Color is an important feature involved in determining the breed of horses. This is not only the color of the animal, but a combination of colors of the body, legs, mane, tail and eye color. The suit develops with the growing up of the horse; it cannot be determined at the birth of the foal.
Suits and colors: general concepts
The suit is determined by a combination of characteristics - the color of the integumentary hair on different parts of the body, as well as the color of the mane and tail, are taken into account. In the coloring of horses there are 5 primary colors - brown, black, white, yellow and red. But there are no such suits - black or white. There are 4 main suits:
- black;
- bay;
- redhead;
- gray.
All other horse colors are derived from the four main colors. In general, the definition and classification of suits is a convention.
There is also a flap. These are, so to speak, variations of the suit (“color + tint”). According to the spacing, it is determined:
- suit intensity - how much the color of the cover is saturated, lighter or darker;
- color nuances - the same color can have different shades, golden, red, etc.
- color unevenness.
Below we describe the suits and their colors.
Black (Black)
The black horses have hair, skin, eyes - black. There are individuals that can fade in the sun, and there are those that always remain black (they are called non-fading black, raven black or jet black).
Raven handsome men are quick-tempered and willful, to have a black horse is the dream of every connoisseur of horse brethren. Among the nomads, the black horse was considered a symbol of admiration, and was the most expensive gift for any family. In other cultures, the black horse is a harbinger of misfortune, a mediator between man and otherworldly forces.
The black horse was distinguished by its splendor on the battlefield, casting horror and awe on the enemy. That was the famous Bucephalus, which belonged to the conqueror Alexander of Macedon.
The black suit has several offsets:
- Crowing in tan (dull black, dusty black or fading black). Such a horse is distinguished by the ability to burn out under the rays of the summer sun. The black pigmentation of such horses is unstable, and if the horse has to spend a lot of time under the scorching sun, the color can become almost brown from black. But with the advent of winter, such horses become black again.
- Silver-black (silver black or chocolate silver). This species includes individuals in which the body is black, and the hair of the mane and tail is silver. In addition, the hairline of the body is clarified by silver hairs.
- Smoky-black or ash-black (smoky black). The color of the hairline is less saturated, it differs in a special shimmer - chestnut or chocolate. In winter, smoky black horses do not turn pure black, unlike the black-and-brown horses in the tan.
Smoky-black horses can be very similar to dark-brown, but the smoky-black horse and the mane and tail are black or practically the same. But it’s better to see the pedigree of the horse to determine the exact suit.
Black suit
The horse, black in tanning, has the ends of hair that are burnt out in the sun to a brown color (usually only on the body)
Silver-black horse with a silver-white tail and mane
In a smoky-black horse, the coat is slightly lighter than black (with such a dark chestnut tint)
The color of the hooves of black horses is black. The presence of white marks does not affect the determination of the suit - they are quite acceptable for black horses.
Bay (Bay)
One of the most common colors. Nest specimens are painted in various brown shades - from sand to dark chestnut. The color is characteristic of wild individuals, therefore bay horses are distinguished by enviable endurance, unpretentiousness and good health. Even bay horses are famous for their speed, because in natural conditions their wild relatives had to quickly flee from predators.
The bay horse has a mane, tail and lower legs are always black! Read more about this suit here.
There are such antecedents:
- Light bay (light bay or wild bay). There are light areas on the face and lower abdomen. In the mane and tail - an admixture of brown hair. The legs are painted in black and brown.
- Dark bay (dark bay, black bay or bay-brown). The top of the head, as well as the top of the neck, back and croup are painted in a dark, almost black color. The rest of the cover is much lighter. The suit is like a black one in tan and a karaoke one.
- Deer bay. The top is dark bay, the bottom is light bay. The top of the head, neck, croup, back, tip of the muzzle and belly are painted in light brown color.
- Chestnut bay. The hairline has a rich dark chestnut hue.
- Cherry bay or red bay (cherry bay or blood bay). The coat is red-brown, sometimes red-red. Dark-colored individuals with a cherry tint. Legs are brownish.
- Golden bay (golden bay). The hairs of such horses are yellowish brown, and the ebb is golden.
Underclasses (mealy or mealy muzzle) called horses that have tan marks around the eyes, on the nose, stomach and groin. Also, light spots can be found on the bends of the legs and on the croup. Manifestation of submissibility is possible in any suit (more often in bay).
Light bay horse
Pure bay horse
Dark bay horse
Chestnut bay horse
Deer bay horse
Cherry bay horse
Golden bay horse
Toasting horse
Redhead (Chestnut)
For horses of red color the coloring of different variations of the same name is characteristic. Redheads can have a light apricot, yellow, light brown color. A mane with a tail has a more saturated color in comparison with the body. For example, a light golden horse may have a brown tail and mane.
A distinctive feature of red horses - the color of their legs always coincides with the color of the body. This is the main feature that distinguishes the red suit from the bay.
There are several offsets of red suit. Let's consider them in more detail:
- Light red (light chestnut, sorrel or blonde chestnut). The color of the body, limbs and head is light. The mane and tail may be lighter or darker.
- Auburn (often mean liver chestnut). Body color from chocolate to dark chestnut with a red tint. The mane and tail may be darker or lighter.
- Red-red (red chestnut, cherry chestnut). Wool with a copper tint.
- Golden-red (gold). Golden shimmer on wool, playing in bright light.
Light red suit
Red suit
Dark red horse
Red horse
Golden red horse
Gray (Gray / Gray)
Often considered the main suit, although this is not entirely true. This suit is also called gray-haired. It arises as a result of mixing black and white hairs. A distinctive feature of the gray suit is the change in shade throughout life.
Over time, any horse can change color - turn gray, due to an increase in white hairs. It happens that a foal is born black, and then its color changes - it becomes lighter and lighter. As a result, becoming an adult, the foal acquires a light gray color, and then can even become white.
Horses noticeably turn gray after 9 years of life. The stomach and the head turn gray first - they become lighter than other parts of the body. Croup and limbs remain darker than other parts of the body for a long time.
In horses of gray color, there are 4 strides:
- Light gray A horse that has turned gray with time has such an appearance. Moreover, it has an almost white hairline.
- Dark grey (dark gray or iron gray). The whole body, except for the head, is dark gray in color. The head, as a rule, has a light gray color. This suit has a second name - steel, and it is often confused with a mouse.
- Gray in "apples" (dapple gray). The body is covered with round spots that are lighter than the main background. These spots repeat the pattern of blood vessels.
- Buckwheat gray (flea-bitten gray)if buckwheat is dark brown / black or trout (rose gray)if "buckwheat" is a red-cherry color. The horse's body is strewn with tiny specks, like a grain. Some say that the horse has "freckles", implying this beaute. With age, the first version of "buckwheat" - progresses, and the trout flake appears after the first molt.
Light gray horse
Gray suit
Dark gray horse
Gray in the "apples"
Gray in buckwheat
Derivative suits
Derivatives are those suits that are derived from the four main ways of crossing. Let's consider them in more detail.
Karakova (Black and tan, Black-brown or Seal brown)
It is believed that this suit is derived from the crow. The color of the hull, tail and mane is actually black. But karaoke horses, unlike black horses, are marked with golden or brown tan marks. The places where tan marks can be found are the muzzle, the area around the eyes, the armpits, and the groin. Light spots stand out against a dark background. Carack suit is considered a certain gap between the crow and bay.
Brown (Liver chestnut)
Brown horses have a dark brown color. It can be with a chestnut or chocolate shade, sometimes it comes to the color of roasted coffee. In a brown horse, the mane and tail are not black, but in body color. Brown suit is considered as a darker version of the dark red suit.
Finger (Flaxen chestnut or Chestnut with flaxen mane and tail)
The color of the hull of the playful horses is reddish (for light-fawn) or brownish (for dark-fawn), and the mane and tail are white or smoky due to the admixture of gray hair. Sometimes the playful suit is mistaken for a red-haired beast, having a clarified mane and tail. But in game horses, the hair does not lighten with the change of season - they are of constant color. There are breeds of horses that are only playful and no more - these are, in particular, Belgian heavy trucks and gafflingers.
Solovaya (Palomino)
Salt-colored horses are easily distinguished by sand color, white mane and the same tail. An admixture of dark hair - up to 15%. At the tail and mane, it happens that the color is not whitish, but yellowish - similar to the shade of the hairs or slightly lighter.
Horses of salt color are:
- Dark salt. The color is saturated yellowish, sometimes with a red tint. Dark color of hooves. The mane and tail are similar in color or lighter.
- Light salt. Light sand color. The mane and tail are the same or white. This offshoot is called Isabello.
- Golden salt. Deep yellow color cast in gold. The hooves are dark.
Isabella (Cream or Blue-eyed cream)
The rarest suit in horse breeding. There is a genetic connection with the Bulan and salt suits. Isabella horses are owned by either very wealthy people or those who are seriously interested in breeding horses. Similar horses are also called cream - to match the color. The color has a pink tint with a yellowish tint. The color of the tail and mane is yellow or sand. The legs are slightly darker than the main shade.
The color of the isabella horse changes color under different lighting conditions. In the morning dawn, the color becomes milky white, in the afternoon - silvery, in the sunset - red, and in cloudy weather it takes on a shade of ivory.
Distinctive features of isabella horses:
- eyes are only blue or green;
- changes hue when lighting changes;
- the hairline is distinguished by a luxurious shine - wool shimmers in the sun.
Where does such an unusual name for suit come from? It is believed that it came from the name of the Spanish Queen. Isabella ruled Spain in the 15th century. In those days, cream coloring of horses was very popular among the nobility. The queen, of course, had a horse of a similar color. There is a legend about this - they say, Isabella decided not to take off her shirt for three years. After three years, Isabella's shirt acquired the shade that the horses of the Isabella color possess.
White-born suit (White foaled)
This is an extremely rare suit. It is necessary to immediately separate two concepts - the white-born and the white horse. In the first case, we are talking about a white dominant color, which the animal has from birth to the end of its days. In the second case - acquired white color, or rather light gray. Gets the last horse with age, gradually getting brighter.
The white horse is a unique case. It is known that Napoleon Bonaparte was a favorite white horse - Marengo. The horse was lost in the Battle of Waterloo. There are legends that Marengo could gallop, without rest, up to five hours.
White-born horses have pink rather than gray skin, like light gray individuals. The eyes of white-born horses are often blue. It is believed that such horses are albinos, and that no white suit exists. But albinism has a certain genetic mechanism that horses do not have. Therefore, albino horses do not exist!
Chubarai (Spotted or Appaloosa)
A feature of the forehead suit is a lot of spots scattered throughout the body. The main color is any, and the spots contrast with it. The shape of the spots is oval. Size, more often from 10 to 1 cm in diameter.
A distinctive feature of the blued horses is that they have a smaller iris than usual. Therefore, squirrels are visible in the corners of the eyes - this is not typical for horses. Forehead stallions have striped hooves.
Claw horses are classified by color:
- Leopard (leopard). The spots are small and medium scattered on a light background.Few-spot leopard - Leopard little spotted forelock.
- "Cheprak" (blanket). Any color, croup and back of the back is covered with white spots.Snowcap - This is a pure white shabrack.
- "In hoarfrost" (frost). The color in which the croup is covered with white hairs and specks.
- "Cereal" (snowflake). The predominant background is dark, and there are many small bright spots on it.
The appearance of such an entertaining suit occurred in Central Asia, in ancient times - this is proved by numerous frescoes and paintings created in China, Mongolia, and other countries of the Central Asian region. Tooth horses are extremely rare. Now they are most in Central Asia.
There are breeds for which the black color is a key attribute. These include:
- Knabstrupper. These are the rarest horses. The Danish forelock knabbruppers are spilled horse Dalmatians. They started to breed back in the time of Napoleon. It is believed that the name came from the village of Knabstrup, in which a mare of an unusual suit with a Fredericksborg stallion allegedly happened. Knabstruppery have an unusually bright color. The main color is white, and on it are blackish or brown spots. Horses of this breed are distinguished by their individual colors. They are distinguished by a good disposition, they are often used in a circus.
- Appalusian breed. Bred her in America. The breed is complaisant and well trained. Appaloosa has proven itself in sports - in show jumping, horse racing, rodeo and dressage. The breed is distinguished by good health.
Roan
The roan suit is also rare. Once upon a time, they asked the Slavs for roan horses seven more than for ordinary horses. A feature of the roan suit is the abundance of white hairs throughout the body. Head and legs retain their basic color. Over time, the coloring of roan horses does not change. The amount of white hair is different - from stripes and spots to the finest veins.
A feature of the gene of “prankiness” Rn is the restoration of the integument. If the skin of the animal is damaged, only the coat of the main color grows at the site of damage.
The roan gene does not have a bond with a specific breed. It happens in different breeds, but the roan suit of dark horses looks especially beautiful. Color can be:
- Zoned - Located in spots and stripes.
- Non-zonal - white hairs are scattered interspersed throughout the body.
Features of the roan horse:
- Hooves and eyes are dark.
- Color keeps constant.
- Shade change depending on the season. Only the mane never changes.
- The tail does not change color. In addition to Savras-roan horses.
- Wounds overwhelm without trace the hair of the main color.
The roan gene is transmitted to breeds that had wild ancestors. We will name the main remnants:
- Bay-roan (red roan). The main color is dark or red-brown. Against it are white hairs. Tail and legs are dark. This suit is quite common.
- Red-roan (strawberry roan). Such horses are often called "pink."The main background is red-red, and white hairs make it pinkish.
- Crow-roan (blue roan). The main background is black. Due to white blotches, the color becomes smoky blue. Legs and mane are dark. At a distance, the color seems lilac or blue, so these horses are often called “blue”.
In addition to the listed, there may also be brown-roan, bulan-roan, Igren roan and nightingale horses.
Breeding horses roan suit fails. Crossing of carriers of the roan suit ends with the birth of a dead foal. Therefore, only one carrier is crossed with the gene with a horse of the usual color.
Bulanaya (Buckskin)
These horses are yellowish-sand or golden in color. A distinctive feature is the black mane and tail, as well as the lower parts of the legs. Bulan horses can have different shades - cream, close to dark bay, yellow-gray-brown and others. A bulky horse in “apples” looks especially interesting, it seems that a dark net is thrown over a golden background.
More information about the mantle color of horses can be found in the next article.
Piebald (Part-colored, Broken color or Pinto)
Pinto is the most common suit among all others. A distinctive feature of the suit is white spots scattered throughout the body. Pegos can be present in different suits. Consider only the main options:
- reddish-piebald (skew-bald, chestnut and white);
- bay pie (skew-bald, brown and white);
- crow-pie-pie (pie-bald).
Pinto
Pied piebald ax
Pinto
It is noteworthy that in the United States and Great Britain the horses of the apprentices are red-pinto, bay pinto, nightingale, etc. are referred to the same way - “skew-bald”.
“Pego” cannot be on Isabella, White, Chubara, Kaura and Myshastaya suits.
Types of pinto
Usually spots of "piezo" are on the sides and back. White spots are caused by partial albinism, then the animal has blue eyes. Or one eye is blue. In the USA, these horses are called pintos and pights, and they are divided into two types by color:
- Tobiano (tobiano). These are horses with one or both sides dark. Their legs are white below. In the color, a certain symmetry is observed. The dominant To gene is responsible for such porosity. It happens that a foal is born from completely unequal parents - it is impossible to predict when the gene will show itself.
- Overo This color is divided into three types:
- Sabino (sabino). They have white legs. Spots - on the sides and on the stomach. The head and lower lip are white. The gene is not clear exactly - N or Sb.
- Splashed white (splashed white). The horses look like they have galloped through puddles with white paint. The Spl gene is responsible for this color.
- Frame overo. The white spot is surrounded by dark hair, like a "frame". Often the main color is manifested only on the top of the head and ears. Responsible for the suit gene Fr.
Types of pinto
Sabino on the main suits
Splashed white on basic suits
Frame overo on basic suits
Wild suits (Dun)
Breeders have identified the “wild” gene - DUN. It is dominant, brightens the pigments of red and black, but its effect does not apply to pigmentation of the mane and tail. The individuals of this suit manage to disguise themselves well in nature - the preservation of their population depends on this.
It is believed that all modern suits come from "wild" suits. Features of "wildness":
- A clear strip of black-brown color runs along the ridge - it is also called a “belt”. This is a prerequisite!
- The legs have fuzzy stripes - this phenomenon is also called "zebroidity."
- The horse’s shoulders have a blurred transverse strip of dark color - “wings”.
- On ears there is a dark fringing.
- The tail and mane are marked with whitish locks.
Learn more about the “wild” colors of horses.
Savrasaya (Bay dun)
It is believed that the “wild” gene turns a bay horse into a savrasu. This “wild” suit is characteristic of Przewalski’s horse. Coloring - yellow, clarified yellowish, pale red. The body is colored unevenly, there are light spots on the abdomen. The color of the tail, mane and lower legs is darker - sometimes until black.
Another representative of the Savras suit is the Norwegian pony fjord. In the bangs, tail and mane of these mini horses there are silver, white and black hairs.
Features Savras suit:
- From the tail to the withers - a dark strip (called a belt).
- The lower part of the limbs is dark or black, there is zebroidity.
- Lightening the color on the face, stomach and throat.
Rarely, but occurs "web”(Cobwebbing) on the muzzle of a savras suit. This is a grid pattern or just dark stripes on the horse's forehead.
Kaurai (Chestnut dun or Red dun)
She is considered the "ancestor" of the red suit. The kauru horse is also called the red-savras. You will rarely see kauri horses - usually in zonal and wild breeds. Horses of this color have a light red color, the mane and tail are darker.
Shades of howling horses:
- Dark brown. Case - dark red color. The head and lower legs are darker. There is a dark brown “strap”. The tail and mane are darker than the body, and painted in reddish-brown tones. There are light locks in the mane and tail, and zebra on the legs, on the shoulder blades - a few brownish spots.
- Light brown (claybank dun). It features a lighter body. Head and legs are darker. The tail and mane consists of red and light strands.
Now, howling horses are rare. In Russia, they are found only in the Altai rocks living in Kazakhstan, and in the Yakut rocks. Soviet heavy trucks are rare, but they give mens.
Mouse (Blue or Mouse)
The “wild” gene makes a black mouse out of a black suit. The color of the horses is gray, and the mane and tail are cast in black. Their head is slightly darker than the body. There are instances in which the whole head is black. The legs of the muscle horses are dark, black or with a black tint.
A distinctive feature is a black “belt” along the ridge. Leg zebroidism is extremely rare. A mouse suit can have such shades:
- Dark mouse (black dun). Legs, tail and mane with a black tint. Strip on the ridge. Everything else is gray.
- Light mouse (silver grullo / grulla). The tint is a dull white. The head is completely or partially dark. The tail and mane are black or white. The “belt” is dark gray.
Dark mouse horse
Mouse suit
Light-muscleed apprentice
An ordinary gray horse has its own color due to the combination of white and black hairs. And only micey horses have truly ashen hairs. Such horses do not change their shade, like gray, depending on the number of years lived - their color is extremely stable.
Micey horses can change a little shade depending on a season. In winter, silver hair appears in their cover, casting blue. In summer, yellowness prevails in the shade.
The furry suit is characteristic of horses leading their pedigree from native breeds. It has been noticed that mice horses do not like buckwheat straw - they have something like an allergy to it. Real muscle horses have a wild gene. If it is not, then the suit is more likely to look like a black sheep.
Muhortaya (Muddy dun or Muddy grullo)
It is very rare, or rather, almost none of his contemporaries saw this suit. Such an appearance is distinguished by the presence of yellowish or red marks around the eyes, near the muzzle, in the groin, on the hips. In fact, this is a karaka suit clarified by a “wild” gene. Therefore, this suit is also called karako-savras.
A horse of a muhort suit might look like this
The main marks in horses
A small white speck on the horse’s forehead is star, and the big spot is called a star. There may also be a speck between the nostrils (white or pinkish), which is called whiteness.
A white narrow strip along the muzzle is called borehole. It can be combined with a star and / or whiteness. The hole may be interrupted.
A wide white stripe, sometimes partially capturing the nostrils, is called "bald head", And if it covers the entire facial part of the muzzle and lower jaw, then this is"lamp».
Horse Marks
Horse structure
Marks can also be on the limbs. When talking about white spots on the limbs, they indicate the part of the leg where this mark is located (see the figure with the structure of the horse). Half an half bel is called "toe", White on the wrist joint -"toe", And the white with the capture of the carpal joint -"stocking».
Red horses on croup may have Magomedian spots. And also, regardless of the suit, bright round spots (““apples"), Repeating the net of subcutaneous blood vessels of the steed. It is believed that the appearance of apples is a sign of the health and sleekness of a horse.
Suits and Breeds
Each breed has its own set of suits. In some breeds, color is an important breeding trait, in others it does not matter much. There are breeds that have the same suit at all - for example, friezes have only a black suit, and gafflingers have only a play suit. There are breeds with a luxurious palette of colors and stripes. These usually include native breeds. For example, Mongolian horses can be found absolutely any color, and the Icelandic is not only the foreskin. Table 1 shows the colors and breeds of the horses in which they are found.
Table 1
Suit | Breed |
Gray |
Rarely, but there is a gray suit in:
In French trotters, a gray suit is never found. |
Crow |
Rarely found in trotter breeds:
|
Bay | Cleveland bay - there are no other stripes in this breed. This is an extremely common color and is found in many thoroughbred, native and outbred horses. |
Redhead | It is found in most existing breeds - in heavy trucks, Kazakh steppe, Mezen, Pechora, Don and many others. Most of all the red suit in such breeds:
|
Isabella |
|
Chubaray |
|
Pie | Painthorse is an American pinto breed. Among the factory breeds, piebug is not found. Pinto is common among ponies. Aboriginal and outbred horses can also be pinto. |
Fiction | Breeds of heavy trucks:
And also trotters:
|
Savrasaya |
As well as wild mustangs and Przewalski’s Horses. It is never a Savras suit in Arabian and Trakenen horses. |
Roan | Bashkir heavy trucks and noble breeds of horses. |
Thanks to nature and painstaking selection, there are horses in the world with a unique color. Understanding the variety of suits and flips is not easy. But for those who love horses, or are engaged in their breeding, this is a very exciting and useful activity.
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