White horse

This article is about visually white horses. For the dominant white gene, see Dominant white. For Sabino-white, see Sabino horse. For horses with progressive silvering of the coat, see Gray horse. For other uses, see White horse (disambiguation).
White horse
Dominant purebred white stallion
Genotype
Base colorDominant white
SkinWhite

A white horse is born predominantly white and stays white throughout its life. A white horse has mostly pink skin under its hair coat, and may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant white (W) genes, are rare. Most horses that are commonly referred to as "white" are actually "gray" horses whose hair coats are completely white. Gray horses may be born of any color and their hairs gradually turn white as time goes by and take on a white appearance. Nearly all gray horses have dark skin, except under any white markings present at birth. Skin color is the most common method for an observer to distinguish between mature white and gray horses.[1]

  1. ^ "Introduction to Coat Color Genetics" from Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. Web Site accessed January 12, 2008