NWBHC Equinealities, Black Color

Black

No light passes through the hair on black horses due to the dense and compact pigment pattern. Without any light refraction, the only color is black. A coal black horse tends to have a dull finish a hair shaft of that horse is not as smooth as that of a raven black horse. Black horses of draft and heavy-boned breeds, as well as cobby-type pony breeds, are more apt to be coal black, while black horses of the light boned breeds of saddle horses tends to be raven black.

Coal Black

With the pigmentation laid exactly perpendicular to the hair shaft, there is no reflection of light on a coal black horse. Only the oils of a well-groomed horse of this color are apt to show any sheen.

Raven Black

Layers of pigment are in stacks perpendicular to the shaft of hair and are extremely compact in the hair. The pigment is also at a slight angle, causing the very edges to pick up enough light to reflect purplish highlights in the sheen.

Look for an update on this article with genetic information soon.

Source:

Green, Dr. Ben. The Color of Horses, The Scientific and Authoritative Identification of the Color of the Horse. Northland Publishing. 1974.

See also:

Sponenberg, Dr. Phillip, DVM, PhD. Equine Color Genetics. Iowa State University Press. 1996.

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Bibliography

© Copyright 1997-2002 NorthWest Breyer Horse Club.
Published April 1996 in the North West Breyer Horse Club newsletter. (em)

© 1997-2007 NW Breyer Horse Club
& Refiner of Gold Creations
Equinealities in place since 1997,
Section in place 2001,
Updated 3/13/2007