Horse Colors Pt. 5 - The Rare Colors
For my final article in the horse colors series I’m focusing on the super rare colors. They may not seem it, but a true white or a true black horse is hard to find.
Albino
A true albino gene is fatal to horses, rarely do they live beyond birth.
Black
Black horses are often born gray or dun in color, it is not until foals shed their baby coat that the black shows through. A true black horse is rare and must be completely black (although it may have white markings).
There are two types of true black horses:
Brindle
Rare in the horse world, the brindle can be any color and is characterized by a dorsel stripe and irregular markings across the body.
Buckskin
A bay who bears one cream gene which wash out almost all color so they appear light tan to creamy white and often have blue eyes. The cremello is not a true white horse.
Palomino
A chestnut horse carrying one cream gene that colors the horse from light gold to dark liver but always with a creamy white mane and tail.
Silver dapple
Silver dapple is found only on a black coat manipulated by a silver dilution gene which changes the body to chocolate brown with a silver mane and tail. The dilution gene can also be carried by red horses but is not as visible.
White
The rarest of them all, a true white horse has pink skin with white hair, and they remain white their entire life. A true white only occurs by inheriting a dominant white gene, or by being a ‘fully expressed’ (or one huge white spot) Sabino pinto.
![cream gene](http://www.theequinest.com/horse-color-dilutes-cream-gene/"><strong>cream gene</strong></a> which causes the coat to range from golden yellow to cream while maintaining <strong>black points</strong>.</p>
<h4>Cremello</h4>
<p><a href="http://pets.webshots.com/photo/1317626392066919902fdXEal"><img src="http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/1997/1317626392066919902S425x425Q85.jpg" alt="Kinor ~ Akhal Teke Stallion"></a><br />
A chestnut horse with two <a href=){kind=link}
August 24th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
You are amazing - love you.
August 28th, 2007 at 4:44 am
you are awesome. I love this!!
September 28th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
black horses are sooo beautiful
October 15th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I thought, in order to qualify as a TRUE black, the hose could have NO white markings at all…
October 15th, 2008 at 11:08 am
A true black horse is one with no red hairs in their coat due to genetics. Black is one of the to base coat colors.
As long as white markings are not due to a grey modifier, a roan, paint/pinto, or appaloosa white pattern, than I believe a true black horse can have white markings.
October 28th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Wow.
I really like the horse pics. I had no idea palomino was rare. I have a Silver dappled mare, and I had no idea what color she was. I was told she was chocolate palomino and then I was told she was just plain old brow, but now I finally know!
Kiley
November 10th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
i just bought a black horse that has light dappleing, and he’s black black. here’s a pic of him for an example. i dont know if this is rare or not but i had ever seen this kind of coloring befor.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i110/twilightarabians/DSCF00241.jpg
he’s very furry at the moment so sorry about the bad pic.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:44 am
Hi Catherine,
He’s cute, what’s his name?
Looks like a black horse to me. Fading-black would be my guess, they tend to dapple because their black color fades with age and exposure to sunlight.
November 14th, 2008 at 1:21 am
he is sooooooooo cute i love him