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Ranch Horse Colors Information
We have used pictures of the horses you might find on our ranch to illustrate some common horse colors. Be sure to see our horse breeds page for a look at an American Paint and an Appaloosa. If you would like more information about our ranch horses see the ranch horse picture page.
The Science
There are two main groups of horse colors: Black and Red. Black and Bay horses are black gened with bays showing only the black on the points (mane, tail, legs and muzzle). Sorrels and chestnuts are red gened.
Some horses carry dilution genes that dilute the base coat color; turning bays into buckskins and sorrels and chestnuts into palominos.
Our Horse Colors
BAY: Body color ranging from tan to red or reddish brown; mane and tail are black usually with black lower legs.
BLACK: Body color true black with no brown or light areas; mane and tail black.
BROWN: body color brown or black with light areas around the muzzle, eyes, flank or inside upper legs; mane and tail black or dark brown.
 Bay |
 Black |
 Brown |
BUCKSKIN: body color tan, yellowish or golden; mane and tail black; black lower legs. Buckskins do not have dorsal stripes.
CHESTNUT: Body color dark red or reddish brown; mane and tail usually dark red or brownish red, but may be flaxen.
SORREL: Body color red or copper-red: mane and tail usually same color, but may be flaxen.
 Buckskin |
 Chestnut |
 Sorrel |
PALOMINO: Body color ranging from yellow to light gold; mane and tail white. Can also be dark golden with white or mixed colored mane and tail.
ROANS: Body has a uniform mixture of white hairs throughout; usually darker face and legs. Black roans are called Blue Roans, chestnuts are Red Roans or Strawberry Roans and bays are Bay Roans.
GRAY: Mixture of white hairs with any other colored hairs. Often born solid or dark and will lighten with age as more white hairs appear. White horses with underlying black skin are actually grays, whereas underlying pink skinned horses are Albinos.
 Palomino |
 Blue Roan |
 Gray |
DUN: Body color ranging from tan to yellowish gold; mane and tail black or brown; has dorsal stripe down center of back, may have zebra stripes on legs and traverse stripe on withers.
RED DUN: Body color ranging from light reddish tan to reddish gold; mane and tail red or red-brown, with red colored dun markings.
GRULLO: Body color smoky or mouse colored individual hairs; mane and tail black; has black dorsal stripe and may have black zebra and traverse stripes. Legs and face are usually darker than body.
Our
children's program is specifically set up for safe children - horse
interaction. They will learn about the nature of horses, horse care,
and receive riding
instruction that is geared for children.
You'll
feel safer on your horse than on most city highways. While we won't
let you take your horse home with you, we'll reserve a horse for your
next visit. See our horse
picture page to meet some of our horses, or see if they're hanging
around the feeders on our real-time dude ranch webcam - we call it the
Laughing Water RanchCam.
Our
wranglers are
trainers, breeders, ranchers and instructors and have years of knowledge
and experience that they can share with you on a daily basis to help
you become the cowboy or cowgirl you’ve always wanted to be.