Horses & Ponies Etcetera! Level 2 Issue 2: Horse Patterns

A series of educational fact sheets Horse coat patterns can be by the Equine Therapy Center, with divided into three main Monty and Timothy. groups. If a horse doesn't have a pattern on it's coat, it is known as solid.

Appaloosa- This is a horse who has a spotted coat, the spots can range from finger print to hand print size!

Pinto- this is a horse who has a patchy coat, made up of white and any other colour.

Roan- This occurs when white hairs are mixed with the horses original coat colour, often roan horses get more white hairs as they get older.

Types of Appaloosa Patterns Leopard Few Spot A white horse with A white horse with spots all over the few spots, usually body. around the face, chest and flanks.

Blanket Snowcap A coloured horse A coloured horse with a white patch who has a white over its rump, that patch over its has spots within it. rump, with no spots in it. Snowflake Varnish A solid coloured A mix of coloured horse with white and white hairs, spots on their the white increases body. as they age. Spots can be present.

Appaloosa is a breed as well as a colour, there are also other breeds which always have a spotted coat. Why don't you look them up? Types of Pinto Patterns Tobiano Sabino Smooth edged Tall socks that patches of colour, often extend to they usually have the top of the white legs but a legs, and under coloured head. the belly. Overo Tovero White patches on A mix of Tobiano a coloured horse, and Overo, colour the white doesn't is normally around cross the back. the ears, chest and flanks. Splash Rabicano The white White hairing on markings are the flanks, belly usually limited to and tail, is often in the legs/ stomach, lines, called 'bars'. all legs are white.

In the UK, we use the terms Piebald and Skewblad, Piebald means black and white, Skewblad means any other colour and white.

There are three types of roan, can you match the photos, names and descriptions below?

A chestnut horse with Blue Roan white hairs spread throughout.

A black horse with Bay Roan white hairs spread Did you know? throughout. Red Roans are sometimes called Strawberry Roans, A horse with a brown because the body, and black horse can look Red Roan points, that has white pink! hair spread throughout.