The Unique Coat Colors of the American Paint Horse

OF THE AMERICAN PAINT HORSE ASSOCIATION he unique coat colors of the American Paint Horse make it an eye-catching addition to anyone’s barn. TPaint Horses have unique combinations of white with any other color found in the equine world. Each color falls into Chestnut one of two basic coat-color families—red or black. Gray The red family consists of colors ranging from chestnut to dark red or brownish red body col- dominant over all other color or; ranges from light to liver ches- cremello, and the black family includes those from black to genes; born any color with nut; liver chesnut is distinguished perlino. The gray coat color can fall into either family, as the white hair progressively turning from black or brown by bronze inheritance of the gray allele is independent of any other color. the coat whiter as the horse ages; or copper highlights on the legs; Each color ranges from light to dark, including everything dark skin; normally grays first mane and tail usually dark red or around eyes and behind ears brown, but may be flaxen in between. Weather, nutrition, shedding, body condition and the horse’s general health can affect variations in color. Black entire coat, including muzzle, flanks and Bay Sorrel legs, are black; color may fade when ex- body color reddish brown, with body color reddish or cop- posed to the sun; could have rusty tinge variations ranging from dark per-red; mane and tail usu- during certain times of the year; early blood bay to light bay and usually same color as body, but foals may be an overall mousy gray, then ally distinguished by black mane may be flaxen or very dark shed to black and tail, ear tips, lower legs brown Red Roan Bay Roan the overall intermingling of Blue Roan the overall intermingling of white hair with chesnut/sorrel the overall intermingling of white hairs white hairs with bay body color; body color; head, lower legs, with a black body color; head, lower head, lower leg, mane and tail mane and tail are usually legs, mane and tail are usually solid are usually solid or darker; does sorrel or dark red; does not or darker; does not get progressively not get progressively get progressively whiter with age whiter with age whiter with age Primitive Markings Dorsal Stripe Darker band of color running along the backbone from the withers to/into the base of the tail Leg barring Horizontal stripes of varying widths appearing across the hocks, gaskins, forearms or knees Shoulder/traverse stripes Grullo Dun Neck and shoulder shadowing Red Dun a form of dun with body color smoky or mouse-colored (not a mixture of black diluted body color or yellowish or gold; mane and appearing as dark areas through a form of dun with body color yellowish or and white hairs, but each hair mouse-colored); mane and tail black; has black tail are black or brown; has black or brown primitive the neck or withers flesh-colored; mane and tail are red or reddish; has primitive markings. markings red or reddish primitive markings Palomino diluted body color varying Brown from rich gold to pale yel- body color brown or black, with light Buckskin low; mane and tail generally areas at muzzle, eyes, flank and body color yellowish or gold, pale or off-white but may be inside upper legs; mane and tail mane and tail black; black on low- same color as body (with usually black er legs; lacks primitive markings non-black points) Perlino Cremello double dilute of bay/brown double dilute of chesnut/ Smoky Cream resulting in body color of cream sorrel resulting in body double dilute of black resulting in cream or off-white; lower legs, mane and color; mane and tail of cream or off-white body color and lower legs, tail light rust or chocolate shade; or off-white with pale, pinkish mane and tail a light rust or chocolate skin is pinkish or grey; eyes skin; the coat has enough shade. The coat has enough yellow hue are blue or amber; the coat has yellow hue to allow white to allow white markings to be visible. enough yellow hue to markings to be Genetic testing is required to distinguish allow white markings visible; eyes are between Smoky Cream and Perlino. to be visible Champagne Characteristics blue or amber The champagne gene dilutes the color of the horse’s hair coat and lightens the skin color to a bright pink at birth toning down later to a more muted pale color with darker freckling most apparent around the eyes, on the muzzle, Amber under the tail, and on Gold Champagne the udder or sheath. Champagne It also lightens the Classic Champagne affect of champagne eye color from a affect of champagne gene on otherwise bay muddy blue at birth gene on otherwise affect of champagne gene on otherwise black horse. Body and leg color light- horse. Body color lightened from red to light tan or yellow to amber/brown at chestnut/sorrel horse. Body and leg color lightened from ened from black to chocolate. See ‘champagne characteristics’ for skin and eye with point of mediums to light chocolate brown. See ‘cham- maturity. red to gold. Mane and tail flaxen or gold. See ‘champagne characteristics. pagne characteristics’ for skin and eye characteristics. characteristics’ for skin and eye characteristics. For more information on coat patterns, contact: P.O. Box 961023 u Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0023 (817)222-8498 u apha.com/forms/guidebooks.html.

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