Horses come in such a wide range of colors that entire books have been devoted to describing them.  In addition to base colors, there are many variations in patterns and markings, which can make it very difficult to remember them all.  The following colors are some of the more common colors found in horses.

Bay – A bay is a brown horse with black markings on its legs and face, along with a black mane and tail.  This is the most common horse color.

Black – A black is just that – black.  Not all blacks are created equally, however.  There are true blacks that stay black year-round, and there are summer blacks, who lighten up to a frosted brown-black during the summer.

Grey – Greys are tricky for beginners to discern.  A grey is actually all white, but its skin is black, which gives it a grey undertone.

White – A true white horse is all white, but has pink skin, which differentiates it from a grey.

Chestnut/Sorrel – Red, orange and reddish-brown tones make up the many hues called a chestnut. 

Palomino – A palomino is what we would call blond in humans, but it has white points – mane, tail, legs and face.

Buckskin – Buckskins are a deer-colored brown, which can range from a light creamy butter color to a dark, rich brown with black on their legs, faces, mane and tail.

The many colors of horses are part of what makes them so beautiful and appealing.  While these colors are the more common horse colors, there are many variations within the colors for a seemingly endless variety.