Pony and Horse Color Explained (or ‘Horse Colour Explained', depending on where you are from )

There are many horses colours and pony colours and this horse colour chart explains the basic colors and also a few more unusual horse coat colours.

Did you know?!

The coat colour of your horse or pony can tell you what colour they are. If you are not sure what color your horse or pony really is, have a look at the colour of the ‘points'.

The ‘points' of your horse are the muzzle, tips of the ears, the mane, the tail, and the lower part of the legs. Remember they could have white markings on some of these points that may trick you!

The colours of horses include:

Black: black all over including the points, mane and tail. Look at the colour of the muzzle – it will be black. In this horse colour your horse or pony will not have brown around the muzzle!

Brindle: this rare horses colouring has drippy striping that is not regularly spaced on the horses coat, and brindle horses often have a vertical flank striping. Brindle horses are unlike other colour of horses and once seen are not forgotten!

Brown: brown or dark brown all over, sometimes nearly black. The colour of the muzzle tells you they are brown even if the mane and tail and legs are black.

Bay: a light brown or a red brown colour with black points and black mane and tail. This is a common horse color that is often call ‘brown' by someone who is not familiar with horses.

Chestnut: a ginger or yellow brown colour. The points of the horse are brown – similar to the coat colour or lighter. Chestnuts are never black.

Grey: a mixture of black and white hairs. Variations of grey include: ‘dapple grey' when there are more black hairs than white; ‘light grey' when there are more white hairs than black; and ‘flea-bitten' has flecks of black or brown hairs on a white coat. The foal colours in grey horses and ponies vary. They are often born much darker and become lighter as they get older.

Piebald: large patches of black and white. This is a horse coat colour that has different names in different areas of the world.  This equine colour can also be called paint or pinto

Skewbald: large patches of any other colour than black and white. This is another colour in a horse that has different names in different areas of the world.  This equine color can also be called paint or pinto

Palamino: Golden yellow coat, (ideally the colour of a newly minted gold coin) with a white mane and tail. This one is my favourite pony color!

Appaloosa: spotted coat mostly either brown spots on a white coat or white spots as a blanket on a brown coat. This is another horse color where the foal colour can be different at birth, and some are born with no appaloosa markings.

Dun: mousey brown to golden yellow with black points, mane and tail.

Blue roan: white hairs through a mostly black or dark brown coat. The points are black.

Red roan: white hairs through a bay coat. The points are black.

Strawberry roan: white hairs through a chestnut coat. The points are the same as a chestnut horse.

The horse colorings of grey horses and roan horses are often confused, but the roan has a solid color head and legs. Roan foals are born roan, while grey or gray horses are often born much darker and grow more grey hairs as they grow older

If you would like to find out more about horses colors, visit FreeHorseSite.com