5 Beautiful White Horse Breeds (True & Fake White Identification)

So how can horses that are not genetically white still display white-colored coats?

One type of white-looking horse is the “gray”, which is one of the most common types of horse coloring there is.

Gray horses usually start off another color, but, due to a certain gene being present, their coats turn gray as they age – and in some individuals, the coat may eventually become completely white.

However, grays can easily be distinguished from true whites – without the need for genetic testing – since they have dark rather than pink skin.

Furthermore, if you know that the horse was not white when it was born but became white later in life, you can also be sure that it isn’t a true white.

Another type of coat that can look white – or at least a cream color – is caused by dilution genes. These are genes that cause the pigmentation to be less pronounced rather than the lack of pigmentation altogether, so horses with dilution genes are not the same as white horses.

So in short, some horses may appear white, but this is just the appearance. Genetically, they aren’t white horses – 

even if they seem white to look at. Although if all you want is a horse that is white in color, this distinction might not be so important!

True White Horses

So now we understand the difference between true white horses that are white genetically and horses that just look white, we can have a look at the different breeds that can produce true white horses.

1. Thoroughbred

The thoroughbred is one of the most famous breeds of racehorse that dates back to 17th and 18th century England. The breed was created when Arabian, Barb and Turkoman stallions were crossed with local mares.

They are now an extremely popular horse that is found around the world. Due to their speed, they are mostly used for racing, but they can also be used for other activities such as dressage and show jumping.

The most common colors for this breed are bay, dark bay, chestnut, black or gray, but true white is also possible – although it is very rare. In thoroughbreds, whiteness is caused by a dominant white gene that causes pink skin and white hair all over the body.

2. Arabian

Most white Arabian horses are not true whites. Rather, they are gray horses with coats that have faded to white – but beneath the white coat, they have dark skin, showing that they are not genetically white horses.