The document discusses horse coat colors, patterns, and markings. It describes the five basic coat colors (black, brown, bay, chestnut, white), modifiers like gray and roan, and dilutions such as buckskin, palomino, and cremello. It also covers color patterns including pinto, tobiano, overo and appaloosa patterns. Finally, it lists different types of facial and leg markings like star, snip, blaze and stockings.

1. Colors and Markings Anastasia Kellogg

2. The Five Basic Coat Colors Black The horse’s coat, mane, and tail are black

3. The Five Basic Coat Colors Brown The horse’s coat, mane, and tail are brown. The color may be nearly black, or lighter. Very dark seal brown may be distinguished from black by looking at the muzzle. If there are brown hairs here, the horse is brown.

4. The Five Basic Coat Colors Bay The horse’s coat is reddish brown. The mane and tail are black, as are the horse’s legs. Bay horses are said to have black points, and these are the legs, mane, tail, points of the ears, and the muzzle

5. The Five Basic Coat Colors Chestnut The horse’s coat is a shade of red. The mane and tail are also chestnut, and may be the same shade as the coat, lighter than the coat (flaxen) or darker than the coat, but NEVER BLACK. (If he had a black mane and tail than he’d be a bay).

6. The Five Basic Coat Colors White The horse is entirely white, with pink skin. If he has dark skin, he isn’t white, he’s gray Doesn’t really exist (at least not in a surviving specimen) just play along. This “white” color is often a misidentification of color (double crème or maximal white sabino are the most common mistakes)

7. The Epistatic Modifiers The three epistatic modifiers are gray, roan, and dominant white. (although dominant white is one of the five basic coat colors, the genes that cause it are classed as epistatic modifiers).

8. The Epistatic Modifiers Gray A progressive silvering after birth. The horse is born one of the other colors and then goes from dark gray to almost white with age. The color may change at various rates depending on the individual No visible difference between heterozygous or homozygous gray

9. The Epistatic Modifiers Roan White hairs are mixed with hairs of any other color. Roan on bay is red roan, roan on black is blue roan, and roan on chestnut is strawberry roan No visible difference between homozygous and heterozygous roan

10. The Epistatic Modifiers Dominant white An absence of pigment which causes the fifth basic coat color, white Once more, this doesn’t exist, this is outdated information, but the approved sources have yet to update Just learn it and play along

11. The Epistatic Modifiers Sabino Not sure whether this is epistatic or a color pattern, I will list it under both Sabino often causes high stockings, loud facial markings and a mixture of white hairs with the colored (though to a lesser degree than a roan, notice the silver look to this horse, his black coloration is silvered by the white hairs)

12. The Epistatic Modifiers Sabino This is the homozygous form of the sabino gene Causes white pigment with dark eyes Often mistaken for white Note the dark eyes, in a contest you would identify this as white

13. The Dilutions-Cream Smoky Black Body color ranges from black to this chocolate color. Yellow hairs may be visible on the muzzle and flank. Sometimes misidentified as liver chestnut.

14. The Dilutions-Cream Buckskin Body color ranges from light yellow to deep gold, with black points. Mane and tail are black and skin is dark. A single dilution of bay

15. The Dilutions-Cream Palomino Body color ranges from deep gold color to light yellow with white or flaxen mane and tail with brown eyes and dark skin. A single dilution of chestnut

16. The Dilutions-Cream Smoky Cream Body color is a cream color, often slightly darker than a cremello. Eyes are blue with pink skin. In a contest you would identify this as a cremello, as it is hard to identify the difference between a smoky cream and a cremello without genetic testing.

17. The Dilutions-Cream Perlino Body ranges from white to cream color with legs a slightly darker shade. Mane and tail are several shades darker than body color. Blue eyes with pink skin. A double dilution of bay

18. The Dilutions-Cream Cremello Body ranges from white to cream. Mane and tail range from white to cream. Blue eyes and pink skin. A double dilution of chestnut

19. The Dilutions-Dun Grullo Body is often a mousy color with a dorsal stripe and zebra markings. Mane and tail are black. Eyes and skin are dark. A dilution of black

20. The Dilutions-Dun Dun Golden body color with a dorsal stripe and zebra markings. Black mane and tail. Dark skin and eyes. Often mistaken for buckskin. LOOK FOR THE DORSAL STRIPE!

21. The Dilutions-Dun Red dun Often a light reddish, or apricot color with a dorsal stripe. Slightly darker mane and tail with dark eyes and skin. Can be mistaken for chestnut. LOOK FOR THE DORSAL STRIPE!

22. The Dilutions-Silver Silver Dapple Body ranges from black to chocolate color. Mane and tail range from white to silver with darker roots. Lighter dapples are often present on the body. Dark skin and eyes.

23. The Dilutions-Silver Bay Silver Body is reddish brown, lighter dapples may be present with silver points. Dark skin and eyes.

24. The Dilutions-Champagne Classic Champagne Body is taupe to dove gray. Darker mane, tail, and points. Amber eyes with pink skin. Reverse dappling may occur.

25. The Dilutions-Champagne Sable Champagne Body is a sable color with darker mane and tail. Eyes are amber with pink skin. Reverse dappling may occur.

26. The Dilutions-Champagne Amber Champagne Body ranges from gold to amber. Mane, tail, and points are chocolate colored. Eyes are amber and the skin is pink. Reverse dappling may be present. Look at this horse, he exhibits reverse dappling, where the dapples are darker rather than lighter.

27. The Dilutions-Champagne Gold Champagne Body is shaded very similar to the palomino. Mane and tail are white. Eyes are amber with pink skin. When identifying between gold champagne and palomino look at the eye and skin color Note that this horse has a strange sheen to his coat. This is common in champagnes, but not exclusive.

28. Color Patterns Piebald Black with white spots, or vice versa

29. Color Patterns Skewbald White with any other color

30. Color Patterns Pinto Large spots (includes Tobiano and Overo)

31. Color Patterns Tobiano Color on white (white extends over the back)

32. Color Patterns Overo White on color (white does not cross over the top line)

33. Color Patterns-Overo Patterns Frame Overo

34. Color Patterns-Overo Patterns Splash Overo

35. Color Patterns-Overo Patterns Sabino Overo

36. Color Patterns Small spots (includes leopard, blanket, snowflake, and roan with appy markings)

37. Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns Blanket

38. Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns Leopard

39. Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns Snowflake

40. Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns Frost

41. Color Patterns-Appaloosa Patterns Marble

42. Facial Markings Star White marking approximately between the eyes

43. Facial Markings Snip White marking on the nose

44. Facial Markings Stripe Narrow band of white running down the face

45. Facial Markings Blaze White extends almost to the eyes, but not past

46. Facial Markings Bald face White extends past the eyes

47. Leg Markings Stocking

48. Leg Markings Sock

49. Leg Markings Fetlock

50. Leg Markings Pastern

51. Leg Markings Coronet

52. Leg Markings Distal spots