Horse Markings

Markings on horses are usually distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse’s life. Most markings have pink skin underneath the white hairs, though a few faint markings may occasionally have white hair with no underlying pink skin.

On a gray horse, markings visible at birth may become hidden as the horse turns white with age, but markings can still be determined by trimming the horse’s hair closely, then wetting down the coat to see where there is pink skin and black skin under the hair.

TYPES OF MARKINGS

Facial markings

  • Bald Face: a very wide blaze, extending to or past the eyes. Some, though not all baldfaced horses have blue eyes.
  • Blaze: a wide white stripe down the middle of the face
  • Snip: a white marking on the muzzle, between the nostrils.
  • Star: a white marking between or above the eyes.
  • Strip, stripe, or race: a narrow white stripe down the middle of the face.

    • Additional terms used to describe facial markings

  • Faint: A small, yet permanent marking that usually consists of white hairs without any underlying pink skin.
  • Interrupted: A marking, also usually a strip or blaze, that is broken and not solid for the entire length of the face.
  • Irregular or crooked: A marking, usually a strip or blaze, that does not have a more or less straight path.

    • Leg markings

  • Coronet: white just above the hoof, around coronary band,usually no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) above hoof.
  • Pastern: white marking that extends above the top of the hoof, but stops below the fetlock.
  • Fetlock: white marking that extends into the fetlock.
  • Sock: white marking that extends higher than the fetlock but not as high as the knee or hock.
  • Stocking: white marking that extends at least to the bottom of the knee or hock, sometimes higher.  

    • Additional terms used to describe leg markings

    • Partial: When the marking only extends up one side of the leg to the height indicated.
    • Ermine marks: The occurrance of black marks on the white, usually just above the hoof. 
    • “High White:” White stockings above the knee or hock, sometimes extending onto the flank or belly.