Coat colors and genetics
Explore the calculator’s 18 coat colors: how to recognize the horses that have them, how each color is inherited and how breeding has shaped its history.
A chestnut horse has red hair ranging from pale copper to very dark brown. Its mane and tail are red or lighter. Unlike a bay horse, a chestnut has no naturally black mane, tail or lower legs.
Explore this coat : ChestnutGoki · CC BY-SA 3.0
A bay horse has brown to reddish-brown hair on its trunk and neck, with a black mane, tail and lower legs. Some bays are light brown; others are very dark, almost black.
Explore this coat : BayMarie-Claire · CC BY 3.0
A black horse has black hair on its trunk, neck, mane and tail. Sunlight can fade some of the coat to brown. Fading does not turn the horse into a bay: new hair grows back black.
Explore this coat : BlackRenato Mitra · CC BY-SA 2.0
A palomino horse has golden hair on its trunk and neck, with a cream or almost white mane and tail. Shades range from pale yellow to deep gold. Some palominos have darker hairs or darker manes.
Explore this coat : PalominoAcabashi · CC BY-SA 4.0
A buckskin horse has yellow to golden hair on its trunk and neck. Its mane, tail and lower legs usually remain black. Golden hair combined with black points distinguishes buckskin from palomino.
Explore this coat : BuckskinPaula Jantunen · Public domain
A smoky black horse may look black or very dark brown. It nevertheless carries one Cream copy, the same variant that makes a chestnut horse palomino. On a black horse, that Cream copy can be almost invisible.
Explore this coat : Smoky blackKayla Oakes · CC BY-SA 3.0
A cremello horse has very pale cream hair on its trunk and neck, an almost white mane and tail, pink skin and usually blue eyes. A slight cream tint remains even when the horse looks white from a distance.
Explore this coat : CremelloUlruppelt · CC BY-SA 3.0
A perlino horse has very pale cream hair on its trunk and neck. Its mane, tail and lower legs may retain a stronger beige or reddish tint. Skin is pink and eyes are usually blue.
Explore this coat : PerlinoHeather Moreton · CC BY 2.0
A smoky cream horse has very pale cream hair, pink skin and usually blue eyes. Its mane and tail may retain a slightly stronger tint. The horse’s original black color is strongly lightened.
Explore this coat : Smoky creamEjnot · Public domain
A bay dun horse has sandy to ochre hair on its trunk and neck, with darker mane, tail and lower legs. A dark dorsal stripe follows the spine, and bars may appear on the legs.
Explore this coat : Bay dunBetty Wills (Atsme) · CC BY-SA 4.0
A red dun horse has peach to reddish-sand hair on its trunk and neck. Its dorsal stripe and any leg bars are red or reddish brown. Those markings are not black because the horse’s base color is chestnut.
Explore this coat : Red dunZelman Menashi · CC BY 2.0
A grullo horse has mouse-gray or slate-colored hair on its trunk and neck, with a black mane and tail. Its dorsal stripe is dark and its legs may be barred. The grayish body hairs are still pigmented hairs.
Explore this coat : Grullo (black dun)Paula Jantunen · Public domain
A gold champagne horse has golden hair on its trunk and neck, often with a lighter mane and tail. Pinkish skin develops dark freckles. A foal’s initially pale eyes generally become amber.
Explore this coat : Gold champagneCook D, Brooks S, Bellone R, Bailey E. · CC BY-SA 3.0
An amber champagne horse has golden to tan hair on its trunk and neck. Its mane, tail and lower legs are brown rather than black. Skin develops dark freckles and eyes are often amber.
Explore this coat : Amber champagneCook D, Brooks S, Bellone R, Bailey E. · CC BY-SA 3.0
A classic champagne horse has taupe to chocolate-brown hair on its trunk and neck, sometimes with darker mane and tail. Pinkish skin becomes freckled and eyes often turn amber.
Explore this coat : Classic champagneCook D, Brooks S, Bellone R, Bailey E. · CC BY-SA 3.0
A silver bay horse retains reddish to brown hair on its trunk and neck, with a silver or very pale mane and tail and lightened lower legs. The contrast between reddish hair and pale mane can be striking.
Explore this coat : Silver bayPitke · CC BY-SA 3.0
A silver black horse has chocolate to brown hair on its trunk and neck, with a silver or almost white mane and tail. Rounded lighter or darker markings, called dapples, may appear in the coat.
Explore this coat : Silver blackAndersson LS, Juras R, Ramsey DT, Eason-Butler J, Ewart S, Cothran G, Lindgren G. · CC BY 2.0
A chestnut mushroom pony has grayish beige, sepia or muted brown hair on its trunk and neck, often with a lighter mane and tail. The usual chestnut red becomes a softer shade that can approach taupe.
Explore this coat : Mushroom (chestnut)Maria and Joana Tammi · CC BY 4.0
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