Horse Markings

It is easy to tell the differences between horses and ponies when they are a different color, but many horses also have white markings to make them different as well. These horse markings are often on the head and legs and are usually white.



The following horse face markings and horse leg markings are fairly common and found on many horses.

The white markings on the horse's face include:

Star: white mark on the forehead. This is one of the most common pony or horse face markings and may range from just a few hairs to a fairly substantial white mark seen from a distance. If you know of a horse or pony called 'Star', they probably have this white marking on their face.

Stripe: narrow white mark on the forehead, somewhere between where the star goes and where the snip goes. Sometimes, it even joins onto a star or a snip.

Blaze: broad white mark on the forehead that is as wide as the nostrils and can go all the way from near the eyes to the muzzle.

White face: broad white mark on the forehead that can be wider than the nostrils and can go all the way around the eyes and the nose and the muzzle. That is a lot of white!

Snip: white mark between the nostrils. Sometimes this horse marking is missed, but have an extra look, a horse you know may have this marking and you weren't even aware!

The white markings on the horse's legs include:

Stocking: white extending from the hoof right up to the knee or the hock

Sock: white on the fetlock and up to the cannon bone

Pastern: white on the pastern

Coronet: white on the coronet

Some times people may also describe a horses white leg markings as 'White over fetlock' or whatever part of the horses leg is white.

Which white markings does your pony have?