This website is meant to give an easy-to-understand overview of the workings of horse color genetics. Most of the photos here are ones I saved on my computer ages ago to use as reference photos for my artwork, so I don't know who some of the photos are by. If you see one of yours, please let me know, and I will be more than happy to list you as the photographer and add a link to your webpage or email address if you have one. Also, I'm always interested in seeing pix of unusually colored horses, so feel free to email me if you have a unique picture to share. Thanks!

6/19/09 UPDATE: After something like 6 years fiddling with this site, I think I have finally completed the "Basics" section! Huzzah! At least until the next weirdly colored horse comes down the pike, haha. Now to try to finish the pinto TBs page. :-)

The Basics of Horse Color:

* Base Colors (chestnut and black)
* Dilution Genes (agouti, cream, dun, silver, champagne, pearl)
* Grey vs Roan
* Pinto Patterns (tobiano, frame overo, sabino, splash, tovero)
* Appaloosa Patterns (varnish, blanket, leopard, snowcap, and few spot)
* Other Patterns (rabicano, sooty, pangare, brindle, manchado, Birdcatcher spots, chubari spots, Bend Or spots, bloody shoulder markings, Gulastra plume, badger face, and more)

There's NO Such Thing as an Albino Horse!

The myth of albinism and the scoop on sabino white, "dominant white," and lethal white overo.

The Colorful Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred has a remarkably colorful genetic palette, ranging from ordinary bays to dazzling extreme sabinos. This page will delve into the mechanisms behind the colors as well as dispel some common misunderstandings about Thoroughbred color.

Winning Colors is NOT a roan!

The difference between grey and roan and why Winning Colors and other so-called "roan" TBs are all actually greys.

Breeds and Colors:

An ever-expanding list of breeds and the colors that occur within the breed, along with notes on frequent color misconceptions, breed restrictions, etc. (Very much under construction)

Pinto Thoroughbreds:

A page devoted to sabino and overo TBs, both modern and historical. (Under construction)

Homozygous Grey and "True Breeding Bay" Thoroughbred Stallions:

Because it comes up regularly in the racing forums I read, here's a list of stallions that only produce greys and stallions that never produce chestnuts.