Every Horse Coat Color Explained [2026]

Understanding horse colors can be confusing—there are dozens of color names, patterns, and markings. This complete guide breaks down every horse color you’ll encounter, from common bay to rare champagne.

Horse Colors at a Glance

The Basic Colors

All horse colors come from two base pigments: black and red. Every color you see is some variation of these two pigments, modified by various genes.

Bay

• Appearance: Brown body with black mane, tail, and lower legs (points)
• Variations: Blood bay (bright red-brown), dark bay, light bay, mahogany bay
• Common in: Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, most breeds
• Prevalence: Most common horse color worldwide

Black

• Appearance: Solid black body, mane, and tail—no brown hairs
• True black: Doesn’t fade in sunlight (rare)
• Fading black: Turns brown/rusty in sun
• Common in: Friesians (exclusively), Fell Ponies, some Morgans

Chestnut (Sorrel)

• Appearance: Reddish-brown body, mane, and tail (same color or lighter)
• Variations: Liver chestnut (dark), flaxen chestnut (blonde mane/tail), light chestnut
• Note: “Sorrel” is Western term, “chestnut” is English term—same color
• Common in: Belgians, Haflingers (always flaxen), Quarter Horses

Gray

• Appearance: Born dark, progressively lightens to white
• Stages: Steel gray → dapple gray → flea-bitten gray → white
• Important: Gray horses have dark skin (true white horses have pink skin)
• Common in: Lipizzans (born dark, turn white), Andalusians, Percherons

Dilution Colors

These colors occur when genes dilute the base colors (bay, black, or chestnut).

Palomino

• Appearance: Golden body with white or cream mane and tail
• Base color: Chestnut + cream dilution gene
• Shades: Light (creamy) to dark (chocolate) palomino
• Ideal: Color of a newly minted gold coin
• Common in: Quarter Horses, Tennessee Walkers

Buckskin

• Appearance: Tan/golden body with black mane, tail, and points
• Base color: Bay + cream dilution gene
• vs. Dun: Buckskins lack primitive markings (dorsal stripe)
• Common in: Quarter Horses, Spanish breeds

Cremello & Perlino

• Appearance: Cream-colored body with pink skin, blue eyes
• Cremello: Double-diluted chestnut
• Perlino: Double-diluted bay (slightly darker mane/tail)
• Often confused with: White horses (different genetics)

Champagne

• Appearance: Metallic sheen, amber/green eyes, mottled skin
• Variations: Gold champagne, amber champagne, classic champagne
• Rare: Found mainly in Tennessee Walkers, some other breeds

Dun Colors

Duns have primitive markings—dorsal stripe, leg barring, sometimes shoulder stripe.

Classic Dun (Bay Dun)

• Appearance: Tan body, black points, dorsal stripe
• Primitive markings: Dorsal stripe, leg barring, sometimes “zebra” stripes
• Common in: Norwegian Fjords, Mustangs, Quarter Horses

Red Dun

• Appearance: Peachy/red body with red dorsal stripe
• Base color: Chestnut + dun gene

Grulla (Grullo)

• Appearance: Mouse-gray/slate body with black points and dorsal stripe
• Base color: Black + dun gene
• Rare: Highly sought after in some breeds

Roan Colors

Roans have white hairs intermixed evenly throughout the body (not the head or legs).

Blue Roan

• Appearance: Black base with white hairs = bluish appearance
• Head/legs: Remain solid black

Red Roan (Strawberry Roan)

• Appearance: Chestnut base with white hairs = pinkish appearance

Bay Roan

• Appearance: Bay base with white hairs, black points remain

Patterns & Markings

Paint/Pinto Patterns

• Tobiano: White crosses the back, legs usually white, head solid
• Overo: White doesn’t cross back, often jagged edges, blue eyes common
• Tovero: Mix of both tobiano and overo characteristics

Appaloosa Patterns

• Blanket: White over hips, with or without spots
• Leopard: White body covered in dark spots
• Snowflake: White spots on dark body
• Roan blanket: Roaning concentrated over hips
• Characteristics: Mottled skin, striped hooves, white sclera

Face Markings

Leg Markings

Rare & Unusual Colors

Brindle

• Appearance: Tiger-like stripes
• Extremely rare: Genetic mutation or chimera

Rabicano

• Appearance: White hairs at tail base and flanks

Sabino

• Appearance: High white on legs, belly spots, chin white
• Extreme: Can produce nearly all-white horses

The Bottom Line

Horse colors are more complex than they first appear—genetics determine not just the base color but also dilutions, patterns, and markings. Understanding color genetics helps breeders predict foal colors and helps buyers describe exactly what they’re looking for. Whether you prefer a classic bay or a flashy palomino pinto, the variety of horse colors is one of many things that makes these animals so beautiful.

Sources: UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Lab, AQHA, APHA, Appaloosa Horse Club