The horse (Equus ferus caballus)[2][3] is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved (ungulate) mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began to domesticate horses around 4000 BC, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BC. Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, as this term is used to describe horses that have never been domesticated, such as the endangered Przewalski's Horse, a separate subspecies, and the only remaining true wild horse. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.

Horses' anatomy enables them to make use of speed to escape predators and they have a well-developed sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight instinct. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. Female horses, called mares, carry their young for approximately 11 months, and a young horse, called a foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under saddle or in harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.

Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are over 300 breeds of horses in the world today, developed for many different uses.

Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits, as well as in working activities such as police work, agriculture, entertainment, and therapy. Horses were historically used in warfare, from which a wide variety of riding and driving techniques developed, using many different styles of equipment and methods of control. Many products are derived from horses, including meat, milk, hide, hair, bone, and pharmaceuticals extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water and shelter, as well as attention from specialists such as veterinarians and farriers.

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses, known for their agility, speed and spirit.

The Thoroughbred as it is known today was developed in 17th and 18th-century England, when native mares were crossbred with imported Oriental stallions of Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman breeding. All modern Thoroughbreds can trace their pedigrees to three stallions originally imported into England in the 17th century and 18th century, and to a larger number of foundation mares of mostly English breeding. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Thoroughbred breed spread throughout the world; they were imported into North America starting in 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan and South America during the 19th century. Millions of Thoroughbreds exist today, and more than 118,000 foals are registered each year worldwide.

Thoroughbreds are used mainly for racing, but are also bred for other riding disciplines such as show jumping, combined training, dressage, polo, and fox hunting. They are also commonly crossbred to create new breeds or to improve existing ones, and have been influential in the creation of the Quarter Horse, Standardbred, Anglo-Arabian, and various warmblood breeds.

Thoroughbred racehorses perform with maximum exertion, which has resulted in high accident rates and health problems such as bleeding from the lungs, low fertility, abnormally small hearts and a small hoof to body mass ratio. There are several theories for the reasons behind the prevalence of accidents and health problems in the Thoroughbred breed, and research continues.

Horse breeds

A–C

Abaco Barb, see Barb horse

Abtenauer

Abyssinian horse

Aegidienberger

Akhal-Teke

Albanian horse

Altai horse

Altèr Real, see Lusitano

American Cream Draft

American Indian Horse

American Paint Horse

American Quarter Horse

American Saddlebred

American Warmblood

Andalusian horse some bloodlines also called Pura Raza Española (PRE) or Pure Spanish-bred

Andravida horse

Anglo-Arabian

Anglo-Arabo-Sardo, see Sardinian Anglo-Arab

Anglo-Kabarda

Appaloosa

"Appendix," see American Quarter Horse

AraAppaloosa, also called Ara-Appaloosa, Arappaloosa or Araloosa

Arabian horse

Ardennes horse, or Ardennais

Arenberg-Nordkirchen

Argentine Criollo, see Criollo horse

Asturcón

Australian Brumby, see Brumby

Australian Draught Horse

Australian Stock Horse

Austrian Warmblood

Auvergne horse

Auxois

Avelignese, see Haflinger

Azerbaijan horse

Azteca horse

Baise horse, also known as Guangxi

Balearic horse, see Mallorquín and Menorquín

Balikun horse

Baluchi horse

Ban'ei

Banker Horse

Barb horse

Bardigiano

Bashkir Curly, see Curly horse

Basque Mountain Horse

Bavarian Warmblood

Belgian (horse)

Belgian Warmblood (includes Belgian Half-blood)

Black Forest Horse, also called Black Forest cold blood or Schwarzwälder Kaltblut

Blazer horse

Boulonnais horse

Brabant, see Belgian (horse)

Brandenburger

Brazilian Sport Horse (Brasileiro de Hipismo)

Breton horse, or Trait Breton

Brumby

Budyonny horse or Budenny

Burguete horse

Byelorussian Harness

Calabrese horse

Camargue horse

Camarillo White Horse

Campolina

Canadian horse

Canadian Pacer

Carolina Marsh Tacky

Carthusian horse, see Andalusian horse

Caspian horse

Castilian horse

Castillonnais

Catria horse

Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale

Chickasaw Horse, see Florida Cracker Horse

Chilean Corralero

Chilean Horse

Choctaw Horse

Cleveland Bay

Clydesdale horse

Colonial Spanish Horse, see Types of Horse, below

Colorado Ranger

Coldblood trotter

Comtois horse

Costa Rican Saddle Horse

Cretan horse, see Messara

Criollo horse, also spelled Crioulo

Cuban Criollo horse

Curly Horse

Czech warm blood

D-K

Daliboz, see Azerbaijan horse

Danish Warmblood

Danube Delta horse

Dole Gudbrandsdal, also called Dole,

or Dølahest

Don, see Russian Don

Draft Trotter, also called Light Dole, Dole Trotter, see Coldblood trotter

Dutch harness horse

Dutch Heavy Draft

Dutch Warmblood

East Bulgarian

East Friesian horse, see Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger

Estonian Draft

Estonian horse

Falabella

Faroese or Faroe horse, see Faroe pony in pony section

Finnhorse, or Finnish Horse

Fleuve, see Fouta

Fjord horse also called Norwegian Fjord Horse

Florida Cracker Horse

Fouta or Foutanké

Frederiksborg horse

Freiberger

French Trotter

Friesian cross (includes Friesian Sport Horses)

Friesian horse

Friesian Sporthorse (a type of Friesian cross)

Furioso-North Star

Galiceno or Galiceño

Galician Pony (Caballo de pura raza Gallega)

Gelderland horse

Georgian Grande Horse

German Warmblood or ZfDP, see Types section, below

Giara Horse

Gidran

Groningen Horse

Gypsy Vanner horse, sometimes called "Gypsy Horse," "Vanner Horse," "Gypsy Cob" or "Coloured Cob"

Hackney horse

Haflinger

Hanoverian horse

Heck horse

Heihe horse

Hirzai

Hispano-Bretón

Hispano-Árabe also known as Hispano or Spanish Anglo-Arab

Holsteiner horse

Hungarian Warmblood

Icelandic horse

Indian Half-Bred

Iomud

Irish Draught, also spelled Irish Draft

Irish Sport Horse sometimes called Irish Hunter

Italian Heavy Draft

Italian Trotter

Jaca Navarra

Jutland horse

Kabarda horse, also known as Kabardian or Kabardin

Kaimanawa horses

Karabair

Karabakh horse also known as Azer At

Karossier see Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger

Kathiawari

Kazakh Horse

Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse

Kiger Mustang

Kinsky horse

Kisber Felver

Kladruber

Knabstrupper

Konik

Kustanair

L-R

Latvian horse

Lipizzan or Lipizzaner

Lithuanian Heavy Draught

Lokai

Losino horse

Lusitano

Lyngshest, see Nordlandshest/ Lyngshest

M'Bayar, see Fouta

Malapolski

Mallorquín

Mangalarga

Mangalarga Marchador

Maremmano

Marismeño horse

Marsh Tacky, see Carolina Marsh Tacky

Marwari horse

Mecklenburger

Menorquín

Mérens horse

Messara

Mezőhegyesi sport-horse (sportló), or

Mezőhegyes felver, see Hungarian Warmblood

Metis Trotter, see Russian Trotter

Miniature horse

Misaki, see pony section

Missouri Fox Trotter

Monchina

Mongolian Horse

Monterufolino

Morab

Morgan horse

Moyle horse

Murakoz horse, Muräkozi, or Muraközi ló (Hungary)

Murgese

Mustang horse

Namib Desert Horse

Nangchen horse

National Show Horse

Nez Perce Horse

Nivernais

Nokota horse

Noma, see Noma pony, in Pony section

Nonius horse

Nordlandshest/ Lyngshest

Noriker horse, also called Pinzgauer

Norman Cob

Norsk Kaldblodstraver (Norwegian coldblood trotter), see Coldblood trotter

North Swedish Horse

Norwegian Fjord, see Fjord horse

Novokirghiz

Oberlander Horse

Oldenburg horse, also spelled Oldenburgh, Oldenburger

Orlov trotter

Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger

Paint, see American Paint Horse

Pampa horse

Paso Fino

Pentro horse

Percheron

Persano horse

Peruvian Paso, sometimes called Peruvian Stepping Horse

Pintabian

Pleven horse

Poitevin horse also called Mulassier

Pottok, see pony section

Pryor Mountain Mustang

Przewalski's Horse, also known as Takhi, Mongolian Wild Horse or Asian Wild Horse. (Species, not a "breed" but listed here for convenience)

Purosangue Orientale

Qatgani

Quarab

Quarter Horse, see American Quarter Horse

Racking horse

Retuerta horse

Rhenish-German Cold-Blood also known as Rhineland

Heavy Draft

Rhinelander horse

Riwoche horse

Rocky Mountain Horse

Romanian Sporthorse

Rottaler, see Heavy warmblood

Russian Don

Russian Heavy Draft

Russian Trotter

S-Z

Saddlebred, see American Saddlebred

Salerno horse

Samolaco horse

San Fratello horse

Sarcidano horse

Sardinian Anglo-Arab, also known as Sardinian Horse

Sella Italiano

Selle Français

Shagya Arabian

Shire horse

Siciliano indigeno

Silesian horse

Sorraia

Sokolsky horse

Soviet Heavy Draft

Spanish Jennet Horse, modern, not to be confused with the historic Jennet or Spanish Jennet (see Archaic types, below)

Spanish Mustang

Spanish-Norman horse

Spanish Tarpan, see Sorraia

Spotted Saddle horse

Standardbred horse

Suffolk Punch

Svensk Kallblodstravare (Swedish coldblood trotter), see Coldblood trotter

Swedish Ardennes

Swedish Warmblood

Swiss Warmblood

Taishuh

Tawleed

Tchernomor, see Budyonny horse

Tennessee Walking Horse

Tersk horse

Thoroughbred

Tinker horse, see Gypsy Vanner horse

Tiger Horse

Tolfetano

Tori horse

Trait Du Nord

Trakehner

Tuigpaard, see Dutch harness horse

Ukrainian Riding Horse

Unmol Horse

Uzunyayla

Ventasso horse (Cavallo Del Ventasso)

Virginia highlander

Vlaamperd

Vladimir Heavy Draft

Vyatka, see pony section

Waler horse, also known as Waler or Australian

Waler

Walkaloosa

Warmblood, see "Types of horse" below, or

individual warmblood breed articles

Warlander

Welsh Cob (Section D), see Welsh pony

Westphalian horse

Wielkopolski

Württemberger or Württemberg

Xilingol horse

Yakutian horse

Yili horse

Yonaguni horse

Zweibrücker

Žemaitukas, also known as Zemaituka, Zhumd,

Zhemaichu, or Zhmudk, see Pony section.

Pony breeds

Main article: Pony

Ponies are usually classified as members of Equus caballus that mature at less than 14.2 hands. However, some pony breeds may occasionally have individuals who mature over 14.2 but retain all other breed characteristics. There are also some breeds that now frequently mature over 14.2 hands due to modern nutrition and management, yet retain the historic classification "pony." For the purposes of this list, if a breed registry classifies the breed as a "pony," it is listed here as such, even if some individuals have horse characteristics.

(Please note: Because of this designation by the preference of a given breed registry, most miniature horse breeds are listed as "horses," not ponies)

A-K

American Shetland, see Shetland pony

American Walking Pony

Anadolu pony also called Anadolu Ati

Ariegeois Pony see Mérens horse in horse section

Assateague Pony, see Chincoteague Pony

Asturian pony, see Asturcon in horse section

Australian Pony

Australian Riding Pony

Bali Pony

Bashkir Pony

Basque Pony, see Pottok

Basuto pony, also spelled Basotho pony

Batak Pony

Bhutia Pony, also Bhotia, Bhote ghoda, Bhutan, Bhutani, Bhutua see Indian Country Bred

Boer Pony

Bosnian Pony

British Riding Pony, see Riding Pony in "types of horse" section

British Spotted Pony

Burmese Pony

Carpathian Pony, see Hucul Pony

Canadian rustic pony

Caspian pony, see Caspian horse

Chincoteague Pony

Chinese Guoxia

Coffin Bay Pony

Connemara pony

Czechoslovakian Small Riding Pony

Dales Pony

Danish Sport Pony

Dartmoor pony

Deli pony

Deutsches Reitpony see German Riding Pony

Dülmen Pony

Eriskay pony

Esperia Pony

Exmoor pony

Falabella, see Falabella in horse section

Faroe pony

Fell Pony

Flores pony, see Timor Pony

French Saddle Pony

Galician Pony

Garrano

Gayoe

German Riding Pony, also called Deutsche Reitpony

or Weser-Ems Pony

Gotland Pony

Guizhou pony

Guangxi, see Baise horse

Gǔo-xìa pony, see Chinese Guoxia

Hackney pony

Highland Pony, see also Garron

Hokkaido Pony

Hucul Pony

Hunter Pony, see "types of horse" section

Icelandic pony, see Icelandic horse in horse section

Indian Country Bred

Java Pony

Kerry bog pony

L-Z

Landais Pony

Lijiang pony

Lundy Pony

Manipuri Pony

Merens Pony, see Ariegeois pony

Miniature horse, see horse section

Misaki

Miyako Pony

Narym Pony

New Forest Pony

Newfoundland pony

Noma pony

Nooitgedacht pony

Northlands Pony, see Nordlandshest in the horse section

Ob pony also called Priob pony

Peneia Pony

Petiso Argentino

Pindos Pony

Poney Mousseye

Pony of the Americas

Pottok

Quarter pony

Riding Pony, see "types of

horses" section

Sable Island Pony

Sandalwood Pony

Sardinian Pony, see Sardinian horse

Shetland pony

Skogsruss, see Gotland Pony

Skyros Pony

Spiti Pony, see Indian Country Bred

Sumba and Sumbawa Pony

Tibetan Pony

Timor Pony

Tokara Pony

Virginia highlander, see horse section

Vyatka horse

Welara

Welsh pony

Welsh mountain pony (Section A), see

Welsh Pony

Welsh pony (Section B), see Welsh Pony

Welsh pony of cob type (Section C),

see Welsh Pony

Western Sudan pony

Yakut Pony, see Yakutian horse

Yonaguni, see horse section

Zaniskari pony

Žemaitukas, also known as Zemaituka,

Zhumd, Zhemaichu, or Zhmudka

Basic coat colors

Bay (left) and chestnut (right) mustangs.

Genetically, all horses start out as either chestnut, called "red" by geneticists, represented by the absence of the extension gene ("e"); or black based on the presence of the extension gene ("E"). Therefore, red ("ee") and black ("EE" or "Ee") are the two base colors. The Bay color is expressed when the common genetic modifier, the Agouti gene works on the Black. The vast range of all other coat colors are created by additional genes action upon one of these three coat colors.

Statistically, the most commonly seen horse color phenotypes are identified by the following terms:

Bay: Body color ranges from a light reddish-brown to very dark brown with "black points." (Points refer to the mane, tail, and lower legs). The main color variations are:

Dark bay: very dark red or brown hair, difficult to distinguish from seal brown. Sometimes also called "black bay," "mahogany bay," or "brown."

Blood bay: bright red hair; often considered simply "bay."

Brown: The word "brown" is used by some breed registries to describe dark bays. There is a distinct allele that darkens a bay coat to seal brown (At), but it is not the cause of all forms of dark bay. Informally, "brown" is applied to many distinct coat colors. Most often, horses described by casual observers as "brown" are actually bay or chestnut. In the absence of DNA testing, chestnut and bay can be distinguished from each other by looking at the mane, tail and legs for the presence of black points.

Chestnut: A reddish body color with no black. Mane and tail are the same shade or lighter than the body coat. The main color variations are:

Liver chestnut: very dark brown coat. Sometimes a liver chestnut is also simply called "brown."

Sorrel: Reddish-tan to red coat, about the color of a new penny. The most common shade of chestnut.

Blond or light chestnut: seldom-used term for lighter tan coat with pale mane and tail that is not quite a dun.

A dapple gray

Gray: A horse with black skin but white or mixed dark and white hairs. Gray horses can be born any color, and lighten as they age. Most will eventually gray out to either a complete white or a "fleabitten" hair coat. Most "white" horses are actually grays with a fully white hair coat. A gray horse is distinguished from a white horse by dark skin, particularly noticeable around the eyes, muzzle, flanks, and other areas of thin or no hair. Variations of gray that a horse may exhibit over its lifetime include:

Salt and Pepper or "steel" gray: Usually a younger horse, an animal with white and dark hairs evenly intermixed over most of the body.

Dapple gray: a dark-colored horse with lighter rings of graying hairs, called dapples, scattered throughout.

Fleabitten gray: an otherwise fully white-haired horse that develops red hairs flecked throughout the coat.

Rose gray: a gray horse with a reddish or pinkish tinge to its coat. This color occurs with a horse born bay or chestnut while the young horse is "graying out."

[edit]Other coat colors

A black horse

Black: Black is relatively uncommon, though not "rare." There are two types of black, fading black and non-fading black. Most black horses will fade to a brownish color if the horse is exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. Non-fading black is a blue-black shade that does not fade in the sun. Genetically, the two cannot yet be differentiated, and some claim the difference occurs due to management rather than genetics, though this claim is hotly disputed. Most black foals are usually born a mousy grey or dun color. As their foal coat begins to shed out, their black color will show through, though in some breeds black foals are born jet black. For a horse to be considered black, it must be completely black except for white markings. A sun-bleached black horse is still black, even though it may appear to be a dark bay or brown. A visible difference between a true black and a dark chestnut or bay is seen in the fine hairs around the eyes and muzzle; on a true black these hairs are black, even if the horse is sun-bleached, on other colors, they will be lighter.

Brindle - One of the rarest colors in horses, possibly linked to chimerism. Characteristics are any color with "zebra-like" stripes, but most common is a brown horse with faint yellowish markings.

A buckskin

Buckskin- A bay horse with one copy of the cream gene, a dilution gene that 'dilutes' or fades the coat color to a yellow, cream, or gold while keeping the black points (mane, tail, legs).

Champagne: Produced by a different dilution gene than the cream gene. It lightens both skin and hair, but creates a metallic gold coat color with mottled skin and light colored eyes. Champagne horses are often confused with palomino, cremello, dun, or buckskins.

Cream dilution, an incomplete dominant gene that produces a partially diluted coat color with one copy of the allele and a full dilution with two copies. Colors produced include Palomino, Buckskin, Perlino, Cremello and Smoky Cream or Smoky black.

Cremello - A horse with a chestnut base coat and two cream genes that wash out almost all color until the horse is a pale cream or light tan color. Often called "white," they are not truly white horses, and they do not carry the white (W) gene. A cremello usually has blue eyes.

Dun: Yellowish or tan coat with primitive markings, sometimes called "dun factors:" a darker-colored mane and tail, a dorsal stripe along the back and occasionally faint horizontal zebra stripings on the upper legs and a possible transverse stripe across the withers. There are several variations of dun:

Grullo, Grulla, or Blue Dun: A horse with a black base color and the dun gene. Coat is solid "mouse-colored" gray or silver with black or dark gray primitive markings.

Red dun: A chestnut base coat with dun factors. Coat is usually pale yellow or tan with chestnut (red) primitive markings.

"Bay dun" or "Zebra dun" are terms sometimes used to describe the classic dun color of yellow or tan with black primitive markings, used when necessary to distinguish it from red duns or grullos.

"Buckskin dun" or "Yellow dun" describes a dun that also carries the cream gene dilution and has a coat of pale gold with black mane, tail, legs and primitive markings.

Leopard: There are a group of coat patterns caused by the leopard gene complex. It should be noted that not every horse with leopard genetics will exhibit hair coat spotting. However, even solid individuals will exhibit secondary characteristics such as vertically striped hooves, mottled skin around the eyes, lips, and genitalia, plus a white sclera of the eye. Several breeds of horse can boast leopard-spotted (a term used collectively for all patterns) individuals including the Knabstrupper, Noriker, and the Appaloosa. There are several distinct leopard patterns:

blanket: white over the hip that may extend from the tail to the base of the neck. The spots inside the blanket (if present) are the same color as the horse's base coat.

varnish roan: a mix of body and white hairs that extends over the entire body—no relation to true roan

snowflake: white spots on a dark body. Typically the white spots increase in number and size as the horse ages.

leopard: dark spots of varying sizes over a white body.

few spot leopard: a nearly white horse from birth that retains color just above the hooves, the knees, 'armpits', mane and tail, wind pipe, and face

frost: similar to varnish but the white hairs are limited to the back, loins, and neck.

A palomino

Palomino: chestnut horse that has one cream dilution gene that turns the horse to a golden, yellow, or tan shade with a flaxen or white mane and tail. Often cited as being a color "within three shades of a newly minted gold coin," palominos range in shades from extremely light, almost cremello, to deep chocolate, but always with a white or flaxen mane and tail.

Pearl: Also called the "barlink factor," A dilution gene that when homozygous, lightens red coats to a uniform apricot-like color, often also resulting in horses with blue eyes. When combined with cream dilution, may produce horses that appear to be cremello or perlino.

Perlino: similar to a cremello, but is genetically a bay base coat with two dilute genes. Eyes are blue. Mane, tail and points are not black, but are usually darker than the body coat, generally a reddish or rust color, not to be confused with a red dun.

Pinto: a multi-colored horse with large patches of brown, white, and/or black and white. Variations include:

Piebald: a black and white spotting pattern (term more commonly used in the UK than the USA)

Skewbald: a spotting pattern of white and any other color other than black, or a spotting pattern of white and two other colors, which may include black. (term more commonly used in the UK than the USA).

Overo: Describes a group of spotting patterns genetically distinct from one another, characterized by sharp, irregular markings with a horizontal orientation, usually more dark than white. In some cases, the face is usually white, often with blue eyes. The white rarely crosses the back, and the lower legs are normally dark. Variations include "Frame Overo" and "Splashed white." Sometimes Sabino below is also classified in the overo family.

Sabino: Often confused with roan or rabicano, a slight spotting pattern characterized by high white on legs, belly spots, white markings on the face extending past the eyes and/or patches of roaning patterns standing alone or on the edges of white markings

Tobiano: Spotting pattern characterized by rounded markings with white legs and white across the back between the withers and the dock of the tail, usually arranged in a roughly vertical pattern and more white than dark, with the head usually dark and with markings like that of a normal horse. i.e. star, snip, strip, or blaze.

Tovero: spotting pattern that is a mix of tobiano and overo coloration, such as blue eyes on a dark head. May also refer to horses with Tobiano coloring that carry a recessive overo gene.

Paint: pinto horses with known Quarter Horse and/or Thoroughbred bloodlines. This is a separate breed of horse.

Left to right: A young gray (with few white hairs), a chestnut, and a bay roan

Rabicano: A roan-like effect that is caused by a genetic modifier that creates a mealy, splotchy, or roaning pattern on only part of the body, usually limited to the underside, flanks, legs, and tail head areas. Unlike a true roan, much of the body will not have white hairs intermingled with solid ones, nor are the legs or head significantly darker than the rest of the horse.

Roan: a color pattern that causes white hairs to be evenly intermixed within the horse's body color. Roans are distinguishable from greys because roans typically do not change color in their lifetimes, unlike gray that gradually gets lighter as a horse ages. Roans also have heads that are either solid-colored or much darker than their body hair, and do not lighten. Variations of roan include:

Red Roan: A chestnut base coat with roaning pattern with the mane and tail being the same red as the body. Red roans are also commonly referred to as a Strawberry Roan, and the term Red Roan is occasionally is used to describe a Bay Roan.[1]

Bay Roan: A Bay base coat with roaning pattern (the mane and tail of the Bay Roan will be Black). Bay roans are sometimes also called Red Roans.[1]

Blue Roan: A black with roaning pattern, not to be confused with a gray or a blue dun/grullo. A roan tends to have a darker head, while grays not only lighten with age, but their heads tend to lighten before the rest of their bodies. A blue roan has mixed-color hairs, a blue dun will usually be a solid color and have dun striping.

Silver dapple horses

Silver dapple: Caused by a dilution gene that only acts upon black hair pigment, it lightens black body hair to a chocolate brown and the mane and tail to silver. The gene may be carried but will not be visible on horses with a red base coat. Silver dapple horses may also be called Chocolate, Flax, or Taffy.

Smoky black: Horse visually appears to be either a black with a mildly bleached-out coat or a dull dark bay, but is actually has a black base coat and one copy of the cream gene.

Smoky Cream: Virtually indistinguishable from a cremello or perlino without DNA testing, a horse with a black base coat and two copies of the cream gene.

White : One of the rarest colors, a white horse has white hair and fully or largely unpigmented (pink) skin. These horses are born white, with blue or brown eyes, and remain white for life. The vast majority of so-called "white" horses are actually grays with a fully white hair coat. A truly white horse that lives to adulthood occurs one of two ways: either by inheriting one copy of a dominant white ("W") gene, of which several have been identified, or is a particular type of sabino that is homozygous for the "SB-1" gene. However, a foal with the genetic disease known as Lethal white syndrome dies shortly after birth.[2] There are no "albinos" in the horse world. Albino, defined as animals with a white coat with pink skin and reddish eyes, is created by genetic mechanisms that do not exist in horses.[3] In some cases, homozygous dominant white is thought to be an embryonic lethal, though this has not been established for all white horses.

List of British flat horse races

Group 1

April / May 2,000 Guineas Stakes Newmarket  1m 3yo c&f

April / May 1,000 Guineas Stakes Newmarket  1m 3yo f

May Lockinge Stakes Newbury  1m 4yo+

June Coronation Cup Epsom  1m 4f 10y 4yo+

June Oaks Stakes Epsom  1m 4f 10y 3yo f

June Derby Stakes Epsom  1m 4f 10y 3yo c&f

June Queen Anne Stakes Ascot  1m 4yo+

June King's Stand Stakes Ascot  5f 3yo+

June St. James's Palace Stakes Ascot  1m 3yo c

June Prince of Wales's Stakes Ascot  1m 2f 4yo+

June Gold Cup Ascot  2m 4f 4yo+

June Coronation Stakes Ascot  1m 3yo f

June Golden Jubilee Stakes Ascot  6f 3yo+

July Eclipse Stakes Sandown  1m 2f 7y 3yo+

July Falmouth Stakes Newmarket  1m 3yo+ f

July July Cup Newmarket  6f 3yo+

July King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot  1m 4f 3yo+

July / Aug Sussex Stakes Goodwood  1m 3yo+

July / Aug Nassau Stakes Goodwood  1m 1f 192y 3yo+ f

August International Stakes York  1m 2f 88y 3yo+

August Yorkshire Oaks York  1m 4f 3yo+ f

August Nunthorpe Stakes York  5f 2yo+

September Sprint Cup Haydock  6f 3yo+

September St. Leger Stakes Doncaster  1m 6f 132y 3yo c&f

September Fillies' Mile Newmarket  1m 2yo f

September Cheveley Park Stakes Newmarket  6f 2yo f

September Sun Chariot Stakes Newmarket  1m 3yo+ f

Sept / Oct Middle Park Stakes Newmarket  6f 2yo c

October Dewhurst Stakes Newmarket  7f 2yo c&f

October Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Ascot  1m 3yo+

October Champion Stakes Ascot  1m 2f 3yo+

October Racing Post Trophy Doncaster  1m 2yo c&f

Group 2

April Sandown Mile Sandown  1m 14y 4yo+

April / May Jockey Club Stakes Newmarket  1m 4f 4yo+

May Duke of York Stakes York  6f 3yo+

May Middleton Stakes York  1m 2f 88y 4yo+ f

May Dante Stakes York  1m 2f 88y 3yo

May Yorkshire Cup York  1m 6f 4yo+

May Temple Stakes Haydock  5f 3yo+

May Henry II Stakes Sandown  2m 78y 4yo+

June Coventry Stakes Ascot  6f 2yo

June Windsor Forest Stakes Ascot  1m 4yo+ f

June Queen Mary Stakes Ascot  5f 2yo f

June Norfolk Stakes Ascot  5f 2yo

June Ribblesdale Stakes Ascot  1m 4f 3yo f

June King Edward VII Stakes Ascot  1m 4f 3yo c&g

June Hardwicke Stakes Ascot  1m 4f 4yo+

July Lancashire Oaks Haydock  1m 3f 200y 3yo+ f

July July Stakes Newmarket  6f 2yo c&g

July Princess of Wales's Stakes Newmarket  1m 4f 3yo+

July Cherry Hinton Stakes Newmarket  6f 2yo f

July Superlative Stakes Newmarket  7f 2yo

July Summer Mile Stakes Ascot  1m 4yo+

July York Stakes York  1m 2f 88y 3yo+

July / Aug Lennox Stakes Goodwood  7f 3yo+

July / Aug Vintage Stakes Goodwood  7f 2yo

July / Aug King George Stakes Goodwood  5f 3yo+

July / Aug Goodwood Cup Goodwood  2m 3yo+

July / Aug Richmond Stakes Goodwood  6f 2yo c&g

August Hungerford Stakes Newbury  7f 3yo+

August Great Voltigeur Stakes York  1m 4f 3yo c&g

August Lonsdale Cup York  2m 88y 3yo+

August Gimcrack Stakes York  6f 2yo c&g

August Lowther Stakes York  6f 2yo f

August Celebration Mile Goodwood  1m 3yo+

September Park Hill Stakes Doncaster  1m 6f 132y 3yo+ f

September Flying Childers Stakes Doncaster  5f 2yo

September Doncaster Cup Doncaster  2m 2f 3yo+

September May Hill Stakes Doncaster  1m 2yo f

September Champagne Stakes Doncaster  7f 2yo c&g

September Park Stakes Doncaster  7f 3yo+

September Mill Reef Stakes Newbury  6f 8y 2yo

Sept / Oct Joel Stakes Newmarket  1m 3yo+

September Royal Lodge Stakes Newmarket  1m 2yo c&g

October Challenge Stakes Newmarket  7f 3yo+

October Rockfel Stakes Newmarket  7f 2yo f

October British Champions Sprint Stakes Ascot  6f 3yo+

October British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes Ascot  1m 4f 3yo+ f

Group 3

March Winter Derby Lingfield  1m 2f 4yo+

April Nell Gwyn Stakes Newmarket  7f 3yo f

April Craven Stakes Newmarket  1m 3yo c&g

April Earl of Sefton Stakes Newmarket  1m 1f 4yo+

April John Porter Stakes Newbury  1m 4f 5y 4yo+

April Fred Darling Stakes Newbury  7f 3yo f

April Greenham Stakes Newbury  7f 3yo c&g

April Gordon Richards Stakes Sandown  1m 2f 7y 4yo+

April Sandown Classic Trial Sandown  1m 2f 7y 3yo

April / May Sagaro Stakes Ascot  2m 4yo+

April / May Palace House Stakes Newmarket  5f 3yo+

April / May Dahlia Stakes Newmarket  1m 1f 4yo+ f

May Huxley Stakes Chester  1m 2f 75y 4yo+

May Chester Vase Chester  1m 4f 66y 3yo c&g

May Dee Stakes Chester  1m 2f 75y 3yo c&g

May Ormonde Stakes Chester  1m 5f 89y 4yo+

May Chartwell Fillies' Stakes Lingfield  7f 3yo+ f

May Lingfield Derby Trial Lingfield  1m 3f 106y 3yo c&g

May Musidora Stakes York  1m 2f 88y 3yo f

May / June Brigadier Gerard Stakes Sandown  1m 2f 7y 4yo+

May / June John of Gaunt Stakes Haydock  7f 4yo+

June Princess Elizabeth Stakes Epsom  1m 114y 3yo+ f

June Diomed Stakes Epsom  1m 114y 3yo+

June Jersey Stakes Ascot  7f 3yo

June Tercentenary Stakes Ascot  1m 2f 3yo

June Albany Stakes Ascot  6f 2yo f

June Queen's Vase Ascot  2m 3yo

June / July Chipchase Stakes Newcastle  6f 3yo+

June / July Criterion Stakes Newmarket  7f 3yo+

July Sprint Stakes Sandown  5f 6y 3yo+

July Bahrain Trophy Newmarket  1m 5f 3yo

July Summer Stakes York  6f 3yo+ f

July Hackwood Stakes Newbury  6f 8y 3yo+

July Princess Margaret Stakes Ascot  6f 2yo f

July / Aug Gordon Stakes Goodwood  1m 4f 3yo

July / Aug Molecomb Stakes Goodwood  5f 2yo

July / Aug Lillie Langtry Stakes Goodwood  1m 6f 3yo+ f

July / Aug Glorious Stakes Goodwood  1m 4f 4yo+

July / Aug Oak Tree Stakes Goodwood  7f 3yo+ f

August Rose of Lancaster Stakes Haydock  1m 2f 95y 3yo+

August Sweet Solera Stakes Newmarket  7f 2yo f

August Sovereign Stakes Salisbury  1m 3yo+ c&g

August Geoffrey Freer Stakes Newbury  1m 5f 61y 3yo+

August Acomb Stakes York  7f 2yo

August Strensall Stakes York  1m 208y 3yo+

August Solario Stakes Sandown  7f 16y 2yo

August Prestige Stakes Goodwood  7f 2yo f

August Winter Hill Stakes Windsor  1m 2f 7y 3yo+

Aug / Sept Supreme Stakes Goodwood  7f 3yo+

September September Stakes Kempton  1m 4f 3yo+

September Sirenia Stakes Kempton  6f 2yo

September Sceptre Stakes Doncaster  7f 3yo+ f

September Select Stakes Goodwood  1m 1f 192y 3yo+

September Arc Trial Newbury  1m 3f 5y 3yo+

September Firth of Clyde Stakes Ayr  6f 2yo f

September World Trophy Newbury  5f 34y 3yo+

Sept / Oct Somerville Tattersall Stakes Newmarket  7f 2yo c&g

Sept / Oct Oh So Sharp Stakes Newmarket  7f 2yo f

October Cornwallis Stakes Ascot  5f 2yo

October Cumberland Lodge Stakes Ascot  1m 4f 3yo+

October Bengough Stakes Ascot  6f 3yo+

October Autumn Stakes Newmarket  1m 2yo

October Darley Stakes Newmarket  1m 1f 3yo+

October British Champions Long Distance Cup Ascot  2m 3yo+

October Horris Hill Stakes Newbury  7f 2yo c&g

October St. Simon Stakes Newbury  1m 4f 5y 3yo+

Notable Handicaps

March / April Lincoln Handicap Doncaster  1m 4yo+

March / April Rosebery Stakes Kempton  1m 2f 4yo+

April European Free Handicap Newmarket  7f 3yo

April / May Victoria Cup Ascot  7f 4yo+

May Chester Cup Chester  2m 2f 147y 4yo+

May Silver Bowl Haydock  1m 30y 3yo

May / June Zetland Gold Cup Redcar  1m 2f 3yo+

June Royal Hunt Cup Ascot  1m 3yo+

June Wokingham Stakes Ascot  6f 3yo+

June / July Northumberland Plate Newcastle  2m 19y 3yo+

July Old Newton Cup Haydock  1m 3f 200y 3yo+

July Bunbury Cup Newmarket  7f 3yo+

July John Smith's Cup York  1m 2f 88y 3yo+

July / Aug Stewards' Cup Goodwood  6f 3yo+

August Great St. Wilfrid Stakes Ripon  6f 3yo+

August Ebor Handicap York  1m 6f 3yo+

September Portland Handicap Doncaster  5f 140y 3yo+

September Ayr Gold Cup Ayr  6f 3yo+

Sept / Oct Cambridgeshire Handicap Newmarket  1m 1f 3yo+

October Cesarewitch Handicap Newmarket  2m 2f 3yo+

November November Handicap Doncaster  1m 4f 3yo+

Selected other races

March / April Easter Stakes Kempton  1m 3yo c&g

April Feilden Stakes Newmarket  1m 1f 3yo

April Abernant Stakes Newmarket  6f 3yo+

April Leicestershire Stakes Leicester  7f 9y 4yo+

April Investec Derby Trial Epsom  1m 2f 18y 3yo

April / May Newmarket Stakes Newmarket  1m 2f 3yo c

April / May Pretty Polly Stakes Newmarket  1m 2f 3yo f

May Cheshire Oaks Chester  1m 3f 79y 3yo f

May Lingfield Oaks Trial Lingfield  1m 3f 106y 3yo f

May Fillies' Trial Stakes Newbury  1m 2f 6y 3yo f

May Cocked Hat Stakes Goodwood  1m 3f 3yo c&g

May Height of Fashion Stakes Goodwood  1m 1f 192y 3yo f

May Heron Stakes Sandown  1m 14y 3yo

May Fairway Stakes Newmarket  1m 2f 3yo

June Chesham Stakes Ascot  7f 2yo

June Queen Alexandra Stakes Ascot  2m 5f 159y 4yo+

July Glasgow Stakes Hamilton  1m 3f 16y 3yo

July Weatherbys Super Sprint Newbury  5f 34y 2yo

July Winkfield Stakes Ascot  7f 2yo

August Washington Singer Stakes Newbury  7f 2yo

August March Stakes Goodwood  1m 6f 3yo+

September Stardom Stakes Goodwood  7f 2yo

September Haynes, Hanson and Clark Stakes Newbury  1m 2yo

October Silver Tankard Stakes Pontefract  1m 4y 2yo

Oct / Nov Zetland Stakes Newmarket  1m 2f 2yo

Discontinued

April 1986 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes Salisbury  7f 3yo f

April 1986 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes Salisbury  7f 3yo c&g

April 1993 White Rose Stakes Ascot  1m 2f 3yo

July 2005 Golden Daffodil Stakes Chepstow  1m 2f 36y 3yo+ f

July 2005 Scottish Derby Ayr  1m 2f 3yo+

July 1999 Beeswing Stakes Newcastle  7f 3yo+

Aug 1985 Seaton Delaval Stakes Newcastle  7f 2yo

† Distances in miles, furlongs and yards