Horses come in a rainbow of neutral colors- brown, gray, black, and golden. Without a doubt, some coat shades are more popular than others. Much like a person, your horse’s genetics dictate what color they will be.
Popular Horse Colors
- Bay: The rich brown color known as bay is one of the most common colors that horses come in. Bay is considered a base color. These horses have black accents around their ears and muzzle. Their mane and tail is black too.
- Chestnut: This beautiful red color is another popular one. These horses can come in different shades from liver chestnut to darker red. Their mane and tail usually match their coat color.
- Black: The deep shade of black is considered a base color. These horses must be truly black with no red hues in their coat. Their mane and tail match their body.
- Gray: A gray coat color has another base. In time, they lose their pigment and become light gray to white.
- Palomino: The beautiful golden color of palomino is a favorite. These horses have a red base and cream dilution gene. Their mane and tail is a shade of white.
- Buckskin: Another striking hue, buckskin horses have a bay base and cream gene. Unlike palominos, they have black points. Their mane and tail is black in color.
- Sorrel: Similar to chestnut horses, this group is often a slightly lighter shade with a flaxen or blonde mane and tail.
- Pinto: This unique color consists of a base shade with white patches over top. Paint horses are known for this coloration, but many breeds can have it.
There are a few other horse colors you may see like dun and cremello, though they’re a lot less common than these top eight.
