Coronet: White marking extending
no more than one inch above the coronet band.
Pasturn: White does not extend above
the bottom of the fetlock joint.
Sock: White marking extends over
fetlock joint but not to the mid-point of the cannon.
Half Stocking: White extends about
half way up the cannon bone.
Stocking: White marking extending
above the mid point of the cannon.
Ermine Spots: Black or colored spots
on a white leg. These are typically just above the
coronet band.
Color & Genetics
Bay:
Bay horses, with a base color coat that ranges from
light - to - dark, reddish - brown hues, are distinguished
by black mane and tail, legs, ears, knees, hocks,
or any combination of these points. Bays also may
have white markings on the legs and face. A resemblance
of blacks to chestnuts may be ascertained by the presence
of black points above the white leg markings.
Chestnut:
Chestnuts vary in shade from a medium red to a dark
reddish brown, sometimes identified as a "liver
chestnut" or "black chestnut". Quite
often, the mane and tail will be the same color as
the body coat but, they may be flaxen. Genetics dictate
that the mating of two chestnuts always results in
a chestnut foal.
Sorrel:
Typically considered a "light chestnuts",
shades may range from a light golden red to medium
red. Quite often, the mane and tail will be the same
color as the body coat but, they may be flaxen. Genetics
dictate that the mating of two sorrels always results
in a sorrel foal.
Black:
The muzzle, flanks and legs - the entire coat - must
be black, with the exception of white markings. Although
the early foal may be an overall mousy grey, black
can usually be determined by the fine black hair on
the muzzle. The coat color darkens to black as the
foal grows older.
Palomino: Palomino horses vary in
shade from a true golden coat with white mane and
tail. This variance is attributed to the differences
in the shades of chestnut parentage and the dilution
of the base colors. The dilution of a uniform darker
chestnut, for example, would be slightly darker that
the dilution of a lighter chestnut with a flaxen mane
and tail. Other modifying genes may cause similar
diluting effects so that the term "palomino"
might be used to describe several different genotypes.
Genetically, one parent must carry the dillute gene,
either a Palomino, Buckskin or a Cremello.
Buckskin:
Buckskins are a diluted bay coat. This color comes
in a variety of shades, depending upon the shade of
bay that has been dilluted. This color is usually
the result of breeding Palomino to Bay, or Black or
Brown.
Dun: Visually, dun horses may appear
closely related to the buckskin, but it is a separate
genetic pattern. The dun horse will show a clear,
dark dorsal stripe, and typcially shows some other
dun characteristics, such as shoulder barring, zebra
stripes on the legs, and cobwebbing on the face. Duns
come in red (dun factor over chestnut/sorrel) and
yellow (dun factor over bay) and grulla (dun factor
over black).
Champagne: Is a dilution gene yet
has its own identity separate from the dilution gene
that creates palominos or buckskins. The champagne
group of colors consists of pale colors with underlying
pink or light brown skin (sometimes mottled) and amber
eyes. Many champagnes are born with blue eyes that
later darken to amber and sometimes to brown. Body
colors range from chocolate brown to variances of
yellow with manes and tails that vary broadly in color
and intensity. Champagne foals often are born dark
and get lighter after shedding the foal coat.
Patterns:
Roan:
The basic coat color (bay, black, chestnut, ect) of
the roan horse is modified by a mixture of white hairs,
intermingled from birth with the darker hairs of the
base color. Unlike grey horses, which develop white
hairs first on the face, roans show their basic color
on face and lower legs, with roan hairs predominately
showing on the neck and body. Roan horses should have
at least one roan parent.
Grey: Foals are born their base color,
although sometimes the foal will show signs of greying
around they eyes. Grey is a modifier to an existing
color, it is not a color in it's own right. Genetically,
the rule is that the foal will not turn grey unless
at least one parent is grey.
Tobiano
Pinto: A Tobiano must have on Tobiano parent.
In the Tobiano pattern, the horse will have a dark head
with standard white face markings or no facial markings.
The white body patches typically cross the spine and
white markings appear flow from the top down. Tobianos
almost always have at least some white on each leg.
Any base color is allowed.
Overo Pinto: White spotting of the
overo horse usually comes up from the belly, spreading
upward, and rarely across the back. The white areas
are usually irregular with uneven edges. The overo
horse may have solid-colored legs, except for normal
white markings. Overo spotting can occur on any color
base background. Overos tend to have extensive white
on their face, either a large blaze or bald face.
Overos do not have to have one Overo parent but typically
there is generous white within last three generations.
Sabino: The sabino is a horse with
color and markings similar to the roan, yet it is
genetically different. Its base coat color is mixed
with white hairs, similar to roaning, but often with
overo markings: high stockings, white face, white
spots. The base color, bay, black, chestnut, ect.
is used with sabino for better identification: i.e.
"bay sabino", "sorrel sabino."
Also, Sabinos will have a white lower lip and generally
at least 2 or more jagged socks/stockings, typically
at least some of these will exhibit white above the
knee or hock.
Appaloosa:
This
color pattern is defined by spots. There are several
types, and the color may change over time as often
vanishing of the coat (roaning) increases with age.The
stereotypical coloured Appaloosa is a dark body with
a spotted or white blanket over the loin and hips.
Coat patterns vary from the "snowflake"
that shows a darker body with lighter roaning or speckling,
to the "leopard" which shows a white base
and dark spots over the entire body. Appaloosa marked
horses are easily identified and no two are exactly
alike. Appaloosas share three characteristics: mottled
or freckled skin (parti-coloured), most noticeable
around the muzzle, eyes and genitalia; hooves have
clearly defined vertical light and dark stripes, and
eyes have a white sclera encircling the iris.
