The coat is one of the most fascinating aspects of the horse: it is not just a matter of aesthetics, but the direct result of genetics. Coat colors depend mainly on a few key genes that regulate pigment production and distribution, giving rise to an incredible variety of shades.

Based on the combination of hair and mane, coats are divided into several broad categories.

Simple capes

In these coats,  the coat and mane are the same color.

• Morello: uniform black, which may be more or less shiny.
• Sauro: varies from light red to very dark red; genetically, it is one of the “basic” coats.
• White: rare, with light skin; not to be confused with gray, which starts out dark and lightens with age.

Curiosità genetica: il mantello sauro compare solo quando il cavallo non possiede il gene del nero.

Two-color coats

Here,   the hair and mane are different colors.

• Bay: brown coat with black mane and hooves, one of the most common colors.
• Isabella and falbo: light shades with black hair, due to the action of dilution genes.
• Sorcino: gray-lead coat with black mane.

Genetic curiosity: the bay is genetically “black,” but the Agouti gene limits black to the mane and limbs only.

Two-color blended capes

• Grigio: formato da peli bianchi e neri; può essere chiaro, scuro o pomellato.
• Ubero: a mixture of white and reddish-yellow.

Genetic curiosity : gray is not a color per se, but a gene that causes the horse to gradually lighten in color with age.

Three-color blended cloaks

• Roan: mixture of white, red, and black hairs, with different shades.

Curiosità genetica: nel roano la distribuzione dei peli resta stabile nel tempo, a differenza del grigio.

The world of horse blankets shows how a few genes, combined together, can create an extraordinary variety of colors. Each horse carries a unique and fascinating genetic signature on its coat.