Thursday, July 12, 2012

The Basics of Equine Coat Colors

This will basically be a list with short(er) descriptions of the colors a horse's coat can be. :) Sorry this is so late, I've been horridly busy at the time. Also, a bit later on I'll see if I can do a post on the marking patterns that horses can have, such as facial markings, leg markings, pinto, spotted, roan, rabicano, and anything else that'll work. :)
  • Chestnut - the basic solid brown coat/mane and tail, that can range from a reddish toned brown to a dark, dark brown, also known as a liver chestnut.
  • Bay - Imagine a chestnut with black points, and you have a bay. Similar to the chestnut, the brown can range in shades and tones.
  • Black - A solid, solid, jet black. Of course markings are excepted though.
  • Palomino - From a dark golden to an almost cream-like coat, this color also has a lightning white mane and tail.
  • Gray - Simply what it implies- a gray. ;) They can look like a cremello, but the way to tell the difference is by the skin. Grays will always have black skin, whereas cremellos will have a pink skin. Grays can also be very dark, as well as dappled (known as the "dapple grey").
  • Buckskin - A brownish yellow coat color with black mane and tail, these are a favorite color of many. They can also be very light, and if they are, they are referred to as "buttermilk buckskins".
  • Dun - Similar to a buckskin, but generally darker and more of a vibrant shade. There is a lot more confusing definitions to the difference between a buckskin and this, but I'm trying to keep it simple. Both for your and my sakes. :D
  • Cremello - A cremello is a very unique color that you don't see around too often. They have a creamy-colored coat with pink around the nose and eyes. They can also have pink hooves.