COLOURS AND MARKINGS FOR

IDENTIFICATION OF HORSES
 COLOURS AND MARKINGS FOR
IDENTIFICATION
OF HORSES
Purpose
1.For identification of the animals
2.For certifying the animals
3. To find out the breed
4. Insurance
5.Registration in stud book
6. Breed Characteristics
TYPES OF COLOURS
I. Whole colour : No other colour hairs on the body, head and limbs
1. Black 2. Black brown 3. Brown 4. Bay 5. Bay brown
6. Chestnut 7. Grey 8. Albino

II. Double colour : An admixture of more than one colour with smooth
blending of margins
1. Dun - a) Blue dun b) Yellow dun
2. Roan – a) Blue roan b) Red roan c) Chestnut roan

III. Broken colour: Broken colour is with well defined patches of more than
one colour
1. Piebald 2. Skewbald

IV . Odd colours: The coat consists of a mixture of more than two colours
I.Whole colour

Black : A black horse is completely black, including the muzzle and

flanks .

Black brown : The predominating colour is black with muzzle and

sometimes flanks have brown

Brown : It is a mixture of brown and chocolate coloured hairs on

the body coat. Limbs, mane , tail are black

Bay : Bay is a mixture of red and yellow ( Varies from dull red to
yellowish colour ). Bay horse usually has a black mane and tail.

Bay brown : Predominant colour is brown with bay muzzle ,black

limbs, mane and Tail.
TYPES OF COLOURS
Brown (1):
It is a mixture of brown and chocolate coloured
hairs on
the body coat. Limbs, mane , tail are black
Brown(2)

Body color brown or black with light areas

at muzzle, eyes, flank and inside upper
legs; mane and tail black
Black brown : The predominating colour is black with muzzle and
sometimes flanks have brown
Bay

Fathom Rey

Body color ranging from tan, through red, to

reddish brown; black mane and tail; usually
black on lower legs
Bay : Bay is a mixture of red and yellow ( Varies from
dull red to yellowish colour ). Bay horse usually has
a black mane and tail.
Bay brown : Predominant colour is brown with bay
muzzle ,black limbs, mane and Tail.

Seal Bay
Mahogany Bay
Black

Body color true black without light

areas; mane and tale black
Black : A black horse is completely black, including the muzzle and
flanks .
Chestnut

Body color dark red or

brownish-red; mane
and tail usually dark
red or brownish-red,
but may be flaxen
Chestnut : A chestnut horse is basically golden red . The shades varies from
light washy yellow ( light chestnut) to a dark liver colour ( dark chestnut).
Normally, the mane and tail of a chestnut horse are the same shade as
the body. Chestnut colour is never accompanied by a black mane and tail.

Chestnut Liver Chestnut

Blond Chestnut Red Chestnut 

Sorrel Body color reddish or copper-red; mane
and tail usually same color as body;
but may be flaxen.
Grey : Skin is black with admixture of black and white hairs

Grey Dapple Grey

Steel Grey Rose Grey

Stud grey : Black hairs are predominant in the neck, head, shoulder and
rump.
White
Body color white; skin is pink; eyes are usually dark; small
black spots may be found in the skin, but usually are not
accompanied by colored hair. Some white horses may
be variegated, meaning they have patches of colored
hair, usually intermixed with white.
Albino : Skin is unpigmented and covered with white hairs
II. Double colour

Dun : It varies from pale yellow to golden yellow. Zebra markings

are generally well marked on animals of these colours.

Blue dun: Blue colour evenly distributed over the body giving a
bluish colour appearance

Yellow dun : The skin is black with diffused yellow pigmented

hair.
Dun
Body color yellowish or gold; mane and tail are black or
brown; has dorsal stripe and usually zebra stripes on
legs, and transverse stripe over withers
Red Dun

A form of dun with body color yellowish or flesh

colored, mane and tail are red or reddish, flaxen,
white or mixed; has red or reddish dorsal stripe
and usually red or reddish zebra stripes on legs
and transverse stripe over withers.
Zebra mark
Roan : A roan horse has mixture of white hairs intermingled with one (or)
more base colours
Blue roan – White with black
Red roan _ White with bay
Chestnut roan _ Whit with chestnut
Bay Roan Red Roan

A Red Roan (sometimes

called "Strawberry Roan")
is a chestnut or
Blue Roan sorrel horse 
III. Broken colour

It is with well defined patches of more than one

colour
Piebald - Boy coat consists of large patches of
white and black .

Skewbald – Body coat consists of large

irregular patches of white and of any definite
colour except black.
Piebald - Boy
coat consists
of large
patches of
white and
black .
Skewbald – Body
coat consists of
large irregular
patches of white
and of any definite
colour except
black
Markings

Star – A white mark on the forehead either large (or) small

Stripe – A narrow white markings running down the face .From the
forehead to muzzle

Conjoined star and stripe – The stripe in continuation of a star

Interrupted stripe – When the star and strip appears as two distinct
spots

Snip – A narrow patch of white mark between the nostrils (or) on the
lips
Contd….

Blaze – A white markings covering almost the whole of the

forehead between the eyes and extending down the front of
the face beyond the width of the nasal bone and usually
involving the muzzle.

White face/ Bald – Where the white covers the whole of the
forehead and front of the face, extending laterally to the
either unilaterally (or)bilaterally.

White muzzle – Both lips will be white and extends to the region of
nostrils

Wall – eye – Due to the lack of pigment either partial ( or )

complete , it gives bluish white (or) pinkish white to the eye.
Markings
 Snip

Any white marking between the two nostrils

Star
Any marking on the forehead
 Stripe
A narrow marking extending vertically in the area
between the forehead and the nostrils
 Blaze
A vertical marking of medium, uniform width
extending the length of the face
Star and Strip

A marking on the forehead with a strip to the nasal

peak. The strip does not have to be an extension
of the star.
Star, Strip, & Snip
A marking on the forehead with a narrow extension
of the nasal peak and opening up again between
the nostrils. These may be connected.
Bald Face
A very broad blaze. It can extend out and
around the eyes and it can extend down
to the upper lip and around the nostrils.
Limbs
Coronet – A white strip covering the coronet band
White heel – Where the white is confined to one (or)
both the bulbs of heel
Pastern – White from the coronet to the pastern / White
colours extends from the fetlock joints up to hoof
Sock / Half stocking / Anklet – White from the coronet
to the middle of the canon
Stocking – White from the coronet to the knee
Heel spot – White spot on the heel
Ermine spot – Black or coloured spots in a white leg
Coronet
Any narrow marking around the
coronet above the hoof
Half Pastern
A marking which includes only half
the pastern above the coronet
Pastern
A marking which includes the entire pastern
 Sock

A marking which extends around the

leg, from the coronet halfway up the
cannon bone, or halfway to the knee
on the foreleg or halfway to the hock
on the back leg.
 Stocking

A full marking to the area of the

knee on the foreleg and to the
area of the hock on the hind leg.
It is an extended sock.
Body
List ray – They are the dark lines seen along the back of some horses

Zebra marks – Where there is stripping on the limbs, withers ,back

Black colour – Small areas of black hair on white (or) any other colour

Flesh mark – Patches of skin with no colouring matter

Spot – Circular collections of hairs differing from general body colour

distributed in various parts of the body

Patch – A large well defined irregular area of hairs differing from the general
body colour.

Grey ticked – Where white hairs sparsely distributed through the coat in
any parts of the body.
Summary

Color….simply the coat color of the horse

Color Pattern….the way the color/colors are laid out

or designed on the coat of the horse

Markings….terms used to define or describe white

places on face and legs of the horse

Color, Color Pattern, & Markings….especially when

used in combination, they can serve to describe a
horse or identify a specific horse
 Equine - Body Parts (External Anatomy)

Back: The back is the body area where the saddle is placed. The back begins at the end
of the withers, extends to the last thoracic vertebrae. Generally the back includes the loin
or "coupling," although technically this is an incorrect usage of the term.
Barrel: The barrel isthe main body area of the horse, enclosing the rib cage and the
major internal organs. 
Cannon: or Cannon Bone: The Cannon is the area between the knee or hock and the
fetlock joint, sometimes called the "shin" of the horse, though technically it is the third
metacarpal. 
Chestnut or Night Eye: The chestnut is a callosity on the inside of each leg and is a
vestigial (Biological ruminant of the first toe’s toenail).
Chin Groove: The part of the horse's head behind the lower lip and chin. (The area that
dips down slightly on the lower jaw). Area where the curb chain of certain bits is
fastened. 
Coupling or Loin: The coupling is the area right behind the saddle, going from the last
rib of the horse to the croup. Anatomically approximate to the lumbar spine. 
Coronet or Coronary Band: The coronet is a ring of soft tissue just above the horny
hoof that blends into the skin of the leg. 
Crest: The crest is upper portion of the neck where the mane grows. 
Croup: The croup is the topline of the horse's hindquarters, beginning at the hip,
extending proximate to the sacral vertebrae and stopping at the dock of the tail (where
the coccygeal vertebrae begin). often referred to as the "rump." 
Dock: The dock is the point where the tail connects to the rear of the horse. 
Elbow: The joint of the front leg at the point where the belly of the horse meets the leg.
The equine elbow is homologous (Similarity between characteristics) to the elbow in
humans. 
Ergot: a callosity on the back of the fetlock.
Fetlock: The fetlock is often; incorrectly referred to as the "ankle" of the horse. though it
is not the same skeletal structure as an ankle in humans. Known to anatomists as the
metacarpophalangeal (front leg joint) or metacarpophalangeal hind leg joint; homologous
to the "ball" of the foot or the metacarpophalangeal joints of the fingers in humans. 
Flank: The Flank is where the hind legs and the barrel of the horse meet, specifically the
area right behind the rib cage and in front of the stifle joint. 
Forearm: The forearm is the area of the front leg between the knee and elbow. The
forearm consists of the fused radius and ulna, and all the tissue around these bones.
The anatomically correct name is ‘antebrachium’ which means forearm. 
Forelock: The forelock is the continuation of the mane, which hangs from between the
ears down onto the forehead of the horse. 
Frog: The frog is a highly elastic wedge-shaped mass on the underside of the hoof,
which normally makes contact with the ground with every stride. The frog supports both
the locomotion and circulation of the horse. 
Gaskin: The gaskin is the large muscle on the hind leg, just above the hock, below the
stifle. The gaskin is homologous (Similarity between characteristics) to the calf of a
human. 
Girth or Heart Girth: The girthisthe body area right behind the elbow of
the horse, where the Girth (English) or Cinch (Western) of the saddle
would go, this area should be where the barrel is at its greatest diameter
in a properly-conditioned horse that is not pregnant or obese. 
Hindquarters: The Hind Quarters are the large, muscular area of the
hind legs, above the stifle and behind the barrel of the horse. 
Hock: The hock is the *tarsus of the horse (hind limb is homologous
(Similarity between characteristics) to the human ankle and heel), the
large joint on the hind leg.  (*The tarsus is the cluster of bones in the foot
between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsus.)
Hoof: The hoof is the foot of the horse. The hoof wall; which is made of
keratins (Keratins are a family of fibrous structural proteins), is the tough
outside covering of the hoof that comes into contact with the ground. The
hoof wall is primarily a much larger and stronger version of the human
fingernail. 
Jugular Groove: The jugular groove is the line of indentation on the
lower portion of the neck, can be seen from either side, just above the
windpipe. 
Knee: The knee is the carpus of the horse, the large joint in the front legs, above the
cannon bone. The coupling is the body area right behind the saddle, going from the last
rib of the horse to the croup. Anatomically approximate to the lumbar spine.  
Mane: The mane is the hair growing from the crest or dorsal ridge of the neck. The
mane is relatively (The knee is homologous (Similarity between characteristics) to the
equivalent to the human wrist)
Loin or Coupling: coarse hair and its treatment is a part of riding tradition. The mane’s
length and on which side it  is parted; lying on either the left or right side of the neck
depends on the riding discipline or riding style. A general rule is that Western horse
owner’s part to lay on the left side and ‘English’ horse owner’s part to lay on the right
side.
Muzzle: The muzzle consists of the chin, mouth, and nostrils of the horse's face. 
Pastern: The pastern is a leg connection between the coronet and the fetlock and is
made up of the middle and proximal phalanx. 
Poll: commonly refers to the poll joint at the beginning of the horse's neck, immediately
behind the ears, a slight depression at the joint where the atlas (Also called C1 and is
first vertebra below the head) meets the occipital crest. Anatomically, the occipital crest
itself is the "poll." 
Splints: Splints are bones found on each of the legs, on either side of the cannon bone
(8 total). Partially vestigial, these bones support the corresponding carpal bones in the
forelimb, and the corresponding tarsal bones in the hind limb. Anatomically referred to as
the Second Metacarpal/Metatarsal (on the medial aspect (inside)) and IV (on the lateral
aspect (outside)). 
Shoulder:  A horse’s shoulder is made up of the scapula and associated muscles and
runs from the withers to the point of shoulder (the joint at the front of the chest). The
angle of the shoulder has a great affect on the horse's movement and jumping ability,
and is an important aspect of equine conformation. 
Stifle: Corresponds to the knee of a human, consists of the articulation between femur
and tibia, as well as the articulation between patella and femur. 
Tail: The tail has two parts Generally considered the living part; which consists of the
coccygeal vertebrae, muscles, and ligaments) and the long tail hairs which grow from
the living part of the tail.
Throatlatch: The throatlatch is the point at which the windpipe meets the head at the
underside of the jaw. 
Withers: The withers are the highest point of the barrel of the horse. They start at the
thoracic vertebrae, the point just above the tops of the shoulder blades. Seen best with
horse standing square and head slightly lowered. The height of the horse is measured at
the withers in hands (One hand equals 4 inches or 10.16 centimeters).