Comprehensive Horse Coat Colors/Patterns/Markings

[Captain Flighty]

DISCLAIMER:
I am an expert only in my own eyes. Below you will find a comprehensive list with my OPINION of horse colors. I try to stick to the scientific/genetic side of things to explain colors and I use the MOST common terms though there ARE other names for some of these horse coat colors. I will NOT be listing all of those other names.

I am doing this to help all of you. Do NOT argue with me or tell me I am wrong! Again; this is my OPINION, scientifically based! I happen to feel I am right, but you are entitled to your own opinion as well. This thread is NOT a discussion thread.

Just for something extra here is a link to wiki's horse coat colors/patterns: click here

For yet another source: click here

BAY:

A bay horse is one that has a brown body and black points. These points include all four legs, the mane the tail and the nose. A bay horse may still have white markings on it's legs. The mane and tail on a bay horse may be brown or red or even flaxen along the edges but the majority of the mane is BLACK. Sometimes though the black on the legs is very low or patchy and you do not see a full black stocking.

DARK BAY:

Same as a bay but the body is very dark sometimes black in some places. It is just a different shade of bay.

SEAL BAY:

Due to controversy on the subject and the lack of it as its own color in the color calculator that we use on RLTW "Seal brown" will be counted as synonymous with "Seal Bay". That means they are the SAME thing here in RLTW!

OTHER: Brown is NOT nor will it ever be a proper horse coat color name, but Seal Brown will be accepted. Brown is simply a term that the unknowing use to describe nearly any horse from chestnut to silver dapple to bay.

BLOOD BAY:

A blood bay has a very clear almost golden-crimson-brown or red-brown on the body with black points. The black and brown are very distinct from one another and tend not to fade gradually from one color to the other.

COPPER/GOLDEN BAY:

This is just a bay that is very metallic or golden in appearance. As in a blood bay the black points and brown of the body are very distinct from one another.

MAHOGANY BAY:

The bay horses are of a deep rich mahogany color in the body and black points. They are sometimes categorized WITH dark bays.


ALL OF THESE SHADES OF BAY HAVE THE SAME BASIC GENETICS THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL THEM APART OTHER THAN VISUALLY AND SO THEY ARE ALL TREATED THE SAME ON OUR COLOR CALCULATOR.

BLACK:

A black is a horse that is solid black with no white or brown hairs mixed in. Blacks may still have white markings such as socks or stockings and stars, snips, blazes etc.

BLACK THAT FADES:

Some blacks tend to fade to red/brown in the sunlight though they are still a black in their genetics.

SMOKY BLACK:

A smoky black horse is a black horse with one creme gene. in some smoky blacks the creme gene does not do much to modify the color. Sometimes they just look like a black that has faded. Sometimes they look like a deep very dark charcoal grey. other times they are just a deep rich brown over the entire body.


FYI: Sometimes it is difficult to visually tell the difference between a very dark bay, a faded black horse or a smoky black, but to the trained eye there is a difference.


CHESTNUT/SORREL:

<sub>Flaxens/Sorrels

Liver</sub>

There is genetically no difference/no way to distinguish between a chestnut and a sorrel. Sorrels are also called Flaxen Chestnuts. Chestnuts range in color from deep rusty browns to vivid crimson. The body and points are usually the same color. The mane and tail tend to have black hairs mixed in.

PALOMINO:

A palomino is a horse with ONE creme gene. They are always of a light tan, golden or golden brown color with a flaxen mane and tail. THEIR SKIN IS STILL BLACK! There are MANY shades of palomino.

PERLINO:

A perlino is a horse with TWO creme genes. Perlino is like a double buckskin. Perlinos have PINK skin and BLUE eyes. They tend to have manes/tails and legs/points that are of a darker hue; usually orange or rust colored, than the rest of the body.

CREMELLO:

A cremello is another horse with TWO creme genes. They are like a double palomino. Cremellos also have PINK skin and BLUE eyes. Their manes and tails tend to be so pale they are white and the body can be a cream hue or a white hue.

BUCKSKIN:

A buckskin horse is usually a horse with a golden or flaxenish colored body with BLACK points. The body color in buckskins ranges from pale buttery gold to golden brown. They have ONE creme gene as well. Buckskins CAN OCASSIONALLY exhibit dun factor.

DUN:

The typical dun also called a bay dun or zebra dun is very similar to a buckskin in actual color, but they are easily distinguished through genetics. A dun is a horse with black OR more usually dark brown points. Duns also have what are known as primitive markings or dun factor. There are a few cases where a true dun will have no or few primitive markings, but this is rare.

Primitive markings include; dorsal stripe, leg barring, shoulder barring and sometimes mapping or webbing on the face, etc.

Since opinions vary greatly on Buckskin verses Dun here is the word from a few more sources:

Here is what the International Buckskin Horse Association has to say;

A true colored buckskin should be the color of tanned deerhide with black points. Shades may vary from yellow to dark gold. Points (mane, tail, legs) can be dark brown or black. Buckskin is clean of any smuttiness. Guard hairs which are buckskin colored grow through the body coat up over the base of the mane and tail.

Dun is an intense color with a hide that has an abundance of pigment in the hairs. The dun color is a duller shade than buckskin and may have a smutty appearance. Most dun horses have dark points of brown or black. Dun horses sport the "dun factor" points which include dorsal and shoulder stripes, leg barring, etc.

And her is what the American Buckskin Registry says;

BUCKSKIN: Body coat some shade of tan, from very light (creme) to very dark (bronze). Points (mane, tail, legs and ear frames) are black or dark brown. Dorsal not required.

DUN: Body coat some shade of tan, from very light (creme) to a dull or smutty brown (earth tone). Points, dorsal stripe and other dun factor markings are dirty black or smutty brown. There are many shades and variations in the dun color. Dorsal stripe required. Note: The buckskin colored horse with dun factor (dorsal stripe, leg barring, ear frames, shoulder stripes, face masking and cobwebbing) is the ideal color that ABRA was founded to preserve over thirty years ago.

Here is a list of the Dun Factors;
Mottling - reverse dappling, sploches or dark smoke, can be found on the forearm, gaskins, shoulders and stifle
Dorsal Stripe - dark line down the back from withers to tail
Shoulder stripes and neck stripes - markings on the neck and shoulders may either be single or multiple lines often combined with dark patches, called shadows. These also are on the withers.
Leg barring is some times referred to as tiger stripes or zebra striping. They maybe found on both the front and back legs.
Frosting can be at the edge of the mane and base of the tail, and may also be intermixed. The base color of the mane must still be dark for the horse to be considered a true dun.
Masking is dark shading on the muzzle that extends up toward the eyes. Most horses have masking on the bridge of the nose, but it can extend around the horse head on to his jaws.
Cob webbing are lines of dark color that start on the forehead and may extend down over the eyes.
Ear tips are a darker outline of color around the outside edge of the ear. Some horses may have shadows of color on the back of their ears, or even pronounced horizontal stripes.


RED DUN:

Red dun is a chestnut horse that has dun factor in lamens terms. The body color can range from a pale creamy red to a deeper chestnut red. The mane and tail are deep red sometimes with blak hairs mixed in. The legs are also darker red than the body. Dun Factor should be seen to some degree.

BLACK DUN/GRULLO/GRULLA:

Grullos range wildly in color as well. Some are very dark silver in the body others are very pale silver. The mane/tail and other points/dun factor should be dark silver to black with some lighter silvers hairs mixed in.

SMOKY CREAM:

This is another horse with TWO cream genes but this time it is on a black base. The mane/tail, body and points are usually of the same hue a rich smoky cream. It is possible to see darker manes and tails on a smoky cream but it is not typical unless they have some other modifier gene in them. These horses can be generalized as being Silver. They have PINK skin and tend to have BLUE eyes.

SILVER DAPPPLE/SILVER BLACK:

The silver dapple is a horse that is black but also has the Silver modifier gene. This gene causes the black body AND points to all fade. Sometimes an SD is a deep brown that is almost black in the body with a flaxen to white mane and tail, sometimes the entire horse takes on a chocolaty brown hue, sometimes the body is a deep silver almost grey color and the mane and tail are flaxen or white.

SILVER BUCKSKIN:

This is a buckskin horse that also has the silver modifier gene. This gene usually gives the body a silvery sheen and the mane and tail become flaxen or silver.

SILVER DUN:

This is a dun that has the silver modifier gene. It does the same thing to the coat on a dun that the silver gene does on the coat of a buckskin. They can look very similar to a grullo.

SILVER SMOKY BLACK:

This is a smoky black horse with the silver gene added. The silver in these horses tends to show as a lightening of the mane and tail and body and legs. Sometimes it can add a silvery or chocolaty sheen over the entire body.

SILVER PERLINO:

A perlino with the silver gene added usually makes the entire body and mane/tail and legs a more uniform color and adds a metallic sheen so that they truly look silver.

SILVER SMOKY CREAM:

A silver smoky cream would be very very similar to a silver perlino and difficult to distinguish without DNA testing. The mane still tends to be a bit darker and more a pewter silver than in the silver perlino but the body would be very very pale silver. Of course shades can vary as in any horse color.

DUNALINO:

Also called a palomino dun or yellow dun is a horse that is very pale palomino with pale reddish or orangish points and primitive markings. it is possible for the points to take on a brownish hue as well. This is a horse that would otherwise be a red dun but also has a creme gene.

DUNSKIN:

<-Probably a Silver Dunskin
Also called a buckskin dun it is a buckskin horse with the dun gene added or vice versa. These horses display characteristics of both the buckskin and then dun. Their coats tend to be a much clearer shade than on a buckskin.

SMOKY GRULLO/SMOKY BLACK DUN:

The smoky grullo can look very similar to a regular grulla or it can be much lighter and more silvery looking.

CREMELLO DUN:
PERLINO DUN:
SMOKY CREAM DUN:
I am not going to go into detail on these individual colors at the moment. Just keep this in mind. The Dun gene dilutes the coat color slightly and makes it "clearer". It also adds "points" to the horse by slightly darkening the mane and tail, the legs, the ears, the muzzle and adding primitive markings, most notably a dorsal stripe.

CHESTNUT ROAN (Red Roan):


BAY ROAN:


BLUE ROAN(Black Roan):


PALOMINO ROAN:


BUCKSKIN ROAN:


SMOKY BLACK/BLUE ROAN:


SILVER BAY ROAN:


SILVER BLACK ROAN:


RED DUN ROAN:


BAY DUN ROAN:


GRULLO ROAN:


DUNALINO ROAN:


DUNSKIN ROAN:


SMOKY GRULLO ROAN:

See the explanation of roan below and the color descriptions above to understand the ROAN colors.

SILVER GRULLO:

A silver grullo is affected the same as most other horse colors are by the silver gene. The body is lightened considerably in some horses and just a bit in others and the mane and tail are lightened sometimes becoming completely silver or flaxen or even white.

GOLD CHAMPAGNE:

Gold champagne is a color that results from the champagne gene working on a chestnut coat. In general physical appearance a gold champagne appears very similar to a palomino, but upon closer inspection there are subtle differences. A gold champagne horse has PINK skin where a palomino has black or pink. A gold also has freckles as do all champagne horses on the skin around the eyes, the lips and nose and under the tail; this often makes the skin appear a lavender hue rather than pink. Also champagne horses tend to have green or hazel eyes, sometimes amber instead of black or brown like in most other colors.

AMBER CHAMPAGNE:

Amber champagne is the champagne gene working on a Bay coat. The body color is usually a rich, deep golden-amber and the mane and tail range from very dark brown to a lighter chocolaty brown. Frosting can be seen on the mane and tail as well. The legs or other color points that would have been black on a bay horse are lighter than the mane and tail, sometimes indistinguishable from the color of the body. They have the champagne skin freckles and hazel/green/amber eyes as well.

SABLE CHAMPAGNE:

In RLTW the sable champagne though slightly different in hue, due to the Seal bay or seal brown base coat, will be treated the same as the amber champagne on the color calculator.

CLASSIC CHAMPAGNE:

This is the action of the champagne gene on a black base coat. They are a chocolate hue with a darker mane and tail. The coat is described in various ways including; lilac, taupe and green. They were once referred to as "lilac duns" and are still often confused with Grullos. They have the champagne skin freckles and hazel/green/amber eyes as well.

GOLD CREAM CHAMPAGNE:

This is a horse in which the champagne gene and one copy of the creme gene act on a chestnut coat. They are also called IVORY CHAMPAGNE. The mane, tail and coat are usually of an ivory hue and easily confused with cremellos if you do not pay attention to the classic freckled skin and unique eyes.

AMBER CREAM CHAMPAGNE:

This is a horse with a bay base coat that is diluted by the champagne gene and one copy of the creme gene. The mane and tail of a typical amber cream are a warm yellowish-brown and are often frosted. The legs may also be a light chocolate brown, but need not be. The body coat is a shade of ivory, usually darker than a gold cream. Their points are substantially darker than those of a perlino, and they have champagne skin and eye traits.

SABLE CREAM CHAMPAGNE:
These horses can look very similar to amber or gold champagnes though they are usually several shades lighter. Sometimes described as having a "cooler hue" than ambers and golds.

CLASSIC CREAM CHAMPAGNE:

This horse coat color is only slightly affected by the cream gene and appear very similar to Classic champagnes and are only a few shades lighter.

GOLD CHAMPAGNE DUN:
AMBER CHAMPAGNE DUN:
CLASSIC CHAMPAGNE DUN:
GOLD CREAM CHAMPAGNE DUN:
AMBER CREAM CHAMPAGNE DUN:
CLASSIC CREAM CHAMPAGNE DUN:

See above explanations of the Dun modifier gene.

From Wiki
--Gold dun refers to an otherwise-chestnut coat affected by both the champagne gene and dun gene. The mane and tail may be ivory or self-colored; the body coat ranges from a warm cream to apricot color with primitive markings a shade darker. The coat is substantially paler and more "yellow" than that of a chestnut dun, and flatter than that of a gold champagne.

--Amber dun refers to an otherwise-bay coat affected by both the champagne gene and dun gene. The mane and tail and primitive markings are warm chocolate brown with a buff tan-colored body. The legs may, or may not, be dark as well.

--Sable dun refers to an otherwise-seal brown coat affected by both the champagne gene and dun gene. The points are chocolate-colored and the coat is darker than the amber dun.

--Classic dun or Classic grulla refers to an otherwise-black coat affected by both the champagne gene and dun gene. The coat possesses more cool slate-gray tones than a classic champagne, while the points are warmer than a grulla.

SILVER AMBER CHAMPAGNE:

In this coat color Amber dilutes the bay coat to chocolate and the silver dilutes it further and lightens the mane and tail considerably. They are usually a buttery or pale gold/tan color and the mane and tail can be the same color or a few shades darker sometimes with a silvered hue.

SILVER CLASSIC CHAMPAGNE:

These horses would have been black but are diluted by the champagne and silver gene. The darkest of these horses is very similar in appearance to a classic champagne while others are so pale they are a silvery pewter. Some are also chocolaty hued and others aren't.

© Flighty 2005-2014

[Captain Flighty]

PINTO/PATTERNS/MARKINGS

ROAN:

Roan is simple. Any horse of any color can be roan. Roan is when a horse has an equal number of white hairs and colored hairs in its coat which lightens or alters the overall color of the horse. In roans, the head, legs and mane and tail will remain darker. The mane and tail will usually have white hairs mixed in.

POTATO SPOTS:
These are the dark spots seen on many roan horses and are different from other spot markings. They are often irregular in shape and very small. Typically these are actually scarring on a roan coat, but they can be caused by other unknown factors.

RABICANO:

This is entirely different from the roan gene. True roans can be distinguished by their darker heads and smooth colored coat when viewed at a distance. In rabicanos the white hairs are concentrated in the flank and abdomen and often includes a "skunk tail". The rabicano gene also tends to be affected by the seasons and will at times disappear completely.

SOOTY/SMUTTY:
<-sooty bucskin
<-sooty bay
<-sooty bay NOT dun
<-sooty palomino
The sooty gene can effect nearly any color coat in a variety of ways. Sometimes it is responsible for dappling, sometimes it is responsible for "dun factor" on horses that do not have or carry the dun gene, other times it can cause something appearing similar to brindling, in other cases it simply makes dark patches on random areas and still other times it can blacken the majority of a coat that would otherwise be bay or buckskin or chestnut.

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PAINTS:
First off I am going to explain the difference between a pinto and a paint.

A pinto is generally any horse of any breed that has a "paint pattern". Simple.

A paint horse is only a paint and not just a pinto when it has 1/2 or more thoroughbred OR 1/2 or more quarter horse in it's breeding OR a purebred American Paint Horse! SIMPLE!

From Wiki: Pinto: A horse coat color that is distinguished by one of several possible broad spotting patterns, as opposed to the smaller spots typical of the Appaloosa. Variations include Piebald, Skewbald, Overo, Tobiano, Tovero and Sabino.

OVERO:

Overo patterned horses tend to have jagged edges along the white and the pattern is usually seen in a horizontal fashion. The legs can be white or solid colored. The white pattern rarely crosses over the spine of the horse. With overo it is dangerous to breed two OVERO colored horses together because of the lethal white effect. In horses; albinism is DEADLY their is NO SUCH THING as an ALBINO horse.

FROM WIKI: Overo refers to several genetically unrelated pinto coloration patterns of white-over-dark body markings in horses, and is a term used by the American Paint Horse Association to classify a set of pinto patterns that are not Tobiano. Overo is a Spanish word, originally meaning “like an egg."[1]There are at least three genetically different spotting patterns which fall under the "overo" classification: frame overo, sabino overo, and splash or splashed white overo.

FRAME OVERO:

Frame overos are an overo patterned horse with the white along the center of the body which then makes the color like a "frame" around the white.

FROM WIKI:The frame overo pattern is the most common of the three types of overo patterns recognized in the American Paint Horse breed. A frame overo horse appears to be any solid base color (bay, black, chestnut, etc.) with white irregular patches added, usually with a horizontal orientation. Markings are often of jagged shape rather than rounded, the white rarely crosses the back, the lower legs tend to be dark, and the tail is one color, usually dark. The head is often white or bald-faced, and blue eyes are not uncommon. The frame overo pattern usually behaves like a dominant gene, in that when frame overo horses are crossed on nonspotted horses, about half of the foals come out spotted. There are records of frame overos being produced by two nonspotted parents. There is a theory, however, that these "solid" horses simply may be horses with very minimal expression of overo genetics.

SPLASH:

Splashed horses usually have white on the belly or underside, all or mostly white legs and a bald face. Overall the horse looks like it swam in paint or was dipped into paint or the paint was SPLASHED up onto the horse. They usually have blue eyes.

WIKI: A splash or splashed white overo pattern appears like a solid-colored horse who has been dipped in white paint, and the color splashed up from the bottom. It is the least common of the overo patterns. The legs and bottom portion of the body are usually white, as is the head, and blue eyes are common. Edges where white and dark color meet are usually crisp and sharp. These horses tend to deafness more than others.

MEDICINE HAT:

This is just an overo horse that has a colored marking over its ears, pole and part of the head that appears to be a "medicine hat".

TOBIANO:

Tobiano patterned horses tend to have smooth lines along the edges of the white. Their legs from the knee/hock down tend to be white on all four legs. The white is said to be in a vertical pattern and usually crosses over the spine at some point on the horse.

FROM WIKI: Tobiano is a spotted color pattern commonly seen in Pinto horses, produced by a dominant gene. The tobiano gene produces white-haired, pink-skinned patches on a base coat color. The coloration is present from birth and does not change throughout the horse's lifetime, unless the horse also carries the gray gene. (see below)

Other spotting patterns seen in Pinto horses include overo and the sabino markings. In the United Kingdom, Tobianos are frequently referred to as "Coloured" or as Piebald (black and white) or Skewbald (white and any base color other than black). However, Bay and white horses are also referred to as Tri-Coloured.

Tobiano traits generally include the following:
White legs from the hocks and knees down
White crossing the back between the withers and the dock of the tail
White is arranged in a vertical pattern
Facial markings are similar to those of a traditionally solid-colored horse. i.e. star, snip, strip, or blaze. Extreme white facial markings suggest the presence of additional color pattern genes beyond Tobiano
White patches which are usually rounded or oval in shape, rather than jagged (see Overo)
Dark color extending down the neck, giving the appearance of a shield

TOVERO:

Tovero horses have a combination of Tobiano and Overo traits mingled together and can vary immensely in pattern.

SABINO:

The Sabino patterns varies widely but usually the white pattern has edges that appear to be jagged AND roaned. The white spots are usually on the abdomen. The legs are almost always white and their is usually a jagged or odd facial marking. In some Sabino horses the gene is so virulent that the entire horse is white save for one or two very tiny colored patches if any at all. You can also see the exact opposite of that where there are only one or two tiny patches of white on a colored horse.

FROM WIKI: Sabino is a group of white spotting patterns in horses that affect the skin and hair. A wide variety of irregular color patterns are accepted as sabino. In the strictest sense, "sabino" refers to the white patterns produced by the Sabino 1 (SB1) gene, for which there is a DNA test. However, other horse enthusiasts also refer to patterns that are visually similar to SB1 as "sabino", even if testing indicates the gene is not present. Use of the term to describe non-SB1 "sabino" patterns in breeds that apparently do not carry the gene is hotly debated by both researchers and horse breeders.
Sabino patterning is visually recognized by roaning at the edges of white markings, belly spots, irregular face markings, especially white extending past the eyes or onto the chin, white above the knees or hocks, and "splash" or "lacy" marks anywhere on the body, but particularly on the belly. Some sabinos have patches of roan patterning on part of the body, especially the barrel and flanks. Some sabinos may have a dark foot or two, but most have four white feet. Both blue and brown eyes are seen. At one end of the sabino spectrum, the SB1 gene, when homozygous, can produce a horse that is almost completely white with pink or only partially pigmented skin. Some forms of sabino genetics are also thought to be the most common reason for solid-colored horses with "chrome," a term which can refer to horses with bold white markings on the face and high white leg markings. The most generous definition of sabino can include horses with as little white as a chin or lower lip spot.
Even though horses with the Sabino 1 gene can be completely white, no forms of sabino are linked to lethal white syndrome.

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BRINDLING:

Brindling is rare in the real world. It can occur on any horse of any color, but is often associated with the dun gene; as if it is an over-expression of dun factor. Brindling does not show as distinct lines or stripes as in a zebra or zorse, but instead the "stripes" are usually mottled and jagged edged and become freckling in some areas. Brindling can occur over the entire horse or parts of the horse and can be very distinct or very subtle. Brindling can also be caused by chimerism, mosaicism and even by the sooty gene.

REVERSE BRINDLING and Catch A Bird Anomaly:

Also called white brindle and sometimes "catch-a-bird anomaly" after a thoroughbred stallion who had the pattern. It is much the same as brindling only the spots/stripes are white. There is a slight difference between reverse brindling and the "catch-a-bird anomaly". In reverse brindling the brindles are either passed partially or completely or not at all to the offspring, with "catch-a-bird anomaly" the foals are often roan leading some people to believe that the anomaly was a strange variation of the roan gene. I happen to agree with this and see the two patterns as different GENETICALLY though identical PHYSICALLY.

PANGARE:

Pangare is a modifier that acts by lightening certain portions of a horse's coat, usually the muzzle, the belly, the inner forearms and thighs, and sometimes even the chest or around the eyes. When it acts on a chestnut coat, the horse usually will have a flaxen mane and tail. It can act on any color, and varies in intensity. It is often found in pony and draft breeds, such as Haflingers, Fjords, etc.

GULASTRA PLUME:

Usually a manifestation of the Sabino gene, a gulustra plume can occur on any color horse and is NOT ALWAYS associated with the sabino gene.

BIRDCATHCHER SPOTS:

Are small, round, white spots scattered throughout a horse's coat. In many cases, the spots appear and grow in number for a period of years, and then gradually fade away. Sometimes, the spots will persist throughout a horse's lifetime.

BIRDCATCHER TICKS:
Flecks of white hair in the flanks and on the base of the tail that can mimic a sort of minimal rabicano.

MANCHADO SPOTS:

This is a rare coat pattern that has been seen only in Argentina and is believed to be environmental rather than genetic. It has not been seen to be hereditable (does not pass to offspring).

CHUBARI SPOTS:

Also called Tetrarch Spots after a thoroughbred stallion who exhibited them. These spots occur almost exclusively on grey horses and are large and often egg shaped, occurring any place on the body.

BEND-OR SPOTS:

Dark spots on a pale and solid colored horse. Usually seen on chestnuts and palominos though it can occur on other colors.

ERMINE MARKS:

These are black markings in or on white markings usually just above the hoof.

BLOODY SHOULDER MARKINGS:

These markings can appear on any area of the horse but occur ONLY ON GREY HORSES! It is a random splotch of the horse's base coat color on an otherwise grey horse.

BADGER FACE:

Usually the result of a skewed sabino pattern but can occur in other cases. It is sort of a reverse bald face or reverse blaze.

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FACIAL MARKINGS;

Facial markings. Top row, L-R: Blaze, Stripe, Stripe (or thin blaze) and snip, Irregular blaze, Interrupted stripe, bald face. Bottom row, L-R: Faint star, Star, Star and strip, irregular star, snip, lip marking

BALD FACE:
A white marking on the face that extends above the eyes, touches or wraps around the eyes and extends down to the nose sometimes under the chin. This marking often turns the eyes blue.

STAR:
Any white marking on the forehead not necessarily a star shape.

SNIP:
A small white strip on the nose and/or lips.

STRIPE/RACE:
A thin white marking that extends down the length of the face from near the eyes to near the nostrils.

BLAZE:
A wide white marking down the horses face that does not touch the eyes.

SEMI-BALD FACE:
A white marking on the face that displays some but not all of the characteristics of a bald face.

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Faint: A very small white mark that is permanent, usually does NOT have pink skin underneath.

Interrupted: A marking, usually a strip or blaze, that is broken and not solid for the entire length of the face.

Connected: Sometimes used to describe distinct facial markings that are joined; such as a star and stripe.

Irregular/Crooked: Usually used to describe an irregularly shaped stripe or blaze.

Lip Markings: Small white markings usually described by location such as lower lip or upper lip. These markings are not a full snip.

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LEG MARKINGS;

Leg markings. Top row, L-R: Stocking, Sock or Boot, Fetlock or Sock. Bottom row, L-R: Pastern, Coronet, Partial Pastern

SOCK:
White markings that extend higher than the fetlock but stops well below the knee or hock.

STOCKING:
A white marking that extends at least to the bottom of the knee or hock.

CORONET:
A thin band of white around the coronary band of the hoof usually no more than 1 inch thick.

PASTERN:
A white marking above the top of the hoof but below the fetlock.

FETLOCK/BOOT:
White marking that extends over the fetlock but no higher.

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Irregular: A marking that is within the given height confines but with irregular shaped edges.

Partial: An irregular marking that only extends to the given height confines on part of the leg while the other side/part is dark.

High White: Stockings that extend above the knee or hock and often past the stifle and sometimes onto the flank or shoulder. These markings are most often associated with Sabino patterns such as in the Clydesdale.

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Other Identifying Marks:

FROM WIKI:
Horses can be uniquely identified by more than just markings or brands. A few other physical characteristics sometimes used to distinguish a horse from another are:

Whorls, colloquially known as "cowlicks": divergent or convergent patches of hair found anywhere on the body but mostly on the head, neck, chest, belly, or just in front of the stifles.

"Glass" eye, "Moon" eye, "China" eye, "Wall" eye or "Night" eye: A blue eye. Horses with blue eyes are less common than horses with brown eyes, but can see equally well.

Chestnuts: A callous-like area on the inside of the horse's leg that has a subtle pattern, but one unique to each horse. It has been proposed that chestnuts could be used as a type of "fingerprint" to identify a horse, but the idea has failed to become widespread in practice, probably in part because the chestnut continually grows and sheds, making precise measurement a challenge.

"Prophet's thumbs," or muscle dimples, are small indentations in the muscle, usually found on the horse's neck.

---

Many people consider reverse dappling and lacing to be interchangeable terms. For me white lacing is distinct and is not the same as reverse dappling, yet reverse dappling is a form of lacing. Sorry if that is confusing.

Lacing:
Lacing that is not a result of dun factor can be white or darker or lighter than the rest of the body. It is often associated with reverse dappling, but not always. Usually lacing is seen over the spine but can be placed elsewhere as well.


Reverse Dappling:
Reverse dappling is, as the name suggests a reverse or inverse of dapples. Dappling is lighter, irregular spots of overall uniform sized spots on the body of the horse whereas reverse dappling is darker, irregular spots.


© Flighty 2005-2014

[Captain Flighty]

Appaloosa Patterns

For simplicities sake we treat all patterns the same using the "App" gene. A knabstrup or appaloosa must be in the background of a horse to have these patterns in RLTW.

However, for those of you who wish to know the names of specific patterns in appaloosa horses I shall attempt to explain them all. I know very little about the appaloosa patterns and genes in comparison to other genetics.

The appaloosa breed is distinguished by mottled skin found on the soft spots of the body around the eyes muzzle, anus, and teets. They also have striped hooves, sparse and or thin and wispy manes and tails and the sclera or white part of the eye is much more visible than in other breeds.

Blanketed Appy:
Blanketed appaloosas have a white patch with colored spots over the rump, hips and flank but is not limited to this area.


Leopard Appy:
Leopard appaloosas are mostly white horses with a few to many spots causing them to look like a snow leopard. Sometimes there is dark ticking all throughout the coat which can sometimes look like roaning, but this rare. Also Leopard appaloosas do not have solid colored legs although the legs may have far more spots close together than the rest of the horse causing them to appear ALMOST solid colored, or solid colored with irregular white spots.


Few Spot Appy:
These are mostly white horses with the only color appearing around the eyes, on the chest, flanks, and legs with very little or no spots on the body.


Snowcap Appy:
Snowcaps have a white patch over the hip and flanks with no colored spots within the white. This white "snowcap" is not limited to the rump, hip and flanks. The edges of the snowcap are usually mottled and roanish but can also be smooth or jagged. Extensive snowcaps can easily mimic few spots.



Snowflake Appy:
These appaloosas are marked by small white spots on an otherwise solid colored horse. These spots usually run along the back, rump and flanks but can cover much of the horse as well. Some snowflake appaloosas can appear to have birdcatcher spots rather than an appaloosa pattern.


Varnish/Varnish Roan Appy:
Varnish roan appaloosas are born colored and mostly solid though with some darker spots here and there. White hairs will begin to spread over the body as the horse grows and cause their darker spots to blur or fade while the rest of the body appears roan with some spots remaining solid colored here and there. These horses DO NOT carry the roan or grey gene.


Various Skewed Appy Patterns:
These patterns have no particular name, but are certainly not what could be called typically so I have included them in a seperate category I am terming "Skewed".

with this horse you see the typical blanket but there is also some snowflaking on the neck and face

this horse has few spot traits though the color on the neck is more extensive than most few spots and the spotting on the body is far more extensive than typical causing this to look like an extensive blanket appaloosa

on this foal the blanket is strangely places and there are white patches on the neck and tail base that suggest a paint gene is present, the face is pretty unique too

here again we see both blanket and snowflake traits

on this horse there is a clear blanket but the solid parts are also roaned out, this could be from the varnish trait or from the actual roan gene, also note the strange white markings on the legs

both blanketed and varnished

on this one the blanket is so extensive as to look like a few spot

this one has a mixture of leopard, blanket and varnish traits, the solid legs rule it out as a true leopard

probably a few spot once again, but displaying more spots than typical

the foal is a snowcap, but the mother's solid legs once again make her not a true leopard and more of a very extensive blanket

a very distinctive and strange leopard pattern

this horse is most likely a leopard appaloosa that simple has a LOT of large spots close together on the shoulder, neck and legs but because they are so closely packed it almost appears snowflake on the neck and legs or like a blanket from far away

this horse is a leopard appy with traits of snowflaking as well as dappling

a mix of varnish and snowflake traits as well as a minimal blanket

© Flighty 2005-2014

[Captain Flighty]

DUNS IN DEPTH;;

The typical dun also called a bay dun or zebra dun is very similar to a buckskin in actual color, but they are easily distinguished through genetics. A dun is a horse with black OR more usually; dark brown points. Duns also have what are known as primitive markings or dun factor. There are a few cases where a true dun will have no or few primitive markings, but this is rare.

Primitive markings include; dorsal stripe, leg barring, shoulder barring and sometimes mapping or webbing on the face, etc.

Since opinions vary greatly on Buckskin verses Dun here is the word from a few more sources:

Here is what the International Buckskin Horse Association has to say;

A true colored buckskin should be the color of tanned deerhide with black points. Shades may vary from yellow to dark gold. Points (mane, tail, legs) can be dark brown or black. Buckskin is clean of any smuttiness. Guard hairs which are buckskin colored grow through the body coat up over the base of the mane and tail.

Dun is an intense color with a hide that has an abundance of pigment in the hairs. The dun color is a duller shade than buckskin and may have a smutty appearance. Most dun horses have dark points of brown or black. Dun horses sport the "dun factor" points which include dorsal and shoulder stripes, leg barring, etc.

And her is what the American Buckskin Registry says;

BUCKSKIN: Body coat some shade of tan, from very light (creme) to very dark (bronze). Points (mane, tail, legs and ear frames) are black or dark brown. Dorsal not required.

DUN: Body coat some shade of tan, from very light (creme) to a dull or smutty brown (earth tone). Points, dorsal stripe and other dun factor markings are dirty black or smutty brown. There are many shades and variations in the dun color. Dorsal stripe required. Note: The buckskin colored horse with dun factor (dorsal stripe, leg barring, ear frames, shoulder stripes, face masking and cobwebbing) is the ideal color that ABRA was founded to preserve over thirty years ago.

Here is a list of the Dun Factors;
Mottling - reverse dappling, sploches or "dark smoke" found on the forearm, gaskins, shoulders and stifle of some duns.


Shoulder bars are dark, vertical stripes of color down the shoulder of a dun, sometimes these can be narrow sometimes wide and sometimes extending down the sides of the neck as well. They are always connected to the dorsal stripe, except in extremely rare cases.


Dorsal Stripe - dark line down the back from withers to tail
Shoulder stripes and neck stripes - markings on the neck and shoulders may either be single or multiple lines often combined with dark patches, called shadows. These also are on the withers.


Dorsal Barbs on some duns can be so extensive as to extend into large shadows or brindles onto the shoulder, hips and ribs of horses. Sometimes barbs are referred to as lacing, however in most cases "lacing" is separate from dun factor and usually white.


Brindles in SOME horses are caused by dun factoring but sometime brindles are caused by Chimerism, Mosoaicism and other unknown factors.

Leg barring is some times referred to as tiger stripes or zebra striping. They maybe found on both the front and back legs.


Frosting can be at the edge of the mane and base of the tail, and may also be intermixed. The base color of the mane must still be dark for the horse to be considered a true dun. Frosting is when the body color extends into the guard hairs on the mane and tail or the guard hairs are white.


Masking is dark shading on the muzzle that extends up toward the eyes. Most horses have masking on the bridge of the nose, but it can extend around the horse head on to his jaws. Sometimes masking is only on the bridge of the nose, or around the eyes are even on the forehead.
on the grullo

Cob webbing are lines of dark color that start on the forehead and may extend down over the eyes.


Ear tips are a darker outline of color around the outside edge of the ear. Some horses may have shadows of color on the back of their ears, or even pronounced horizontal stripes.


Zippers are light or white colored lines down the back side of the legs on some duns.


Shadowing is hard to define and can sometimes be described by the above dun factors. It is typically areas of dark or smutty patches on the face, shoulder, stifle or hip/rump that has no distinct patter but is rather a "dark smoky" area on dun horses.

note the shadows on the stifles

© Flighty 2005-2014

[Captain Flighty]

GREY:

Grey horses are NEVER EVER EVER EVER born grey. EVER! Grey horses are born as a completely other color thus why greys ALWAYS have a BASE COAT COLOR. Most "White" horses that you will see are actually greys that have faded out over their lives to white though if you look closely you will see that their skin is black or dark grey and not pink as it is with true whites. A true white, called a dominant white is BORN WHITE and has pink skin. Albinos do not exist in horses and by all current research is completely impossible to produce. Lethal white overo is, as the name suggests; lethal and foals are stillborn with some very few surviving a few days or so after birth but never any longer. Lethal white overo is caused by a doubling of the overo gene meaning both parents were overo and both passed their overo gene to the resulting foal. Living overo horses have only ONE copy of the overo gene thus it is impossible to have a homozygous overo horse.

Grey horses can be a large variety of shades from white to dark steel grey. They may have dapples or not, they may be fleabitten or not. Some even retain patches of their base coat color called "Bloody Shoulder Markings" no matter where the color patch is placed. (This marking is discussed above as well.) Watermarks are another marking associated only with grey horses and are irregularly shaped patches of lighter grey on darker grey. Grey goggles are a marking that can be seen on some very young grey horses in their first stage of greying out. The goggle markings do not stay for long as they fade into the rest of the grey as the body continues to fade. See below for an example.

Grey horses can begin to fade to grey from the age of six months or they may not show signs of greying until 2-3 years of age. Grey horses rarely look the same from one year to the next as they fade/"grey out" further and further with each shedding/season. The older most greys get; the lighter they get, although some greys will remain consistently one shade of grey throughout their lives once they have actually greyed out.

Young Greys;
These are grey horses in various stages of fading. Greys can fade in large smooth colored patches or they may appear to be roaning out in the initial stages. It all depends upon each horse. The first image shows an example of grey goggles.


Dapple Greys are the most common greys as the dapple trait is apparently closely tied to the grey gene. They can be almost white with subtle dapples (usually seen with older dapple greys) or they can be very dark with vivid dapples (usually seen with younger dapple greys).


Fleabitten greys are greys of any base color that retain freckles of color over their entire bodies. These freckles can fade with age or remain distinct depending on each individual horse. The freckles can be sparse or closely packed as well.


Rose greys are grey horses with a chestnut or bay base. They tend to retain the brown or reddish hues of their base coat thus giving them a rosey appearance. As they age they can lose this rosey color.


Mulberry greys are grey horses with a chestnut or even red dun base, and rarely a bay base whose bodies are grey but whose manes and tails retain reddish hues.


Iron/Steel Greys are greys with a black base typically. They are smoothly colored and of a dark metallic grey, hense the name.


Medium greys are greys with any dark base coat. They are smoothly/evenly colored for the most part and of a medium grey hue.


White greys are typically older grey horses who have simply faded completely to white over their lifetimes, however some grey horses fade much quicker than others and can be completely white from as early as one year of age. These horse are NOT the same as dominant white and can usually be distinguished by the grey or black skin on the soft spots of the body such as the muzzle, around the eyes, the anus, teets and inside the ears.


Greys paints are simply a grey horse with paint pattern. Sometimes the pattern pattern is completely lost in the fading grey of the body.


This is a grey brindle, perhaps one of the rarest of colors. These horses may eventually lose their brindle pattern in the greying out process, but not always.


© Flighty 2005-2014

[Captain Flighty]

"WHITE" HORSES

See here for images and even more detailed explanations.

DOMINANT WHITE;;
There is much more to the dominant white genetics than most people realize. Not all dominant whites are born white, nor is the dominant white always a solid or complete pattern. Sometimes dominant whites have a sabino-like pattern and sometimes they do eventually turn completely white but not always. Dominant white horses have brown or sometimes green eyes.


SABINO WHITE;
There is also a sabino white horse paint pattern in which the sabino gene is so extensive as to leave no "colored" areas on the horse at all. These are usually distinguished from Dominant whites by the eye color. Dominant whites have brown or sometimes green eyes while sabino whites have blue eyes.



See White Grey or Grey White above also.


© Flighty 2005-2014