Colors

There are many different colors of horses. There are even colors specific to equines alone.  Many equines also have different markings on their coats.  One unique thing about equines is that there are no true "white" horses. A horse may look white, but really he has black skin and is referred to as being gray.  If a horse has white skin AND white hair, it is considered truly "white." However, having a white horse is deadly.  Horseman often refer to it as a "lethal white" since truly white horses die very quickly after birth.

Chestnut, black, and  bay are the most common colors. Chestnut is a brownish or caramel color. Bay is a brown coat with a black mane and tail. A big-spotted horse is known as a pinto or paint.  Palimino is also a color popular among equines.  There are many other color combinations of horses.

As mentioned above, horses have different markings. On the face a horse can have a blaze, snip, star, or bald. A blaze is a band of white going down the middle of the face. A snip is a white patch at the muzzle. A star is a white patch only in the middle of the forehead, and a bald face is when almost the whole face is white.  On the legs a horse can have a sock, stocking, pastern, or cornet. All of those markings refer to how tall the white is on the leg.