Horse Markings

By Sarah Myles

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.

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