HORSE FACT SHEET*

Since most horsemen are color conscious, the following information on color of horses should be of interest to those who own and work with the equine.

There are five (5) basic body colors of horses and ponies. These are: bay, black, brown, chestnut and white.

A._bay_hors.e (b) is a horse of red-brown color with black points (mane, tail, legs, ears, muzzle, etc.). The color can vary from a light yellow- tan to a dark red-brown.

Black horses (blk) have no brown hairs on their body. If a black horse has brown hair on its muzzle or flank, it is correctly called seal brown.

Brown horses (br) are often mistaken for black because of their dark color, but will have brown hair on the muzzle or flanks and appear brown in bright sunlight.

A_chestnut, or_sorrel, horse (ch) is a red-brown color with mane and tail of the same color or flaxen (lighter than the body, but not white). Chestnuts can vary in color from a light yellow-red to a dark red-brown.

WMte horses (w) are born white and have snow-white hair, pink skin and brown eyes (rarely blue).

The major variations of these colors are: dun, grey, palomino, pinto and roan.

A dun, or buckskin, horse is a yellow-tan color with a dark stripe down its back. The color can vary from a yellow clay color to a mousey-smoke color.

Grey..horses (gr) are often mistakenly called white. A grey horse is born dark and progressively gets lighter with age, until almost all the hair is white.

Palominos (pal) are the color of gold, varying from a copper color to light yellow. The mane and tail are white.

A Pinto„(pt) horse will have large irregular spots of white or patches of color on white.

Roan (r) refers to a mixture of white hairs with another color, usually bay (red roan), chestnut (strawberry roan) or black (blue roan). Roans do not change color in their life, unlike greys.

Quite often I have been asked to explain the different types of race events that appear on racing forms. The following is a description of these races:

1. - Stakes Race A race in which horsemen pay an entry fee to nominate a horse (making him eligible) and in which the racing association "puts up" added money to make the gross purse.

*By Reuben Albaugh, Animal Extension Scientist, University of California at • Davis, California. 11/80.