Dapple Gray Horse

Dapple gray is an intermediate step of the coat turning gray in horses. It is an attractive coloration characterized by a dark-haired coat with dapples (dark rings containing light hairs on the inside) scattered all over the body.

To people unfamiliar with horses, a gray coat may look like white. While graying is the progressive silvering of colored hairs, gray horses typically have dark eyes and black skin with the adult coat being dappled, white, or mixed with other colors. However, white horses are characterized by pink skin and blue eyes.

Gray horses can be of any color at birth. As these horses mature, the base color is replaced by white hairs. Over time, the color changes to rose gray, iron-gray, or dapple gray and as these horses age, the coat color lightens to a flea-bitten gray pattern or pure white.

Horse Breeds That Can Have Dapple Gray Coat Color

• Orlov Horse
• Irish Sport Horse
• Poitevin Horse
• Andalusian
• Standardbred Horse
• Lipizzan Horse
• Percheron
• Hanoverian Horse
• Oldenburg Horse
• Mangalarga Marchador

Dapple Gray Horse Pictures