12 Bay Roan Horse Breeds

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Table of Contents

What Is a Bay Roan Horse?

Bay roan horse breeds have a uniform blend of white hair and bay hair, and this mixture makes their coat look lighter than the typical bay color. However, their head, mane, lower legs, and tail typically retain the color black.

Since bay hair is typically reddish/brownish, bay roan horses look like red roan horses. But while bay roan horses have black points, red roans have red points.

The roan pattern in horses is pretty exciting. It creates a visual appeal that drives the desire of equestrians for roan horses. If you are curious to know even more about the pattern, you could read more about roan horses here.

Below, we compile a list of 12 bay roan horse breeds. We talk about their origin, size, other color patterns they can have, and much more. Read on and enjoy.

Appaloosa

The Appaloosa horse breed is an American breed known for its colorfulness. It can come in various colors and markings, such that each Appaloosa horse is pretty distinct from any other.

Besides coming in bay roan, Appaloosa horses can be blue roan or red roan. They can also be palomino, dun, grulla, black, bay, dark bay, brown, chestnut, and perlino.

Apart from having many coat colors, Appaloosa horses have different types of facial patterns. They include snip, bald, star, blaze, and stripe.

Appaloosa horses come in several standard coat patterns. Amongst these patterns are leopard, blanket, marble, snowflake.

Besides their colorfulness, Appaloosa horses stand out amongst other breeds because of their unique hooves striping. Unlike most horse breeds, the striping on Appaloosa horse hooves is vertical with a pattern of alternating light and dark.

The average Appaloosa horse stands at around 14 to 15 hands and weighs between 900 and 1200 pounds. Appaloosa horses are loyal, gentle, hardy, and agile. These make the fitting for all levels of riders, including children.

American Quarter Horse

The American Quarter horse is also an American horse breed—and it is one of the oldest ones. American Quarter horses have a compact, muscular body, telling of their agility and speed.

While the brownish-red sorrel is the most common color of American Quarter horses, they also come in bay roan and other roan variations. You may also find American Quarter horses in solid colors, grullo, grays, duns, palomino, and buckskins.

On average, American Quarter horses are between 14 and 16 hands tall. They weigh around 950 and 1200 pounds and live for up to 25 years.

American Quarter horses are gentle, calm, kid-friendly, and highly trainable. Once trained, they are easy to keep. However, they are prone to some diseases, including chronic lameness and malignant hyperthermia.

Clydesdale

Clydesdale is a Scottish horse breed from Lanarkshire, Scotland. This breed is unique for various reasons, including its high-leg gait action, large hooves, and feathered legs.

Clydesdale horses are typically bay, black, or dark brown. However, they may have solid colors or roan markings.

Clydesdale horses average around 16 to 18 hands while weighing between 1600 and 2400 pounds, making them one of the heaviest horse breeds in the world.

Interestingly, while they are huge, Clydesdale horses are gentle, intelligent, calm, trainable, and easy to handle. These traits make them compatible with owners and riders of all levels.

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is an English horse breed revered for its use in racing. But beyond racing, people also use Thoroughbred horses for show jumping, polo, dressage, hunting, and more.

Thoroughbred horses can be bay, black, gray, brown, and chestnut with roan or palomino patterns. They are generally tall, slim, and broad-chested with long legs.

The average Thoroughbred horse stands at around 15 to 17 hands while weighing around 990 to 1200 pounds. Thoroughbred horses are intelligent, bold, energetic, and spirited. They can live for 25 to 35 years.

Ardennes Horse

Ardennes horses have Belgian origin. They are perfect for pulling heavy items thanks to their heavy bones and gigantic body frame. Unsurprisingly, their primary use has been as draft horses. In fact, they are one of the oldest draft horse breeds.

Ardennes horses are commonly bay, with roan being the common pattern. However, they may also be gray, chestnut, or black with palomino.

The average Ardennes horse stands 16 hands tall. Ardennes horses can weigh as much as 2200 pounds. The height coupled with their massive weight makes them one of the heaviest horse breeds.

While Ardennes horses are gigantic, they have a gentle temperament. Apart from that, they are people-oriented, intelligent, and trainable.

Ardennes horse will thrive with moderate care. On average, they can live for up to 31 years.

Tennessee Walking Horse

Tennessee Walking horses also go by the names Walkers and Plantation Walking horses. As their name implies, this breed originates from the state of Tennessee, USA.

The Tennessee Walking horse breed has a unique running walk. Hence, the “walking” part of its name.

Tennessee Walking horses come in bay, black, brown, chestnut, gray, pure white, and yellow, and they can be roan. They can also be palomino, dun, pinto, and buckskin.

The Tennessee Walking horse height range generally falls between 14.3 and 17 hands. The weight of the breed is typically around 900 to 1200 pounds.

Tennessee Walking horses are perhaps the most mild-tempered breed by nature. They are gentle, warm-blooded, string, loving, and athletic.

Morgan Horse

The Morgan horse breed is an American breed—one of the earliest breeds developed in the United States. At one point, it was even the most widespread horse breed in the US.

Morgan horses are strong with a compact frame and a majestic posture. These characteristics give them a distinctive appearance relative to other breeds.

Morgan horses can come in all equine colors. However, solid-colored bays, chestnuts, and blacks are most common. Still, they could be roan, palomino, pinto, dun, or gray.

Beyond their compact structure and wide color range, Morgan horses are friendly and willing to please their handlers. They are also loyal and affectionate.

On average, Morgan horses stand at around 14.1 to 15.2 hands. They weigh between 900 and 1100 pounds and live as long as 30 years.

Dartmoor Pony

Dartmoor Ponies walking in the filed ee220329

Dartmoor pony is an English horse breed native to Dartmoor, Devon, England. Known for their excellent riding and jumping abilities, Dartmoor ponies are gentle, kind, and happy to be around humans. Hence, people consider them to be a top riding pony for kids.

While domesticated Dartmoor ponies may be kind, the wild/roaming ones may not be.

Dartmoor ponies come in brown, black, bay, gray, and chestnut, and they may have the roan pattern. Going by their name, it is not surprising that Dartmoor ponies are only about 12 hands tall and 440 pounds in weight.

Dartmoor ponies are medium length with a muscular body and a small head. On average, they can live for around 25 to 30 years.

Swedish Warmblood

As their name implies, Swedish Warmbloods are a warmblood horse breed with roots tied to Sweden. They are the product of a cross between Spanish and Friesian horses.

Swedish Warmbloods commonly come in bay, chestnut, and brown. They can also be black, but this is rare. Swedish Warmbloods can be roan, pinto, or tobiano.

Swedish Warmbloods are typically around 16 to 17 hands tall, and they weigh about 1025 pounds on average.

You can use Swedish Warmbloods in various sports, including dressage, racing, jumping, and riding. Swedish Warmbloods are calm, friendly, and quiet, and they can live as long as 25 years.

Standardbred Horse

Standardbred is an American breed primarily used for harness racing. But beyond harness racing, Standardbreds are also perfect for endurance riding, pleasure driving, jumping, and speed games.

Standardbred horses have incredible stamina and speed, and they look a lot like Thoroughbred horses. However, they are smaller with longer, lower bodies and heavier bones.

Standardbreds are typically 15 to 16 hands tall while weighing 900 to 1000 pounds. They come in various colors, including bay, brown, chestnut, and gray. While their coats come in solid colors, they may also be roan. Standardbreds typically have no spots, patches, or facial markings.

Standardbreds enjoy having humans around. They are generally friendly and calm, and they live for up to 25 to 30 years.

Mustang Horse

Mustang horses are American horses with some Spanish heritage. Thanks to the wildness in their heritage, Mustang horses are hardy and surefooted. This makes them perfect as draft horses and trail horses.

Mustang horses are generally intelligent. However, their overall behavior around humans depends on their training and background. In general, Mustang horses can become calmer with training and handling.

On average, Mustang horses stand at around 14 to 16 hands. They weigh about 800 pounds and live for up to 40 years.

Percheron

The Percheron is a French horse breed from the Perche region. It is one of the oldest draft horses, and it has been in use in the United States for almost 2 centuries.

Percherons are large. The average Percheron weighs 1900 to 2100 pounds while standing at 16 to 17 hands.

While Percherons do not have heavy feathering like Clydesdales, their legs are muscular. Apart from that, their mane and tails are typically wavy and thick.

Percherons come in bay, chestnut, gray, and black, and their coat can be roan or sorrel. They are typically willing to please their handlers, and they are friendly. On average, Percherons live for around 25 to 30 years.