Horse Colors

Here is a list of the main horse colors, click the image to see a larger version, click the link for more information about each color.

Black

Black is one of the two base equine coat colors.

Chestnut

The second of the two basic colors, chestnut or sorrel horse coats contain no black hairs whatsoever.

Grey Modifier

A color modifying dominant gene, the grey gene affects both black and chestnut bases. This dominant gene possess the capability to suppress the display of white patterns.

Greying Process

Horses ‘grey out’ in stages throughout their lifetime as they shed their coats. There are not different colors of grey, only different stages of greying.

Steel Grey

The initial greying phase. From birth through adolescence horses displaying the grey gene are very dark. As they age they will become increasingly lighter.

Dapple Grey

Generally begins as the horse enters adulthood at 4 years and dappling can continue up into the early teens depending on the animal.

Rose Grey

Horses with a chestnut or bay base will often have a red tinge to their coats as they grey. This coloring will usually occur during the dapple grey stage of greying.

Fleabitten Grey

As horses reach a more mature age the greying gene turns them almost completely white, with the exception of small red or black spots mixed in with their mainly white body.

White Stage

During the twilight years of an grey horse they are pure white, the greying gene has eliminated all of the pigmented hairs.

Bay Modifier

Bay is common to all breeds, stems from a black base and displays dark points (mane, tail, leg markings).

Comes in a variety of different shades, from very light to very dark.

Black Bay

Also called Seal Bay, this is the darkest of bay shades and almost black in color.

Mahogany Bay

Displays a rich mahogany wood coloring of the coat.

Standard Bay

Among the most common bay shades, standard bay is a deep reddish brown.

Blood Bay

Or Red Bay horses have a bright red body color.

Light Bay

The lightest of the bay shades, the light bay body is a soft brown, almost chestnut in color.

Mealy / Pangare Modifier

Common to all breeds, the mealy modifier is expressed in lightening of the hair around vulnerable spots, such as muzzle, belly and flank.

Mealy Expression

A quick look at the difference, the horse on the left possesses the mealy gene and the horse on the right does not.

Chestnut Mealy

The mealy gene expressed on a chestnut base is generally very obvious.

Black Mealy

The mealy gene on a black base can be minimally expressed in a vague lightening of the shoulder, flank and muzzle.

Sooty / Smutty Modifier

Common in most breeds and found on both black and chestnut bases. The sooty modifier displays as a darkening of the pigment in certain areas of the coat, often causing dappling. Generally darkening the topline and legs.

Sooty Expression

Examples of sooty genes.

Chestnut Sooty

Black Sooty

Creme Dilution Gene

This dominant gene affects base color by lightening it, double dilution of the gene can create horses with almost no pigment whatsoever.

Single Expression of the Creme Dilution Gene

The creme gene displays different colors depending on the base coat of the affected animal.

Palomino

Palomino shades range in color from very pale gold to a dark brown in color and carry a flaxen (or white) mane, tail and markings.

Dunalino

Combination of a creme gene and a dun gene on a chestnut base. A Dunalino will display the primitive markings of the dun and the flaxen points of the creme gene.

Buckskin

Dunskin

Creme gene and a dun gene on a black base.

Smoky Black

Creme gene on a black base does not affect the pigment physically, although some fade with age.

Double Expression of the Creme Dilution Gene

Cremello

Often mistaken for albino animals, however the albino gene is fatal to horses. Caused by a double dilution of the creme gene on a chestnut base. Displays pink skin and blue eyes and range from pure white to a light creamy color.

Pearlino

Double dilution of creme gene on a bay base which also creates almost white body hair, pink skin and blue eyes. Differs from the cremello because mane and tail hair are darker in color (often with a reddish tinge).

Smoky Cream

Created by double dilution of cream gene on a black base (it takes a double dose to affect black pigment).

Silver Dilution Gene

One of the rare dilution genes, the silver dilution gene creates a flaxen mane and tail even on dark colors.

Silver Gene Expression

The silver gene has a dramatic affect on black and bay coats, but it does not affect chestnut coloring physically.

Silver Black

Also called Silver Dapple, Chocolate and Blue Silver, varies from light to a darker color and is often accompanied by dapples and a flaxen mane and tail.

Silver Bay

Silver gene on a bay coat, the modifier does not affect the red pigment, only the dark points and mane and tail.

Champagne Dilution Gene

New to the horse world and still relatively rare, the champagne dilution gene affects both black and chestnut bases. Often displays in flashy colors with a metallic sheen, blue eyes and pink skin that lightens with age.

Champagne Dilution Expression

Gold Champagne

Chestnut base with a champagne gene often produces a flaxen mane and tail.

Amber Champagne

Bay horses affected by the champagne gene.

Classic Champagne

Black base coat diluted by a champagne gene.

Champagne Mixes

Often mixed with other dilution genes, there are several combinations of colors that result.

Ivory Champagne

A champagne gene combined with a cream gene on a chestnut base.

Silver Champagne

Champagne gene combined with a silver gene on a chestnut base.

Dun Dilution Gene

The dun gene affects both black and chestnut pigments. Characteristic markings make identification quick and easy.

Dun Dilutions

The dun gene produces a variety of different colors, the common thread being their unmistakable primitive markings.

Bay Dun

Also called Zebra Dun and the most common dun coloring, this is the result of a dun gene on a bay coat. Ranges in shade from very light to a darker yellow in color. Points remain dark, along with the face and head.

Chestnut Dun

Also called Red Dun and created by a dun gene on a chestnut base which will not carry black points. Their primitive markings are displayed in a darker red color, although body shade can range from very light to a darker red.

Black Dun

Also called Grulla exhibits in a smoky blue color ranging from light to dark, with black points, darker heads and black primitive markings.

Roan White Patterns

The roan white pattern affects both black and chestnut base colors. Less common than grey, but similar in process, roan horses change with every shedding. Face and leg markings often remain the base color.

Roan Expression

This gene expresses itself in an array of interesting colors.

Blue Roan

Roaning pattern on a black base which causes a grey, blue and even purple tint. The points and face generally remain dark.

Bay Roan

Result of a roaning pattern on a bay coat which often causes a pink tint to the body hair, while the mane and tail remain dark.

Red Roan

Also called Strawberry Roan, on a chestnut base this white pattern causes a pinkish / red tint while the face and points remain dark red.

Paint / Pinto White Patterns

The paint and pinto white genes display in a variety of different patterns and colors.

Pinto Colors

Pintos come in a variety of different patterns, however there are only two recognized colors.

Piebald

A black base and white spots.

Skewbald

A brown base with black spots, skewbald horses may also display black spots and points.

Pinto Patterns

This gene creates many different showy patterns on affected horses.

Frame

An overo pattern, generally display a dark head, legs and body with white spots on the body. White rarely crosses the topline and usually runs in a horizontal arrangement.

Sabino

An overo pattern which usually shows a dark body with white markings on the face and at least one white leg. Can display roaning and often has a white chin.

Splashed White

An overo pattern which features big white body splashes usually in a horizontal pattern. White facial markings are often on the bottom of the face and there is at least one white leg.

Tobaino

Most common of the pinto patterns this pattern displays white legs, solid colored heads and white spots with clean edging. Often the tail is split colored but rarely do they display blue eyes.

Tovero

A combination of tobiano and overo in characteristics and genetics. Generally has spots around the ears and face, markings isolated on a white field, and have at least one blue eye.

Mixed Pinto Patterns

Genetics allow for a mixing of different genes which result in even more coat patterns.

Pintaloosa

Mix of tobiano, frame, sabino and appaloosa genes.

Rabicano

This display of the gene shows pattern at the base of the tail, the flank and belly areas, although whitening may extend up around the ribcage.

Appaloosa White Patterns

The appaloosa white pattern (or Leopard Complex) is a pattern on top of the base coat of the animal and can appear on both black and chestnut based horses.

Appaloosa Types

There are many different expressions of the leopard complex.

Blanket

The most well known of the appaloosa patterns the blanket pattern displays in a white blanket over the hindquarters with dark spots on the blanket field.

Few Spot Leopard

The minimum expression of the leopard complex results in a mainly white animal with collections of spots on the flank, elbow, neck and head.

Frost

Displays in white hairs scattered along topline of affected animal, usually the legs, tail and mane remain dark in color.

Leopard

This display of the gene shows a white body with dark spots all over it, often a higher concentration on head and legs.

Snowcap

Displays a white blanket over hindquarters, however white field does not carry any spots. The white area can extend across most of the body, although generally the head, legs, flanks and elbows retain their color.

Snowflake

Characterized by small spots of color randomly over the entire body. Spots can grow with each shedding.

Varnish Roan

This is an actual appaloosa pattern, not a roan or a grey. Affected horses are born dark and roan out with age, although bony parts generally retain base color.

Brindle

Still a mystery to equine geneticists, the characteristic striping of brindle coloring is common in both dogs and cows. The coloring varies depending on the animal and the base coat color.