Horse Coat Colors

Appaloosa

Spotted coat patterns: leopard, blanket, mottled, marble (marmoreal)

Bay

Brown body, black mane and tail, black lower legs/head.

Black

Solid black hair and mane, dark skin.

Blanket appaloosa

White over the hip area with or without spots.

Buckskin

Tan or gold coat with black points; cream gene on bay base.

Champagne

Metallic gold coat, freckled pink skin, light eyes.

Chestnut / sorrel

Reddish-brown coat with matching mane and tail; no black.

Cream / cremello / perlino

Very pale coat, white mane/tail, pink skin, blue/light eyes.

Dun / yellow dun

Pale yellow coat, dark mane/tail, dorsal stripe and leg barring.

Flaxen

Light-colored mane and tail on a chestnut coat.

Gray

Born dark and lightens with age; mixed dark and white hairs.

Leopard appaloosa

Nearly white coat with numerous dark spots.

Mealy / pangare

Lightening of underbelly, muzzle, and flanks.

Mottled appaloosa

Mottled pattern with irregular light

Overo

Irregular white patches, often on belly and face.

Palomino

Golden coat with cream or white mane/tail, dark skin.

Perlinó / pearl

A subtle dilution gene, darker mane/tail, often greenish eyes.

Pinto / piebald

Large white patches with colored areas; pink skin under white.

Roan

Even mix of white and base color hairs; stable through life.

Sabino

Fuzzy-edged white patches, often on legs and belly, with roaning.

Silver

Lightened mane/tail on black or bay base; legs remain dark.

Silver bay

Bay base with silver gene; light mane/tail, dark legs.

Smoky black

Black coat with one cream gene; resembles regular black.

Smoky cream

Very pale coat from black + two cream genes; blue eyes.

Snowflake appaloosa

Dark coat with small white spots scattered across the body.

Sooty

Dark hairs mixed into the coat, giving a shaded effect on back/flanks.

Sooty buckskin / sooty chestnut

Dark smattering on base coat (smoky or toasted effect).

Splashed white

White on the lower body as if splashed, white face common.

Tobiano

Large, well-defined vertical white patches; mane often bicolored.

White

Pure white coat, pink skin, rare.