NYC (and much of the country) will celebrate July 4 next week with fireworks, parades, and a sea of red, white and blue. Some horses in the U.S. are already coordinated for the patriotic holiday, without needing any body paint! Take a look:
Did you know that chestnut horses are considered RED, according to geneticists? Chestnuts come in all different tones, but some mature with a deep coppery red coat. The most famous horse to fit this description was Thoroughbred racing champion Secretariat, whose nickname was, quite appropriately, "Big Red."
Truly WHITE horses are quite uncommon. Most of the "white" horses we know are actually grays who have matured to a light shade. A bonafide white horse is born with white hair, pink skin and blue or brown eyes. They remain the same color of white (mudbaths notwithstanding) for life.
Not many mammals have natural BLUE coloration. In the equine world, the closest we get are the blue dun/grulla or blue roan, coat types. A blue roan has a black base color with mixed colored hairs that give a blueish cast. A blue dun, or blue grulla, has a solid slate blue-gray coat with dun striping.
HAPPY FOURTH!
