Flaxen chestnut

A chestnut with strikingly light, almost blonde mane and tail.

Flaxen chestnut: A chestnut with strikingly light, almost blonde mane and tail.

What does this colour look like?

A reddish-brown body with clearly lighter, cream-white to blonde mane and tail. The contrast can recall a palomino.

Body
reddish-brown
Mane and tail
flaxen to almost white
Legs
reddish-brown
Skin
dark
Eyes
brown

How does this colour arise?

Still an ordinary chestnut, but with naturally much lighter mane and tail.

More about the genetics

Flaxen is a feature on top of chestnut (e/e). The inheritance is not fully understood and there is no reliable commercial test. Key difference from palomino: with flaxen the body is reddish-brown (red pigment), with palomino golden due to the cream gene.

What is this colour often confused with?

  • Palomino

    You recognise a palomino by its golden coat with light, almost white mane and tail.

  • Chestnut

    A chestnut is reddish-brown, with mane and tail the same shade or lighter, never black.

Which breeds show this colour?

Haflinger

Discover more

Seal brownLiver chestnutTest your knowledge in the quizAll coat colours

Sources: Sponenberg, D.P. & Bellone, R.R. (Wiley-Blackwell). The source lists this as still to be verified; provisional.