Bay Horse Color

Bay horse color is not difficult to spot. Examine the common “brown” horse. Does it have ebony eyes? Are its lower legs, ear tips and mane black? Is the equine animal reddish brown or dark brown? A yes to all these questions confirms one thing: you’ve seen a bay horse! Several breeds sport this familiar brownish hue.

For a bay to be called such, don’t just look for a lump of brown horse hairs. You should be able to see “black points” as well. These points are the dark areas in the hair coat covering the horse’s ear tips and lower legs.

The skin under the horse hair is naturally dark. However, to balance the “black points,” there are also typically light-brown areas around a bay horse’s eyes and muzzle, elbows and flanks. You can also find the skin beneath any white markings pinkish.In genetics, bay horse color is something that you would call a primary or base color. Other genes are believed to create several additional horse coat colors, including varying shades of bay. How many of them do you know? Read on to find out!

Varying Shades of Bay

“Brown” isn’t the only word you can use to describe the hue. This particular horse coat has varying shades and qualities. Most of the differences may be due to a combination of factors such as genetics, diet and hygiene.

Anyway, here are some striking shades of bay

Shade	Description
Light red	Similar to light-red copper
Rich red	Similar to rich blood, deemed the “best” variety
Very dark red	Also called “dark bay”
Very dark brown	Also called “dark bay”
Dark brown	Also called “black and tan”
Brown	Similar to a brown seal’s coat
Pale	Also called “wild bay”
Mahogany	None
Black	None

Dark
Many languages use “dark brown” and “black and tan” interchangeably. You see, a dark brown bay horse has a coat that’s almost black. If you look closely though, you’ll find some brownish red hair in the muzzle, eyes, elbows and stifles (hind knees) of the horse.
Pale
You can’t find the exact English word to describe how light is light, but take note that pale bays (or wild bays) are by no means white! Their coat is still reddish, but their “black points” have smaller coverage, reaching only up to the fetlock (horse’s ankle) or the pastern (the boney area in front of the legs and above the foot). Their underbellies are also light colored.

Dappling and Turning Orange-Gold

Regardless of the shade of bay the horse coat is, you can be sure that the coat is rich with either brownish or reddish pigments. If you take good care of it and groom it well, a coat of bay horse color will even have a special sheen in it when exposed to light.

Some bays dapple. This means that they might develop lighter or darker rings of hair throughout the body. Don’t be alarmed when this happens. Dappling is a sign of pampering! The phenomenon may have something to do with genetics too, as there are some well-groomed bays that never dapple.

Another interesting thing with bay horse color is that when you give the animal a shave, you could see its coat turn into a dull and lighter orange-gold! This is because there are two color tones to the hair shafts of a reddish bay horse. When you shave too closely, you expose the lighter tone. Of course, once the hair grows to its full length, you can expect the bay horse to return to its original, darker shade. Very dark bays rarely turn orange-gold however. Experts believe this is due to very little red pigmentation in the hair shaft.

Dark Bay vs. Liver Chestnut

Remember not to confuse dark bay horse color with the liver chestnut shade. Although both horses may be “brown,” the bay has always has some black spots, while the chestnut doesn’t.

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Bay Horse Color

Varying Shades of Bay

Anyway, here are some striking shades of bay

Dark

Pale

Dappling and Turning Orange-Gold

Dark Bay vs. Liver Chestnut