Horse Colors

Color of breed v.s. Color breed

• Color of Breed- Morgan, Thoroughbred, Hackney can be different colors (sorrel, black, flea-bitten gray) and are still registered as Morgans, Thoroughbreds and Hackneys

• Color breeds NEED to show (phenotypically) the color – Registered Palomino needs to be Palomino

regardless of breed

AQHA Recognizes 17 colors

• Sorrel• Black• Bay• Brown• Blue Roan• Red Roan• Bay Roan• Grulla

• Chestnut• Red Dun• Dun• Palomino• Gray• Buckskin• Cremello• Perlino• White

Black

Bay

Sorrel

Chestnut

Brown

Blue Roan

Grullo

Bay Roan

Red Roan

Dun

Red Dun

Buckskin

Gray

• Gray: A mixture of white hairs with any other colored hairs, often born solid colored or almost solid colored and gets lighter with age as more white hairs appear; may have a dorsal stripe

Gray

Palomino

Cremello

Perlino

White

Pinto Horses• Tobiano• Overo• Tovero• Paint v.s. Pinto

Paint v.s. Pinto

Paint• American Paint Horse

Association• “Stock” body type• Registered Paint Horse

Pinto• Has large patches of white • Any horse that is not a

registered paint horse• Pinto Horse Association

Tobiano• The dark color usually covers one or both flanks.• Generally, all four legs are white, at least below the

hocks and knees.• Generally, the spots are regular and distinct as ovals or

round patterns that extend down over the neck and chest, giving the appearance of a shield.

• Head markings are like those of a solid-colored horse--solid, or with a blaze, strip, star or snip.

• A tobiano may be either predominantly dark or white.• The tail is often two colors.

Tobiano

Overo

• The white usually will not cross the back of the horse between its withers and its tail.

• Generally, at least one and often all four legs are dark.• Generally, the white is irregular, and is rather scattered

or splashy.• Head markings are distinctive, often bald-faced, apron-

faced or bonnet-faced.• An overo may be either predominantly dark or white.• The tail is usually one color.

Overo

Tovero• Dark pigmentation around the ears, which may expand to

cover the forehead and/or eyes.• One or both eyes blue.• Dark pigmentation around the mouth, which may extend up

the sides of the face and form spots.• Chest spot(s) in varying sizes. These may also extend up the

neck.• Flank spot(s) ranging in size. These are often accompanied by

smaller spots that extend forward across the barrel, and up over the loin.

• Spots, varying in size, at the base of the tail.

Tovero

Quiz Time