Transcript Colors of Horses

Colors of Horses
Color
• Color in mammals is caused by a pigment called melanin
• In horses, melanin appears in two forms, eumelanin (black) and
phaeomelanin (orange-red).
• These two pigments are the source of every horse color
• The four base colors for horses are chestnut, bay, brown, and black
Bay
• Body color is a
light to dark brown
with a black mane
and tail and black
points on the legs
These horses can be
considered a blood bay (up)
and a dark bay (left)
Chestnut
• The color names chestnut and sorrel are used in different ways by
different groups. They are genetically the same base color, red. Many
consider a sorrel to be lighter in color, but experts call all red horses
chestnut. Horses can be light to dark red in color without any black points.
The horse in the bottom left
can be considered a sorrel and
both horses to the right are
considered liver chestnuts
Brown
• The basic appearance is that of a
black horse with tan highlights in
specific areas: the muzzle, flanks,
underbelly, and girth areas
• Also can be called seal brown
Black
• This is self explanatory!
Palomino
• A chestnut with one Cream gene is called a palomino. The typical
palomino is golden yellow with a white (or flaxen) mane and tail
Buckskin
• The typical buckskin is golden bodied with black points
• range in shade from very light (often called "buttermilk buckskin") to very
dark (often called "bronze buckskin")
Dun
• Dun on a chestnut base color is called Red Dun. They can range from a
distinctive light peachy or apricot tone to a darker shade that could pass
for a sunbleached chestnut at first glance
• Dun on a bay base color is variously called Dun, Bay Dun, Zebra Dun,
Yellow Dun. They look similar to a buckskin, with yellowish bodies and
black points. Since both colors can have a wide range of shades, the best
way to tell them apart is to look for the dun-markings. Although a buckskin
may have a dorsal stripe, strong leg barring is diagnostic of dun
• Dun on a black base color is called Grulla (sometimes spelled grullo), or in
some places, Black Dun. They have a greyish body color, but unlike a grey,
which when examined closely is a mixture of dark and white hairs, a
grulla's hairs are all the same greyish color
Dun Continued
Cremello
• A chestnut with two Cream genes is called a cremello
• Typically they are a light cream color with white mane and tail. Usually
they just look "white", especially from a distance
Grey
• Grey horses can range from white to silver dapple in color
• Grey horses have black skin while other white looking horses have pink
skin like Cremellos
Roan
• A horse that is a true roan will have white hairs scattered throughout its
coat on the main parts of its body; but the head, legs, mane and tail will
remain the base color of the horse
• Roan is not progressive -- it doesn't change over the years, as grey does
Bay Roan
Red or Strawberry Roan
Blue Roan
Appaloosa
• Blanket
• Leopard
• Snowflake
These are the most
common
This one is uncommon
(down)
Paint
• Overo: refers to a paint horse where the white markings do not happen
between the withers and tail
• Tobiano: the markings and white spots are regular. Spots are often oval or
round and all four of the legs are white
• Tovero: have at least one blue eye but often both eyes will be blue. Where
the white splashes of colors are located with the tovero pattern is not as
important as the location of the dark color markings. The dark
pigmentation will be around their mouth, ears and flanks