"How To Recognize Horse Colors" Topic

"Horses come in a wide variety of colors, and often have numerous variations within any particular color.

In the article on this page and the following pages we describe and show some of the more common horse colors…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Good information, Armand. I never realized so many different colored horses all had predominantly black tails and manes.

A votre service mon ami! (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Nice.

Chestnuts are normally referred to as sorrels in the American west and even in the east by people who ride western. The military can go either way, but in the 7th Cavalry during Custer's time, the word sorrel was used.

White colored horses are very often called grays.

When you get to buckskins, duns, grullas, and light colored bays, there can be some shady areas and lots of disagreement. Comanche from the Little Big Horn fight is an example. He has been described by all of those terms and also a claybank. If you go to the University of Kansas at Lawrence, you can see him mounted and decide for yourself.

Tom

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

Seriously Armand, I never tire of the things that you find about horse colors. Sadly, most of my horses look remarkably similar.

Paul, don't worry too much about your military horses looking too much alike. I have seen many cavalry units that look like they are riding merry-go-round horses.

Bays and chestnuts (sorrels) predominate. You can vary the base color, but don't go too extreme.

There are exceptions to everything, but in the 19th century the military generally preferred darker color horses. They thought they were healthier and hardier. Having said that, grays (grays and white) were common too.

Stay away from the paints (pintos), appaloosas, palominos, and other unusual colors. Roans are probably okay.

Tom

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand