Grey Horse Coat Color Modifier

The greying gene is found in most breeds of horse and has the ability to mask all other colors or patterns, including pinto, appaloosa and roan white patterns.

Exciting Grey

The greying process is similar to that of humans, animals are born their base color and slowly become grey with age. The process often starts when foals shed their coat, but can wait several years to show. Greying will progress at different rates in different horses, but animals will eventually turn white (often around 6-8 years). You can tell roughly how old a grey horse is by how much white is on their body.

Quick Grey Facts

Grey modifier removes pigment from hairs and skin as the horse ages
Pigment is gradually deposited in the gut and intestines
Greying varies between horses, breeds and base colors
First signs of greying is usually around the eyes
The gray gene is dominant and does not skip generations

Grey Breeds

While most breeds have the grey modifier, not many are exclusively grey in color. However, there are two that are known for this beautiful coloring, the French Camargue Horse and the Austrian Lipizzan. Incidentally both breeds that have a long and rich European history.

Grey Shades

Every grey horse will go through a variety of striking stages during the greying out process, which also varies by horse, breed, base color and local conditions. Not all animals will show dappling, technically called progressive depigmentation, but it certainly makes for a flashy season or two. The different stages of an aging grey animal are loosely categorized below for visual reference.

Steel grey
The earliest stage of greying and found on young black or brown horses. Steel grey can range from almost black to a dark grey.

Steel Grey

Rose grey
Rose grey is the greying out of a bay or chestnut coat and creates a variety of interesting pink and grey colors, sometimes mixed.

Rose Grey

Dapple grey
Any base color can display dapples, but they are more obvious black or brown coats. This is the second stage of greying.

Dapple Grey

Fleabitten grey
As grey animals get older they will become mostly white or light grey with specks of their base color throughout their coat.

Fleabitten Grey

White grey
White grey is the final stage of greying and only found in mature animals, after all of the pigment is gone from the hair.

White Grey