Black/brown/or Dark Bay !

[Dovorian]

I've described my horse as black - because he is mostly! The exceptions are a brownish muzzle and white star and a few rug marks on his withers. I was told by a vet recently that she should be categorised as brown .... is that because of his nose?

 

[bandit]

i'd agree - say dark brown if you want.

it's rare to get a black horse and they are black all over.

white stars / socks don't count in the main colour unless its a pie/skew bald.

Bx

 

[emma69]

A black horse is black all over, so yes, brown would be the correct term.

 

[_OC_]

My mare was this colour and was vetted as dark bay!

 

[Thistle]

If mane and tail are black tthen it should be bay, if they are dark brown the horse is brown.

 

[PinkFairy]

Ooooh..horsey i ride was classed as dark brown but she's got a black mane and tail.. but is VERY dark chocolatey brown.. dark bay then methinks!

 

[Dovorian]

Thank you - the snag now is that the chip company recorded him as black ....... will have to send them a cc of the vet ID and see if they will play ball!

 

[catembi]

H'mm... I thought I had a dark brown mare, but she was vetted as dark bay & then I felt a total muppet for not knowing what colour my own horse was....

 

[SJFAN]

Good luck - definitely can't be called black if he has a brown muzzle - I remember learning this many years ago!

 

[claireross]

Confusing isn't it, my daughters pony is bay, but her passport says brown?????

 

[beaconhorse]

yep thats true.

My own horse is lighter but because he doesn't have black points he is classed as liver chestnut

 

[dieseldog]

My new horse is 100% black as she has a black nose - but her ISH passport says Bay and her FEI passport says Brown

 

[merlinsquest]

Merlin is black, has black legs and muzzle but in the sun gets a ginge tinge round his flanks...... I say he is black though

 

[Eceni]

There used to be a colour called black-brown to get round this but no-one seems to use it any more.

but the other posters are right, if the points are black, what you have is a very, very dark bay

some horses show differently in summer and winter coat which can be confusing, but there aren't many breeds (fells, dales, friesians, andalusians, arabs) that carry the true blue-black with no brown in them.

E