【ℤA】Extended Color Guide (WIP)

[Ziel]

【ℤA’s Extended Color Guide】
Due to a lack of an current / updated color guide in HWO, I’ve decided to do my best to put together an extended guide of horse color within the game! This will include base coat colors, dilutions, and markings - including some more “unusual” examples.

Shoutout to these older guides that will help me fill in my own:
Horse Colours: Names and Pictures by Totina
Guide: How to identify my horse’s colour by Djeraya
HWO Horse Color Guide + What Color Is My Horse? by Argent

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【Table of Contents】
Use these links to navigate quickly between sections!
Base Coats | Dilutions | Markings | Unusual Examples

[Ziel]

【Base Coats】
A horse can only have two “true” base coat colors: Chestnut (Red) or Black. This is because there are only two base color genes, (E) + (e), which EVERY horse carries. All other genes that effect color are additional genes that alter the appearance of the Red or Black hair. That being said, because of their prevalence, Black horses carrying the Agouti marking genes are also referred to as “base” coat colors: Wild Bay, Bay, and Brown. Base coat colors can come in lighter or darker variations, without carrying any dilution or sooty genes.


A Chestnut horse carries two copies of the recessive gene, (e), which codes for Red hair. Their base color’s genome is therefore ALWAYS (e/e). A Chestnut horse may carry the Agouti genes, but as they cannot produce Black hair, it cannot be seen.


(NOTE: This example is a Mealy Flaxen Chestnut. Please pay attention ONLY to the base color on this horse!)
This is an example of a horse with a lighter Chestnut base color. It does NOT carry any dilution genes.


(NOTE: This example is a Flaxen Chestnut w/ Snowflake. Please pay attention ONLY to the base color on this horse!)
This is an example of a “Liver” Chestnut base color. While Liver Chestnuts can be very dark in color, they are NOT Black horses, and don’t necessarily carry the Sooty gene.
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The Black hair gene (E) is the dominant base color gene over (e). Therefore, a horse only needs one (E) gene to have a Black base. A pure Black horse can have a genome of either (E/E) or (E/e).


Just like Chestnut horses, Black horses can have a lighter or darker base color. This is a Black horse with a lighter base - neither this horse or the horse above displays a Dilution or Sooty.
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【The Agouti Gene】
The Agouti gene causes a Black based horse to regain red hair on some parts of the body. There are four Agouti genes: (a) for non-Agouti, (A+) for Wild Bay Agouti, (A) for Bay Agouti, and (At) for Brown Agouti.

(NOTE: This example is a Mealy Wild Bay Dun. Please pay attention ONLY to the black markings on this horse!)
The Wild Bay Agouti gene, (A+), causes red hair to grow on the main part of the body - only leaving the muzzle, mane, tail, and legs below the fetlock black in color. Wild Bay is dominant over all other Agouti genes, and therefore, a horse only needs one copy of it to be Wild Bay. A Wild Bay horse can carry Agouti gene combinations (A+/A+), (A+/A), (A+/At), or (A+/a).
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The Bay Agouti gene, (A), causes red hair to grow on the main part of the body, leaving only the legs, mane, tail, and muzzle black in color. This gene is dominant over the Brown Agouti gene (At), but recessive to the Wild Bay (A+). Therefore a Bay horse can carry the Agouti genes (A/A), (A/At), or (A/a).
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The Brown Agouti gene, (At), causes red hair in the form of “counter shading” to grow on the underside of the horse, and often around the muzzle and eyes. This gene is recessive to all other Agouti genes. Therefore, a Brown horse can only carry the Agouti genes (At/At) or (At/a).
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When writing genomes...
Please remember to include the base color AND any marking or dilution genes they carry!
EG: A Bay horse can have the genome (E/e/A/a).
This shows the horse has a Black base, but carries the recessive Chestnut gene - and it ALSO carries only ONE copy of the Bay Agouti gene.

[Ziel]

【Dilutions】
Dilutions are genes that make a horse lighter in color.

Dun (D) is a dominant gene that causes the body of the horse to be lighter in color, and leaves “points” on the legs and face dark - similar to a Siamese cat. Dun horses also have a dark stripe running down their spine, and can often have primitive striping on their backs, necks, and legs. A Dun horse can carry the genes (D/D) or (D/d). “(d)” is “no dun”.

More Examples: Bay Dun w/ NO Primitive Stripes
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[Ziel]

【Markings】

[Ziel]

【Unusual Examples】