Red horse color: description and types, genetics, breeds of red horses

What is suit?

A horse's color is a combination of skin color, body hair, mane and tail. One of the main individual distinctive features of a horse. Like the colors of cats and dogs, the color of horses is not just a color, but a certain combination of colors, a type of distribution of pigments, which also has a genetic background.

In horse breeding, color is one of the hereditary characteristics for identifying horses. Each of them has a certain set of external characteristics that make it possible to distinguish it from the crowd. This includes not only the determination of the pigment or its shade, but also the nature of its distribution throughout the body. Everything is important: marks, spots, how the mane or tail is pigmented.

For example, game and silver bay horses often have the same color on their mane, body, and tail. Then the color is determined by the color of the legs: the lower part of the bays should be black, or, in extreme cases, brown-black.

Suit is inherited. Knowing the pedigree of horses, you can predict with a high probability what the offspring will be like. Moreover, each suit has accompanying signs, possible defects and diseases that are transmitted simultaneously.

Of course, when assessing a horse, the breed plays a decisive role. The entire exterior of animals depends on it. However, there are breeds that were formed based on color. For example, the Isabella horse, better known as the American Cream.

About the history of the breed

The name of the breed was given in honor of Marshal Budyonny, who himself observed how the breed was created.

At first, attempts to use purebred mares as a basis failed. The influence of the mother on the offspring of horses is greater than the influence of the father, therefore, foals from purebred mares and Don sires were almost not adapted to herd keeping. Foals developed poorly in steppe conditions and could not be the basis for creating a breed.

Soviet horse breeders took a different tactic. To create the breed, with the support of the state, pure blood stallions and Don and Black Sea mares were used. An attempt was made to use steppe Kazakh mares, but it was not successful.

We visited young animals at the age of one and a half years. The best horses were sent to the army and to the cavalry school, which bore the name of Budyonny. Horses that showed good results were returned to stud farms for breeding. With the help of selection and training, such qualities of horses as good growth, strong physique, the breed of eastern horses, as well as the unusually beautiful red color were consolidated.

The Budennovsky breed was created for the army, therefore, the horses were brave, playful and temperamental. Endurance is another important property of this breed. Such horses could walk under saddle for a hundred kilometers a day, and then they even had enough strength to attack the enemy.

Nowadays, horses of the Budenovsky breed perform well at races, showing excellent results.

Mighty red Suffol horses

This breed is considered the oldest draft horse in England. The name of the breed is given from the name of the eastern English county where horses were bred back in the sixteenth century. According to historical records, this breed was intended for farmers. They were suitable for such strong horses that did not have hair on their legs, which was ideal for working on heavy clay soil.

The stallion Crisps is considered the founder of the breed. It is interesting that all Suffol horses are red horses.

Despite the massiveness of these horses, their maintenance is quite economical, and the rations are not so large.

At the age of two years, horses of this breed are already used for not very difficult work. These red heroes are very kind, have good health, and mares can bear offspring up to twenty years of age.

The Suffolian breed has long been used in many countries for agricultural work and as a draft horse.

Classification and origin

The huge variety of colors of horses made it necessary to classify them. One of the first accepted in hippology is the classification of Hippocrates, which classifies black, red, bay and gray as the main or basic colors. Traditionally, the domestic horse breeding adhered to this classification. However, due to the fact that the teachings of Hippocrates were based on the ancient idea of ​​​​the structure of the world from four elements, in modern science this classification is considered imperfect.

Today, Sponenberg’s classification is considered more accurate, and most importantly, scientifically sound. He identifies three main colors of horses: black, red and bay, explaining their occurrence by the action of two basic genes, Extension and Agouti. If they have other genes in their background, color variations, or so-called derived suits, are obtained.

• The Extension gene is considered “wild” because it is found in all wild equines. In genetics, it is designated by the letter E. When E is dominant, it leads to the synthesis of the black pigment zumelanin. Thus, a black (black) suit appears with the designation EE. If the e allele is recessive, it causes the synthesis of the red pigment pheomelanin. A horse carrying such an allele will have a red color with its designation.
• Agouti is a dominant allele designated A, which, as a result of its action, causes the appearance of the zumelanin pigment in some areas. Thus, the entire lower part of the legs and the protective hair are painted black. The rest of the integumentary hair remains under the action of pheomelanin. As a result, horses get a bay color, although at the genetic level they are black: the Agouti gene appears only if the E gene is present. If the Agouti gene is recessive, then the horse remains black.

All other genes identified by science act only against the background of two main ones, Extension and Agouti, and are divided into lightening genes and white hair genes. All horse colors formed by their action are called derivatives.

Types of horses

Zoologists have identified some conventional subspecies, the most common of which are: wild horses, domestic animals, Przewalski's horse, and donkeys (wild or domestic). Some scientists do not agree with this classification and the dispute continues to this day.

Meanwhile, these diverse horse species interbreed, produce foals, and spread.

Basic colors

Bay color

The bay color of the horse is considered the most common. For many peoples, over the centuries, these horses were considered the best, with excellent working qualities. Perhaps the wild ancestors of modern domestic horses were bays. Now geneticists have refuted the connection between bay color and physical characteristics, but the ancient tradition continues to live, and many horse breeders prefer bay horses. They are often taken to races, sporting events, and used as draft work horses.

Descriptions of the bay color of the horse are found in many sources. Its body color is brown. The hair on the mane and tail is black. The legs below are also black. There is a wild version of the bay color; in such horses, black hair on the legs is mixed with brown. Young hinnies have completely light-colored legs; they darken only a couple of months after birth. Bay horses have certain color variations; they have their own underlays or underlays.

Here are the bay colors of horses and a list of their varieties:

• Light bay. The fur on the face, tummy and around the eyes is light brown. Individual brown hairs are visible on the mane and tail, as well as on the lower legs. A dark stripe or a kind of “belt” may run along the spine, and the legs may have a pattern reminiscent of a zebra’s coloring.
• Dark bay. Such horses have a dark, almost black, upper part of the head, neck in the crest area, the space above the shoulder blades, back and croup. The remaining parts of the body may be a little lighter. Often in these places the fur is reddish.
• Podlasaya. The main tone is brown, there are light spots near the mouth and eyes, in the groin area, and in some individuals - on the elbows and buttocks.
• Bay deer. Such horses have a dark back, as do the shoulder blades and croup. The neck along the scallop and the head on top are also dark; the side surfaces of the body are lighter than the back, but darker than the muzzle, throat and belly.
• Chestnut. The horse's body is the color of a dark chestnut, the legs below, as well as the mane and tail are black.
• Cherry. The color of the horse's coat is red-brown or red-red. Brown hairs are visible on the legs. The cherry horse is almost red, with a beautiful tint of ripe cherry.
• Golden or golden. Quite a rare horse color, which is now highly valued. The tone of the fur is yellow-brown, richly shimmering with gold.
• Karakova. This color is an intermediate option between bay and black. The Karak horse looks almost black. It clearly shows light brown markings on the tip of the muzzle, near the eyes, in the armpits and groin. They contrast beautifully with the main dark background of the fur.

Black horse

• The richest animals
• Cat claw attachments
• Dog
• Long-eared cats
• Cat meowing
• Alexandrian parrot

The black horse breed is one of the most famous and popular throughout the world. The incredibly beautiful shimmer of blue emphasizes the nobility and prestige of horses of this species. Such splendor can be achieved only with proper care: good nutrition, daily walking, cleaning and bathing with special products, combing.

The name “crow” speaks for itself. This type is characterized by a jet black color (like a raven's feather) throughout the body, tail, mane and head. Small areas with brown hairs are allowed. They usually appear due to sunburn. Mares are allowed to have a small white mark. A black horse begins to shed when the weather changes frequently. Therefore, sometimes you can find a color with spots.

There are 3 types of black suit:

• black shade with blue tint;
• black shade with chestnut tint;
• brown color, bleached by the sun.

The black horse attracts with its dazzling brilliance, grace and grandeur. Mention of this color of horses is often found in literature, works of art and films.

Redhead

All the nuances of red give rise to numerous colors of horses. In this case, the distribution of pigment is necessarily continuous, albeit of different saturation or intensity. Lighter or darker hair color options in the mane and tail are acceptable. The legs are distinguished from bays. They are usually completely identical to the main shade. The red color is multifaceted - from lightened apricot to rich chestnut.

The main thing is the presence of warm, golden shades:

1. The most saturated gives a brown color. These horses can easily be confused with bays. In fact, they are dark brown, but, unlike the latter, their coloring is uniform. The legs match the color of the body.
2. The game color is distinguished by a sharp contrast: the body is usually colored red to brown, and the mane and tail are very light, smoky or milky white. It does not change during the year and does not fade in the sun.
3. The nightingale color is less contrasting than the game color. The body is all shades of yellow, shimmering with gold. And the tail hair and manes are whitish or yellowish. The nightingale horse is often similar in body color to the dun horse, differing in the contrast of its manes and tails.
4. The horse's Isabella color makes the most lasting impression. The combination of creamy hairs and pink skin creates an indescribable effect called baked milk. Isabella horses, in addition to everything, have angelic light eyes (gray or blue).

Genetically, the nightingale, rare isabella or dun horses are very close to each other, so these colors are often found as a characteristic feature in any breed.

Gray

The animal acquires a gray coloration of its skin with age. Newborn foals do not have a smoky coat. The tone is distinguished by several color variations: from white vanilla to dark gray. In the 4th year of life, the animal becomes whitish-gray; in the 9th year of life, the horse completely turns grey. First of all, the animal's abdomen and head area changes color. The darkish cover remains on the body and legs for a long time.

Shades of gray and color features directly depend on the underlay. List of those meeting:

• Apple gray. There are grayish “apples” against a dark background.
• Dark grey. This shade is mainly found in young stallions. Some individuals retain a darkish gray color until old age. The horse's body is much lighter than its head. The tail, mane and limbs are in most cases dark in color, less often gray-brown.
• Light grey. The boiling white individual also belongs to the light gray subfloor. The light gray stallion becomes white with age.
• Buckwheat gray. Almost white horses, often “decorated” with small dotted spots of a darkish color.

Pure white horses are extremely rare in nature; spotted horses are more common. A white horse differs from a light gray horse in the shade of its skin. The number of white areas on the skin increases significantly before molting.

Horse breeding

In the second year of their life, horses reach sexual maturity. During the mating season, also called “hunting,” mares ready for mating allow stallions to approach and, after fertilization, bear the fetus for 11 months.

Twins in horses are a rare occurrence; as a rule, the female gives birth to one foal, which at first is unsteady on its feet, but quickly grows stronger and after a few hours is already running quickly. It feeds on milk for 5-7 months, after which it switches to independent feeding.

Horse breeders and farmers use artificial insemination, which significantly saves time on the selection and compatibility of horse pairs.

Derivatives or mixed

bay

This is the most common and popular color in the world among factory horse breeds. The body, uniformly colored in various shades of brown, contrasts brightly with the black legs, mane and tail. Despite the external uniformity, inside the suit there are many shades from light golden and red to dark brown. Representatives of the Cleveland Bay breed are born exclusively bay.

Bulanaya

Bulan - yellow or sand of various shades, uniform (unlike Bulan-Savras, see below), sometimes with an admixture of varying amounts of black hair, coloring of the body, head and upper limbs; mane and tail are black; the limbs from the hock and carpal joints, and sometimes from the middle of the forearm and shin and below are black, however, there may be an admixture of light hair. Sometimes a dark or black belt runs along the back.

Dark dun - reddish or brownish-yellow (dark ocher), occasionally gray-brown or dark yellow almost black (but without a red tint) coat of the body, head and upper limbs; the belt, if any, is dark or black. It differs from the light bay in the yellow tint of the coat, the belt and the possibility of an admixture of light hair on the limbs.

Bulanaya is actually sandy or yellow in color to the body, head and upper limbs; The belt is dark, sometimes black. Light dun - light yellow, light sandy up to almost white color. The limbs are sometimes mixed with light hair; the belt is dark. Golden-bulanaya is a rich bright yellow shade with a golden tint. Bulanaya in apples - with an admixture of varying amounts of black wool, forming a characteristic pattern on the body. Most of the black hair is located on the shoulders, shoulder blades, muzzle, along the crest and sides of the neck, on the back and croup, and to a lesser extent on the stomach, throat, back of the head and on the neck along the ganaches (in the area of ​​the attachment fossa). The limbs are sometimes mixed with light hair; on the forearms, dark hair rises almost to the elbows; the belt is dark or black.

Roan

The roan color of a horse can be based on a black, red, or bay background and consists of speckled white hairs. They are distributed chaotically. The head and legs usually remain the main color. On the body, white hairs can be collected in small spots or evenly interspersed with dark ones.

In accordance with the main background, raven, piebald and red roan shades are distinguished. Horses are born with it. The color does not change with old age, that is, it does not lighten. But throughout the year, color saturation changes from season to season. Only the tone of the mane is constant. Roan horses are distinguished by their increased ability to regenerate. If you damage a horse's skin, the scar remains hairless. In roan individuals, the scars are covered with hair. It is of the main tone. White hairs do not grow on scars.

Roan horses are rare; at all times they were especially revered in Rus', costing 7–8 times more than others. Accordingly, the owners of roan mares and horses were noble people. Roan horses with a light strand in the tail were considered the pièce de résistance, so to speak. This occurs in approximately 13% of representatives of the suit. The white strand is thin, as if streaked.

The eyes and hooves of roans are always dark, the color of the main color. If the horse, for example, is black, its eyes should be dark brown and its hooves should be anthracite in color. The body of the animal looks blue-gray. This is the result of diluting black hairs with whitish hairs.

Piebald

A piebald is a horse of any color that has spots of various irregular shapes on its body. Depending on the location of the spots, undercoats are distinguished: forelock, silver-bay, silver-raven, silver-damn. A piebald horse is one that has large white spots of irregular shape on any color - pintos, sometimes they are so large that it seems as if the horse’s main color is white. Most often, the pinto horse is associated with the Indians. It was these horses that were highly valued by representatives of North American tribes.

It was believed that a piebald horse brings good luck and protects against all sorts of troubles. The Indians are recognized as unsurpassed horsemen who could ride for several hours on a bareback horse. So maybe those same piebald horses brought good luck to the Indians, being special, chosen mascots due to their original coloring? In 1962, the American Paint Fanciers Association (as Americans call pinto horses) was founded.

Any horse could join it, regardless of its exterior and pedigree, the main thing was that it was the owner of a piebald color. Horses of such an unusual color differ from the rest in that against the background of their main color there are spots of various shapes of white color scattered. There are white markings on the legs or they may be completely white. On the tail and mane there are areas of varying sizes of white color.

Karakova

Karakaya - black coloring of the body, head, limbs, mane and tail; Brown spots around the eyes, mouth, groins, and sometimes in the pit area, elbows, and buttocks. Most authors classify this color as a separate color, but some call it a black color (black with tan) or bay (an extreme version of dark bay) color. It is possible that a horse with fewer marks was called a crow with tan marks, and a horse with more marks was called a karakova.

Isabella

Quite often, when people say a white horse or an albino, they mean horses of the Isabella color. To the untrained eye, such a horse really appears to be white or albino - uniform white, sometimes cream or beige hair color, blue eyes and pink skin. However, Isabella animals are in no way white, much less albinos.

Albinism implies a complete absence of coloring pigment in the skin and hair. Isabella animals have a coloring pigment, albeit in very small quantities. Isabella color is quite rare and to obtain it it is necessary that both parents have a fairly strong Cremello gene. Even with two Isabella parents, the foal can be born dun, nightingale or ash-black. The probability of a descendant receiving the same suit is less than 25%.

Chubaraya

A forelock horse is characterized by graceful small outlines, a light build, and thin skin. A miniature perfectly proportioned head on a short curved neck is framed by a mane of silky hair. The wiry croup with a taut belly, dry muscular legs and stable hooves is distinguished by chaotic spots. The height of a horse is usually 150-156 cm. The manifestations of the color are fully formed closer to 3-5 years, determining the specific color.

Chubbar color is found in some breeds of horses that differ in character and behavior. But they all have approximately the same general features. Animals raised by humans are accustomed to domestic society. They are smart, flexible, and easy to train. Their temperament is relatively calm, but their agility cannot be taken away from them. A brown horse can choose its own master, whom it will faithfully serve.

Igrenovaya

The most beautiful and attractive breed of horse among all the others is considered to be the game color. This color is characterized by the coloring of the individual’s body in a red or brown color, and even a chocolate color. The color of the animal's tail and mane is usually light; it can be milky white or golden. In rare cases, the mane has strands of red hair.

A light mane with a light tail looks great on a dark body of an individual. The presence of spots makes the suit unusual and interesting. This breed is characterized by the presence of long hair, which remains unchanged throughout the year.

The game horse is considered a heavy horse. Like the trotters that run on racetracks today, the Finnish “cold-blooded” individual can be called. Swedish individuals and Finnish Norwegian horses cannot be related to each other. Such animals are characterized by the presence of darker colors - black, brown, and also dark bay. The gamefish can also be found in the Icelandic breed.

How herd animals behave

Horses are social mammals. In wild or semi-wild populations, they form herds with a social hierarchy. The herd includes up to 26 mares, 5 stallions and young animals of various ages. Horse herds have a well-functioning social hierarchy, dominated by alpha males. They spend most of their time defending the group from predators and from competing males.

Horses are active at different times of the day, depending on the season. In hot weather, they graze in the morning or evening, avoiding high midday temperatures. Horses sleep segmentally during the day, sleep lasting no more than 2 hours. Animals do not lie on the ground for more than an hour and sleep standing up.

Herd of horses

How do they communicate with each other?

Horses have whiskers on their nostrils and cheeks that are used to sense the environment through touch. Vision is the primary means of obtaining information. The ears are long and straight, which aids auditory perception. Although the sense of smell is important, it is not a primary organ and plays a lesser role than vision or the sensory receptors in the nostrils or cheeks.

Horses communicate with each other through gestures and vocalizations. Members of the herd neigh, bite, push and kick each other to establish or reinforce a hierarchical structure and to express dominance.

Horses have many gestures. Positive reactions include lifting the lips to expose the upper teeth, similar to smiling, tilting the head, or pointing the ears forward and upward. Aggressive facial gestures include ears laid back and teeth exposed with closed nostrils.

Wild suits

Kauraya

The main distinguishing feature of horses is their color, thanks to which their complete classification is possible. The color is determined by the color of the coat, eye color, and skin color. Pigment spots, darkened or lightened areas of the body, and even shades of the horse’s coat are also taken into account. But on top of all this, suit is considered a hereditary trait.

Brown color is considered a rather rare type of horse coat color and is found in zonal or wild colors. Modern horses received the kaurasti shade by inheritance from distant ancestors who inhabited the planet many millions of years before the appearance of man. Kaurasti arose due to the influence of the DUN gene, the so-called wild color gene, on the hair pigment. Horses that have this gene are considered the oldest. They are usually called “wild colors”. What makes DUN unique is that it is based on a red color and has a brightening effect. It affects the black and red pigment of the coat at the same time, but does not lighten the entire coat.

The mane, tail and lower limbs are not susceptible to bleaching. The coloration of a horse, which is based on the DUN gene, is an excellent camouflage in any terrain and makes it possible to go unnoticed, which is of great importance for the preservation of populations. It is worth noting that horses that have the “wild gene” have common color features.

Mousey

The coloring of the animal itself and its eyes are a distinctive feature of the horse breed. Scientists have designated this combination of characteristics as “suit.” This is not just a play of color, but a set of traits that are inherited. The color is associated with a type of pet.

In the old days, the mouse horse was called the “blue horse.” After all, the animal’s hair is colored in ashy tones, and in the light, the rays of the sun, shimmering, create a bluish tint. The color described looks simply amazing.

A representative of the breed in question is usually depicted on canvas in gray color, with individual black parts. In nature, this shade is not obtained by mixing the tones of different hairs or the play of sunlight. On the contrary, in real conditions, it resembles the color of ash. Maybe that's why Charles Perrault chose such a representative for the team that was supposed to deliver Cinderella to the palace? The fairy tale says: “...She told Cinderella to open the door of the mousetrap. She touched every mouse that jumped out of there with a magic wand, and the mouse immediately turned into a beautiful horse. And now, instead of six mice, an excellent team of six horses of a mouse color appeared...” The horse's limbs, mane and tail, are distinguished by dark shades, mostly black. But there are exceptions here too. Also, the presence of a dark belt along the ridge is a distinctive feature of the breed. Now it’s clear what shade the horse breed is being studied.

Savrasaya

Savrasaya color refers to wild colors, because this distribution of pigment is inherent in horses that live in nature or inherited it from wild ancestors. The name of the color is borrowed from the Turkic group of languages ​​and means “pure yellow”. Savrasaya color - belongs to the zonal group, represented by a faded, lightened shade of wool of the leading color. Basically, the hair color is light red, some horses are characterized by underhair, that is, the presence of light tan marks on the belly and on the inside of the legs. A dark belt stretches from the withers to the tail; the lower limbs and tail are colored in the color of the leading suit. The hair on the head also belongs to the main color, for example, on a bay-savras horse it will be bay, and on a red-savras horse it will be red.

In addition to typical features, such as a black belt, horses have features that emphasize the individuality and antiquity of the color:

1. On the withers and shoulders there are transverse stripes called wings. It appears, for example, in the Bashkir breed.
2. Cobweb is the name given to a dark pattern in the form of a mesh or simple stripes on the forehead, but the pattern is rare.
3. Dark horizontal tiger stripes (zebroid) appear on the legs.
4. Gray strands in the mane and tail are not uncommon - their appearance depends on the breed or leading color.

Among domestic species, the owners of wild colors are Bashkir horses and Vyatka horses.

Lifespan

On average, these beautiful animals live no more than 30 years, it all depends on the breed, species and conditions of detention.

• Those employed in hard work or in sports competitions live no more than 20 years, and animals living in the wild or warm climates also have a short lifespan.
• Little ponies live to be almost 40 years old, and the record life expectancy of a horse was recorded in Great Britain and was 62 years.

Change of suit

The color of a horse's coat is not constant - both seasonal and age-related changes are possible. Maintenance and feeding have no less importance on the quality of color. At birth, all young animals are covered with a thick, curly coat consisting of thick hairs. After 5-7 months, the first molt occurs, when the hair is replaced by lighter hair.

It is difficult to judge the color of an adult horse by the color of the foal:

• black, bay young animals are transformed into gray animals;
• the red color is obtained in foals of a yellow-reddish color with a gray tint;
• young animals of blue or mouse color become a black horse. Seasonal changes in color are most noticeable in the northern regions.

By winter, Yakut horses are covered with white fluff. In warm regions, the coat color becomes slightly lighter, with the exception of black horses. In summer, the color becomes darker, and in a black horse it also acquires a chestnut tint due to fading. High-quality feeding and regular brushing make the hair smooth and acquire a characteristic shine. In a gray horse (as well as in other colors), with increased feeding, the formation of “apples”—characteristic white marks—may occur. Their presence indicates good development of the circulatory network in this area and an improved supply of nutrients. As feeding decreases, the marks decrease.

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Nutrition

Horses are herbivores, preferring grass and cereals. Wild animals feed in the meadows in the warm season, gaining weight, and lose weight in the winter, when there is not enough food.

Pets are also walked in the meadow in the summer, where they feed on fresh grass containing all the necessary micronutrients. How wonderful a photo of the most beautiful horse in the world looks against the backdrop of bright and lush grass during free grazing!

In winter, domestic horses are fed hay, mixed feed, cereals (in Russia, more often oats), etc., trying to diversify the diet with a sufficient amount of nutrients.