HORSE COAT COLORSThe Basic Colors of Horses

BAY

A horse with a rich brown color on the body with the legs, mane, and tail being black.

davipt, “Horse” March 10 2007 via flickr, Creative Commons, Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike

BLACK

A horse that is all black including the mane and tail.

rusty_dragonfly, “Horse” June 2006 via flickr, Creative Commons, Attribution, Noncommercial

SORREL

A copper colored horse with white hairs mixed into the mane and tail. The white in the mane and tail is called flaxen.

BUCKSKIN

A cream colored horse with the legs, mane, and tail being black.

Derrick Coetzee, “Buckskin mare headshot from right in stable” June 17 2006 via flickr, Creative Commons, Attribution

PIEBALD

A black and white pinto horse. A pinto means a white with a darker color in any pattern.

busman70, “Pookie” July 11 2004 via flickr, Creative Commons, Attribution, Commercial, Share Alike

CHESTNUT

A copper colored horse.

hamad M, “horse” September 7 2005 via flickr, Creative Commons, Attribution, Noncommercial

PALOMINO

A cream colored horse.

nanciesweb, “Palomino_Horse” February 6 2010 via flickr, Creative Commons, Attribution

WHITE

A horse that is all white.

Pryere, “HORSE” August 6 2009 via flickr, Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike

DUN

A brown horse. Duns often have “dorsal stripes” down their backs and “zebra stripes” down their legs which are just darker stripes.

susieblackmon, “Beautiful red dun” October 2 2010 via flickr, Attribution, Noncommercial

DAPPLE GREY

A gray horse with white “dapples” all over the body. Dapple grey horses will turn whiter with age.

Lil Sheperd, “Dapple grey”, June 27 2009 via flickr, Attribution

CHAMPAGNE

A light cream colored horse. Champagne horses have white or blue eyes at birth that turn hazel or amber as the horse gets older.

Carrot Mama “Pushin Champagne Passion” January 1 2004 via flickr, Attribution, No Derivative Works

BLUE ROAN

A dark gay, almost blue colored horse with white hairs mixed in.

Meike_g, “Flurrie” February 6 2007 via flickr, Attribution