Black
Pure black coat, no other colored hairs on the body. To be a true black the horse will be a solid black in the winter. Sun tends to bleach coats and make blacks fade to reddish black. True non-fading black has a blue sheen to the coat.
Brown
Brown coat with the same color mane and tail. The muzzle is often 'mealy', lighter brown than an the coat.
Bay
Reddish or dark brown with black points (legs, tips of ears, muzzle and eyes) Mane and tail are black. Variations on the bay colors are from blood, rich, bright, red bay, to mahogany bay.
Chestnut
Also called sorrel or red, the horse is a reddish or orangey brown with same color mane and tail.There are variations of the chestnut color, from brilliant flame orange, to a dull' mousy color called "liver" chestnut (pic above).
Grey
Greys are born black or dark brown and turn grey as they age. White or grey hair all over the body with black skin. Fleabitten greys have a white or grey coat with flecks of black or brown spots all over. Dapple greys have circular dapples on the coat over a white body. Steel grey is a dark gray, silver color. The horse has a black base coat with lightly mixed white/gray hairs. Many steel grey horses lighten and turn into a dapple gray or a light gray with age. Rose grey is a medium grey whose hairs are tinted with red. This type of hair gives the horse a light "rose" tint. Rose grey horses often have points that are darker than their body color, including mane and tail.
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