equine color and markings, and the inheritance of horse color is a science unto itselt. 

 A summary at this level of detail will not be attempted here. Registry rules (which 

 can be different bet\veen breeds), historical and cultural influences, and even regional 

 differences within the United States all contribute to the difficulty in describing a 

 single color-naming system. The objective of this section on equine identification 

 is to explain the prevailing basic terminology that is useful for the identification of 

 equids for animal health or regulatory purposes. 



For identification, mules are usually described using the same terms as horses or 

 using the ordinary names of colors. The traditional terms for describing the color of 

 donkeys (includes burros and all asses) will be briefly described here, but they are also 

 often described using the ordinary names of colors. There are a few good references 

 on equine colors, and the reader is encouraged to review those works for a more 

 detailed discussion of the subject. 



Colors 



The base color of horses occurs independently of any white superimposed on the 

 underlying coat color. In addition to the white markings that may appear on the 

 head or legs, white may appear on the body. When describing a horse's color, it is 

 important to recognize the "points" of a horse as black or not black whether or not 

 white markings are present. The points are the mane, taU, lower legs, and ear rims 

 and are as important to recognize as the base color to name a color properly. Foals are 

 often born a different color than they will be as adults. The adult color often shows 

 up around the eyes and on the face first. Usually foals shed out to their adult color 

 around 2 months of age. 



There are three primary base coat colors in horses: bay, chestnut, and black. These 

 colors are modified by various factors (genes), including dilution factors, to produce 

 a huge variety of shades and specific color patterns. Brown (which some consider 

 synonymous with dark bay) and sorrel (usually considered synonymous with, or 

 a variation of, chestnut) are also basic colors that can help to identify most horses. 

 Common modifications of the base colors include the colors grey/gray and roan 

 as weU as the pinto and Appaloosa color patterns. Finally, there are a host of colors 

 created by modification or dilution factors that are given distinct names. Those 

 considered here include buckskin, dun, palomino, cremello, and white. 



APHIS-VS gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of The jockey Club in allowing 

 us to reproduce common head and leg marking figures. 



Basic Horse Colors — 



• Bay: The coat color varies from yeUow-tan to dark blood-red to brown and almost 

 black. The points (mane, tail, lower legs, ear rims) are always black unless white 

 markings are present. Some registries use dark bay/brown as one color. 



11-9 



