Bay is the most common horse coat color worldwide.
Primary Base Colors
• Bay: A reddish-brown or brown body with black points (black mane, tail, and lower legs). • Chestnut (or Sorrel): A red or ginger body with a mane and tail of the same shade or lighter (no black points). • Black: A solid black coat, skin, mane, and tail with no brown or red hairs. • Gray: Born as a dark base color (like black, bay, or chestnut) that progressively lightens to white or dapples as the horse ages.
Dilutions and Special Coats
• Buckskin: A golden or cream-colored body with black points (black mane, tail, and lower legs). • Palomino: A golden coat paired with a white or flaxen mane and tail. • Dun: A tan or golden-sandy body with primitive markings, including a dark dorsal stripe down the back and leg stripes. • Roan: A solid base color (red, bay, or blue) evenly interspersed with white hairs, usually leaving the head and lower legs dark.
Patterns and Spots
• Pinto (or Paint): Large, irregular patches of white combined with another base color. • Appaloosa: Distinctive spot patterns, mottled skin, and striped hooves.
