe; buckskin usually does not.

Gray versus Roan

Gray often lightens with age; roan has white hairs mixed through its colored body coat.