What colours will suit my horse?

Introduction to Horse Colors

There are a large variety of horse colors, but they can generally be divided into a few categories. The most common colours are chestnut, bay, black, white, piebald/skewbald (or if you're American, 'paint') and grey. Within each of these categories, there are many shades and variations. For example, a chestnut horse can have a reddish or golden tint to their coat.

Bay horses are usually brown with black manes and tails. Black horses can range from true black to dark brown. Grey horses may start out as one of the other colors, but their coat will eventually turn white or silver with age.

Less common colours include roan, palomino, buckskin, and Appaloosa. Roans have intermingled white and colored hairs on their body, while palominos are golden with white manes and tails. Buckskins are similar to bay horses, but with a golden or dun hue to their coat. Appaloosas often have a spotted coat pattern and mottled skin.

When deciding what colour suits your horse best, it is important to consider what you will be using them for. If you plan on showing your horse in competition, then you will want to choose a colour that is not too flashy or unusual to comply with guidelines. For pleasure riding or trail riding, any colour is fine as long as you like the way they look! Additionally, if you're going out hacking especially on the roads the highly visible colours is best so other road users can see you and if you can have reflective items on as well that is a huge bonus.

Picking Colours for Different Horses

There are a few things to consider when picking colors for different horses. The main thing to think about is what colour will look best on your horse and complement their coat. You'll also want to consider what colour will be easiest to keep clean, as some colours can be more difficult to maintain than others.

According to the colour theory, colours opposite eachother on the colour wheel will compliment each other. One half of the wheel has warm toned colours and the other half has cool toned colours. The main colours that compliment are red and green, orange and blue, yellow and purple. You can apply this to the undertones of a horses coat colour for example; chestnuts have a red undertone to their coat so green tones will suit them. Having said that, black, white, grey, and piebald/skewbald horses tend to suit most colours due to being neutral coloured.

Selecting Colours For Riding

There are a few things to consider when selecting colors for your horse. If you are looking for colours that will show off your horse's natural beauty, then you will want to choose colours that compliment their coat. For example, if your horse has a black coat, you may want to choose a saddle and bridle that are black or Havana to match. If your horse has a white coat, you may want to choose matching accessories that are light coloured. You can also use colour to make your horse stand out in a crowd. For example, if you are participating in cross country, you may want to choose colours that will be visible at distance and high speed. An advantage of wearing bright, highly visible, colours while out hacking is that if you were to have an accident in a remote location, then you would be easily  be seen by emergency services from the air.

Conclusion

Finally, personal preference should also be taken into account when choosing colours for your horse. If you have a favorite colour or two that you think would look good on your horse, go for it! Ultimately, you'll want to choose colours that make you and your horse feel confident and stylish.

With so many potential colour combinations, it can be daunting to decide what will look best on your horse. However, by considering the different factors such as what you're doing, coat colour and preference, you can narrow down your selection and find a colour scheme that is perfect for them. By taking into account all these factors when choosing colours for your horse, you can be sure to create an eye-catching outfit that both you and your trusty steed will love!