Not only professional breeders need to know what colors of horses there are. The ability to understand these beautiful animals shows a person’s high cultural level.
What is suit and how to determine it
The color is a set of external characteristics characteristic of an individual animal: the color of the mane, tail, etc. Various spots and marks on the horse’s body are also taken into account. Some experts include character traits in the description of all stripes. For example, black horses are balanced animals prone to melancholy. Red horses are considered stubborn and difficult to train. It is not always possible to determine the color of a newborn individual. A horse's external characteristics change as it matures.
Horse breeding has its own terminology, which often does not coincide with general livestock farming. For example, the term “purebred” applies only to the English riding and Arabian breeds; all other thoroughbred horses are called purebreds. There are especially many special names to designate the color of horses. We will have to list them because they are used in describing breeds.
Dancing Gray Lipizzaners
A well-known breed of gray horses. Dancing gray Lipizzaners were bred specially, only for crowned heads. They were transported on holidays. Later they began performing in army cultural events and in the circus.
Lipizzaners
The original place for breeding these horses was the village of Lipizzea; it was bought by Charles II, where he also controlled all selection processes for the breeding of gray horses. During mating, the Spanish breed was used.
Charles II founded the Vienna Riding School, where for many years only this breed was trained. Riders, after long training in dressage, must demonstrate its various elements: dancing on the spot, piaffe, Spanish walk, magnificent jumps. It is noteworthy that this breed of gray horses is excellent in all these elements and for this very reason, it is the gray Lipizzaners that are not allowed to participate in various types of competitions, since they are initially doomed to success. Another important characteristic feature of this breed is that these horses are very loyal to one owner.
Basic horse colors
The generally accepted classification of horses was created in Ancient Greece. It was customary to divide horses according to their dominant color: gray, black, bay and red. Over the last century, the classification has been revised several times. Many scientists propose to supplement the list or exclude certain colors from the classification of main suits.
Voronaya
The black horse is distinguished by its black coat. It got its name because of its bluish-black tint, reminiscent of the shine of the black wings of a raven. Depending on the season and age, the coat color may change to dark brown. This color is also found in the eyes of animals. Some individuals may have "apple" markings on their bodies. Animals have dark skin. The shade of wool is affected by sudden changes in climatic conditions.
Horses of non-shedding breeds are born black. The fur of such animals does not fade in the sun. Shedding breeds are born ashy or dark brown. As individuals grow older, their fur in most cases does not reach a rich black color.
Blacks are not found in all horse breeds. Black coat color is not typical, for example, for Haflinger draft horses. Some breeds of animals, on the contrary, can only be black. An example is the bushy-footed friez. It is acceptable for Friesian mares to have a white o).
Read the article “Black Horse”
Kauraya
The brown horse, according to scientists, is a distant ancestor of red horses. The animal's fur has a red tint. The mane and tail are darker in color than the fur on other parts of the body. A brown horse has hooves of the same color as its body. A distinctive feature is a dark red belt. The color is more characteristic of wild animals than of captive animals. In Europe, browns are more common among Icelandic ponies.
Bulanaya
It is assumed that the name of the suit originated from the Tatar word “bulan” (deer). Bulanaya is considered a bay breed. Most representatives of the suit are golden or sandy in color. However, there are horses of lighter or darker shades. Dark spots can be seen on the animal's body. But the legs often have stripes characteristic of zebras. The tail, mane and hooves of the dun are always black. Rare varieties include the silver-bulanaya. A distinctive feature of the brush is silver hair in the tail and mane.
Solovaya
The animal's fur may have a light brown or light sandy tint. The horse's eyes are brown or amber. The mane and tail are a lighter shade than the fur on the body. The hooves are most often dark. But if there are light markings on the legs, the hooves will also have a lighter shade. Foals are born light colored. But as they grow older, their skin darkens and turns grayish or pink. Nightingale horses are found among representatives of the Akhal-Teke breed and among the Palomino, popular in the United States.
Bay color
Bay horses are distinguished by their brown color in various shades. The mane, tail, muzzle and fur closer to the hooves have a darker shade. There may be light spots on the face. The coat of newborn foals is lighter, but as the animals mature, it begins to darken. Bay horses are distinguished by their flexible character and endurance. Due to these characteristics, they were valued among nomadic tribes. The most exotic varieties of the suit include red and cherry. The red color makes the horse fiery red. Cherry is a darker version of red.
Red suit
Representatives of the suit can have any shade of red. A distinctive feature of such horses is the absence of tans and marks. The color should be uniform throughout the body. The fur on an animal's body often depends on the season: it becomes lighter or darker.
Gray suit
It is possible to determine that an individual is gray only when it becomes an adult. The foal may be born bay. However, he gradually develops light gray hair, which becomes more numerous after each molt. Gray hair may turn white. Moreover, some individuals completely change color by the age of 4 years. Others retain dark spots even when they are older.
Uniform coloring in gray horses is considered rare. A distinctive feature is the presence of apples and a smaller pattern, which is called “buckwheat”.
White suit
White horses are rare. The reason for this is their high susceptibility to various diseases. Some individuals may be infertile. 1/5 of newborn foals do not survive to adulthood. Horses are distinguished by appropriately colored fur, light-colored hooves and pink skin. Horses are not considered albinos due to their brown eyes. The animal is born with white fur that does not change color throughout life.
Some zoologists claim that light gray horses are mistakenly called white. Due to the low content of gray pigment, animal fur appears completely bleached.
Genetics
When breeding, the selection rules are taken into account. Special pigments determined by genetics are responsible for the transmission of color. Gray color in horses at the genetic level is the strongest. In biology, such a trait is called dominant. The red color is “inferior” to it, that is, it is recessive. If a parent has a gray color, the children often look like him. The red color is obtained thanks to the protein pheomelanin.
The gene responsible for the “fiery” color is present in all breeds. It sometimes appears even after several generations. For example, chestnut foals are born to black mares and bay stallions because their ancestors had the gene responsible for the presence of pheomelanin.
If one of the parents is fiery and the other is not, the color of the offspring is difficult to know in advance, because the combination of genes is unpredictable. To obtain a suit, as a rule, parents of the same color are crossed.
Among the varieties of red color, game and isabella horses are less common. For this coloration, the Flaxen and Cremello genes must be expressed, respectively.
Rare horse colors
Individuals of less common colors are considered to be varieties - animals that appeared as a result of crossing pure colors.
Roan color
The coat of roan horses can have different color options: red-roan, savras-roan, bay-roan. Horses are often confused with representatives of the gray color. A distinctive feature is that roans do not turn gray as they mature. However, animal fur can change its shade to a darker one. The change depends on the time of year. At the same time, the head, mane, tail and lower parts of the legs retain their original color. Some individuals develop apples.
Igrenovaya
Horses of this color are distinguished by dark hair on the body, light mane and tail. The animals trace their origins to the red color. The color of the coat does not change depending on the season. You can find horses of this breed among Belgian and Russian draft horses, riding horses, and purebred Arabian horses. Horses of the Haflinger breed are always of a game color. Horses with a dark body and light tail and mane are often used for circus performances. However, thanks to their strength and endurance, animals can also participate in sports.
Karakova
Karak horses are descended from bay and black horses. Despite their resemblance to blacks, these horses have a distinctive feature: reddish tan markings on the lips and eyes, on the chest and groin. Markings in the form of stripes and spots are not typical for caracas. White lines on the nose and belly are rare, as is the appearance of apples. Apples indicate that the animal eats high-quality food and is kept in good conditions.
Isabella
A horse of the Isabella color is considered to be an undertone of the red color. It has genetic connections with the dun and nightingale. The nomadic peoples of Turkmenistan were engaged in breeding rare omatka. Such horses were valued by nomads for their graceful appearance and endurance. The Turkmens did not allow horses to come into contact with animals of other colors. Thanks to artificial insulation, the Isabella horse looks the same today as it did centuries ago.
The breed is distinguished by pale pink skin and light blue (less often green) eyes. In rare cases, the eyes may be brown. The Isabella horse is considered to be an albino horse. The coat has a creamy tint. According to legend, the suit got its name in honor of the Dutch Queen Isabella, who lived in the 17th century. The Queen vowed not to change her undershirt until the siege of the Belgian port of Ostend was over. And since the siege lasted about 3 years, the shirt became creamy.
Savrasaya
Savrasaya is genetically related to the bay. Horses have an uneven color: the hair on the belly is lighter than on the rest of the body. The breed is characterized by a light red color. The fur on the legs, hooves, mane and tail are black. Distinctive features of the appearance of individuals include white strands in the mane and tail. A more rare feature is considered to be a “web” - a network of dark stripes on the forehead.
The most ancient variety of color is considered to be the Norwegian Savras, bred on the territory of modern Norway. Horses have a peaceful nature and are distinguished by their endurance, which allows them to be used for agricultural work.
Gray stallion Smetanka
Gray trotters, bred by Count Orlov, are legendary horses with a genetically endowed ability for fast and agile running. The founder of this wonderful breed in Russia was the famous gray stallion Smetanka. The count brought this beautiful Arabian horse two hundred years ago from distant Turkey, having bought it there for fabulous, at that time, money from the Turkish Sultan.
The stallion received an unusual name for his magnificent gray color. The horse from Turkey was escorted to Russia, where, unfortunately, he did not live long, about one year. However, in such a short period of time, he managed to leave five offspring. The fact that could have caused the death of the wonderful light gray trotter still remains undetermined. There are two versions: the first attributes the cause of death to the careless and too rude handling of the count's groom, who struck Smetanka on the head. According to another version, the long journey and harsh local climate affected the health of the count’s favorite.
Photo of the Oryol trotter Smetanka
Surprisingly, in terms of physical characteristics, the horse Smetanka had an uncharacteristically long body. This feature was provided by auxiliary ribs and an additional vertebra in the dorsal spine.
Among the offspring left by Smetanka was a stallion named Polkan. His mother was a mare from the Danish breed. This stallion was not distinguished by great exterior grace. However, after Polkan mated with Friesland mares, the result was magnificent offspring, characterized by remarkable forms and a not so massive constitution.
All selection activities for the breeding of gray horses were aimed at preserving the following characteristics: endurance, which ensures this breed can overcome long distances and move energetically.
Guided by these very properties, only the best specimens were selected for further selection, which made it possible to develop the famous domestic breed of gray horses.
Caring for red horses
Comfortable living conditions and high-quality nutrition are the key to a horse’s longevity.
Diet
The main condition for a well-composed diet is its balance in nutrients, micro- and macroelements. There are certain rules according to which animals must be fed.
First of all, feed masses must be of good quality. Feeding sour fermented feed, old rotted hay and straw is unacceptable. The following components should be present in the animal's diet:
- Hay. It can be meadow, legume, or cereal. This is a reliable source of nutrients, which is fed without pre-treatment and in the cold season makes up more than half of the daily ration. Sometimes straw is used as a hay substitute, optimally oat and corn; it is crushed with the addition of hay in a 2:1 ratio, respectively.
- Chaff. It has a slightly higher quality than straw. It is fed boiled or steamed for better digestibility. It is recommended to mix chaff with chopped vegetables or haylage.
- Roots. They are boiled, crushed and fed along with grain feed. It is acceptable to feed potatoes, carrots and sugar beets.
- Concentrated feed. Oats, barley, rye, corn are crushed, flattened and fed in quantities of at least 4 kg daily. If the animal's teeth are healthy, oats can be given whole.
- Syrup. High-calorie food that allows you to quickly restore strength after a heavy load. Molasses is mixed with warm water in a ratio of 1:4, respectively, and soldered to the horse.
- Silo, haylage. They have good taste compared to straw and hay. They take up up to 60% of the diet in the absence of fresh green mass.
- Compound feed. Industrial mixtures that are used as complete feed in winter. They include grains, cake, pulp, meal, meat and bone meal, balanced in vitamins and mineral composition.
The average daily diet of an adult working animal should consist of 12 kg of hay, 5–6 kg of grains, 1 kg of bran, 4 kg of juicy green mass or vegetables.
Did you know? In 2011, the world's smallest foal was born on a private farm in New Hampshire. The baby, nicknamed Einstein, weighed about 2.5 kg at birth, and his height at the withers barely exceeded 20 cm. Surprisingly, Einstein did not suffer from dwarfism and had all the proportions of a healthy foal despite his tiny size.
Cleaning
Should be carried out daily, even if the animal was taken out of the stable only for a walk. Cleaning is carried out using special tools, including:
- scraper - used for the initial removal of dried dirt and droppings;
- hair brush - for more detailed soft cleaning of wool and skin;
- soft and hard mittens - they are used to smooth and polish the raised spine after cleaning;
- comb - used to comb the mane, bangs and tail;
- vacuum cleaner - needed to remove remaining dust and dandruff from the skin.
A special smoothly curved hook is used to clean hooves.
The hooves need to be tidied up several times a day - after each riding and walking on fine gravel. Clean the hooves, starting from the heels, and gradually move to their walls. Do not touch the frog under any circumstances - this is a very sensitive part of the hoof. On average, cleaning hooves by an experienced groom takes up to half an hour. Important! Regularity is important in feeding animals: it helps the horse develop a conditioned reflex for the time of feeding and the amount of food offered. Shortly before the time of feeding, his stomach will begin to secrete juices and enzymes necessary for the digestion of feed masses.
Horseshoe
A horse should be shoed taking into account its functional purpose. Riding animals need to be shod with lighter shoes on the front hooves and heavier ones on the back hooves. It is enough to shoe draft horses on two forelimbs, and racehorses - on all four. Horseshoeing is carried out by a specialist approximately every month and a half, as the horseshoes are knocked down.
The reshod procedure consists of inspecting the hoof, removing the old shoe, cleaning the hooves, and fitting a new shoe. A properly fitted horseshoe will protect the sole and heel without touching the frog. The edges of the nails remaining outside the horseshoe are bitten off with pliers. Only cooled horseshoes can be put on the hoof, since hot metal has a destructive effect on the structure of the hoof horn.
Video: how to shoe a horse
The influence of red color on character
Contrary to widespread prejudices about the bad temper of red horses, scientists have not been able to confirm the connection between the color of the animal and its behavior. Basically, the temperament of a horse is determined by its breed, conditions of detention and innate characteristics of the nervous system.
As for the nicknames assigned to red animals, in horse breeding they are not related to the color of the individual and are formed based on the nicknames of the parent couple.
When choosing the name of a domestic horse that will not be used in breeding work, you can be guided by your own tastes. It is believed that nicknames shape the character of an animal, so give preference to sonorous names. Bolivar, Bucephalus, Buyan, Zorro, Mars, Virginia - there are many beautiful names.
Focus on the characters of legends, films, stories, names of cosmic bodies and geographical objects. If you want to emphasize the unusual color of your pet, you can call it Red, Red, Rusty.
Read the description and features of keeping horses of such breeds as: Friesian, Yakut, Ardennes, Kabardian and Hanoverian.
Breeds
Cleveland Bay Horse
Every breed has bay representatives, and this is no coincidence. It is popular among breeders and horse breeders.
The Cleveland bay breed stands apart. There are only animals of this color here. They are powerful, chestnut in color. The breed is very old, and was bred in medieval England.
