Seal Brown (horse)

Seal Brown (horse)

Seal brown is a hair coat color of horses characterized by a near-black body color; with black points, the mane, tail and legs; but also reddish or tan areas around the eyes, muzzle, behind the elbow and in front of the stifle. The term is not to be confused with "brown", which is used by some breed registries to refer to either a seal brown horse or to a dark bay without the additional characteristics of seal brown genetics.

The genetically and visually similar dark bay coat color, which also features black points and a near-black body, differs from true seal brown in the absence of these true tan markings. The term "seal brown" is to be distinguished from the term "brown." Another mimic is the liver chestnut, an all-over dark brown coat including mane and tail, that is sometimes confused with seal brown. However, true seal browns have black points, while liver chestnuts do not.

The genetic study of seal brown is very new. Several theories were advanced in the last century to explain the heredity of the seal brown coat, and today, true seal brown horses can be distinguished from bays by a DNA test.