Learn about horse & pony coat colors

Chestnut horses (also known as sorrel) are a reddish-brown color with the same color or lighter mane and tail. They vary from light golden-red to dark brown known as Liver Chestnut. The mane and tail may also be a blond color, also known as a Flaxen Chestnut.

Palomino horses & ponies have a golden colored coat with a white or cream colored mane and tail.

Bay horses & ponies have a brown or reddish-brown body with black points on their legs, and a black mane and tail.

Dark Bay horses have a deep brown red body color which can almost look black, with black points on their legs, and a black mane and tail.

Gray or Grey horses & ponies are born with a solid base color such as chestnut or bay, and slowly become lighter grey as they get older. The graying process often starts when foals shed their baby coat, although it can take several years for the gray color to show.

There are different types of pinto coloring:

Piebald

Piebald is a type of spotting that has large patches of 50% white with 50% black.

Skewbald

Skewbald is a type of spotting with any other color and white. They usually have large patches of 50% white and 50% brown or chestnut.

Liver Chestnut horses are a dark brown Chestnut color with the same color or lighter mane and tail.

Cremello colored horses are not white, but are cream colored from birth. They have a light mane and tail, pink skin and blue eyes.

Light Bay horses & ponies have a light red to almost golden yellow body color with black points on their legs, and a black mane and tail.

A Brown colored horse looks like black, but has a brown sheen in the sunlight. It also looks like dark bay, but not all points are black.

Gray horses are born with a solid base color such as chestnut or bay, and slowly become lighter grey as they get older. The graying process often starts when foals shed their baby coat, although it can take several years for the gray color to show. Dapples can appear between the ages of 4 and 12 as the horse gets lighter as they age. Horses with any base color can dapple.

Dun colored horses & ponies have a golden colored body with a black mane, tail & legs. To be considered a Dun, the horse must have a dark dorsal stripe & many will display dark striping on their shoulders, legs & forehead. If they do not have the dorsal stripe, they are considered a Buckskin.

Buckskin horses & ponies have a golden colored body with a black mane, tail & legs. They are very similar in color to a Dun, although they will not display dark striping on their shoulders, legs & forehead, or a dorsal stripe down their back.

The Appaloosa color coat has small round spots or speckles. They can have a dark base coat with light spots, white with dark spots, roan with patches of spots, or have a dark base coat with a white “blanket” and spots over the hindquarters.