Horse Markings Guide
When writing this section, again I did not realise the can of worms I was opening. Every society, association, region, county, state and country has different ideas and, of course, they are all right.
I have done my best to give you a simple guide to recognise and describe the basic different patterns and markings of your horse.
Dapples
This is used to describe the amazing circle pattern on the horse’s coat. This is mostly used to describe the grey horse but can be seen in any colour.
Flea Bitten
This describes the small specks of colour over the coat, mostly seen on grey horses. The specks can be any colour.
Ermine Marks
These are black spots seen on the horse, mostly on the white leg markings
Whorls
These are where the hair grows in different directions at one point. They are as individual to the horse as a fingerprint.
Phrophets Thumbprint
This is a depression in the muscle looking like a thumbprint. It is often found on the lower muscle of the neck and is supposed to signify good luck, if you believe in that kind of thing.
Dorsal Stripe
This is a dark stripe, often black, running from the withers down the spine to the tail. It is often seen on dun horses, and the Fjords are famous for it.
Leg Markings
Correctly, you can describe a white marking on a horse’s leg by saying, for example, “a white marking from the coronet band to midway up the cannon bone”.
There are some simple, well known descriptions that cover the most common markings.
White coronet band
This is a white marking that is just around the coronet band.
Sock
This describes the white marking that starts from the coronet band extending up to, but not including, the knee or hock.
Stocking
This describes the white marking That extends from the coronet band to the knee or hock and above.
Face Markings
Star
This is a small white mark on the forehead. If it covered a wide area it would be called a white forehead.
Stripe
This is a white line down the middle of the face
Blaze
This is a large white patch on the forehead, spreading down the middle of the face like a wide stripe and finishing on the muzzle.
Snip
This is a white marking or pink skin anywhere on the muzzle.
White Face
This is a very wide blaze that reaches close to or over the eyes.
Medicine Hat
This is most commonly used to describe a Paint horse that has coloured ears and top of the forehead, so it looks like they are wearing a hat.
Wall Eye
This describes a blue eye. It has this colour as there is a lack of pigmentation in the iris.
Final Thoughts
I have tried to keep it simple and correct and, as I have said in the colour section, my thanks goes to the facebook groups- “Cremello, Perlino champagne and smokey horses and other equine”, “Paint Horses Lovers” and “Appaloosa Appreciation Group” and many friends.
When I asked for photos of their lovely horses, the response was amazing.
We are just so lucky to have such stunning animals to work with.