10 Blue Roan Horse Breeds

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What Is a Blue Roan Horse?

A blue roan horse is a horse whose coat has the bluish variation of the roan pattern. The coat of a blue roan horse contains a homogenous mixture of white and black hair, which looks blue from a distance.

While most of their coat may have a bluish appearance, the head and lower legs of blue roan horses are typically darker than the rest of the body. In those areas, you will find little or no white hair.

Below, you will find that we’ve compiled a list of 10 blue roan horse breeds. We talk about their origin, size, unique features, other color patterns they can have, and much more. Read on and enjoy.

1. American Quarter Horse

The American quarter horse is one of the oldest American horse breeds and one of the earliest warmbloods. Members of this breed are agile and fast, thanks to their compact, muscular bodies. The primary purpose of breeding American Quarter horses was for quarter-mile races. Hence, the “quarter” in their name.

American Quarter horses have a heritage consisting of various horse breeds, including Belgians, Thoroughbreds, Percherons, wild mustangs, and some other native Spanish horses.

American Quarter horses come in 17 officially accepted colors. While the brownish-red sorrel is the most common color, you may also find them in blue roan, bay roan, black, brown, red roan, chestnut, gray, and many more colors.

The average American Quarter horse stands at around 14 to 16 hands while weighing 900 to 1,200 pounds. American Quarter horses are calm, kid-friendly, gentle, and easy to train. They live for an average of 25 years.

2. Paso Fino

The Paso Fino is a Puerto Rican horse breed with some Spanish heritage. Known for their three gait speeds, classic fino, paso corto, and paso largo, Paso Fino horses are swift and athletic. Beyond that, they are elegant, hardy, and surefooted. Unsurprisingly, they find various purposes, especially in trail riding.

The Paso Fino Horse Association registers Paso Fino horses in all colors. Of course, this means the breed comes in various colors, including blue roan. However, you are more likely to find them colored brown, chestnut, bay, and black.

Paso Fino horses are relatively small. On average, they stand at around 13.3 to 14.2 hands. Their average weight range is 700 to 1,000 pounds. But even with their small size, they carry heavy loads without fuss.

Paso Fino horses are great overall. However, they are prone to degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD). Still, they have a life expectancy of up to 25 years.

3. Mustang

Mustang horses are an American horse breed with a heritage tied to the horses the Spanish explorers brought to the Americas. They became feral, and thanks to that, mustang horses are hardy and surefooted.

Because mustang horses are hardy and surefooted, they are perfect as trail horses and draft horses. But mustang horses are pretty versatile. Besides trail riding and draft use, you can use them in dressage.

Mustang horses are free-roaming. So, they show various characteristics, depending on the herd they move with. In other words, because mustang horses are free-roaming, you can find them in any coat color, including blue roan.

Mustang horses are typically 14 to 16 hands tall. They weigh around 800 pounds and can live as long as 40 years.

When trained well, mustangs will be calm and mannerly around humans. However, with inadequate handling, they may be reactive and easily spooked.

4. American Saddlebred

close up photo of a American Saddlebred Horse

The American Saddlebred is one of the most widely known American horse breeds. It originated from Kentucky and was widely used during the Civil War.

Like the Paso Fino horses, American Saddlebred horses have natural gaits. However, unlike Paso Fino horses, American Saddlebreds can have three gaits or five gaits.

Saddlebreds with three gaits can do the animated walk, canter, and trot. Those with five gaits can do those three gaits, alongside a rack and a slow gait.

Saddlebreds come in various coat colors, including blue roan. You may find them in bay, chestnut, gray, and black. Besides roan, they may have other special patterns, including pinto and palomino.

People value Saddlebreds for their calm, gentle, and friendly temperament. But beyond that, Saddlebreds are pretty versatile. You can use them for trail riding, shows, and almost any equine event or competition.

Saddlebreds live for around 25 to 30 years. They grow as tall as 15-16 hands while weighing 1,000-1,200 pounds.

5. Breton

The Breton is a French horse breed that exists in two variants: Trait Breton and Postier Breton. Of the two variants, the Trait Breton is heavier, while the Postier Breton is more agile.

Besides the two primary subtypes of Breton horses, there is a third variant. This third variant – the Corlay Breton – is smaller than the Trait Breton and Postier Breton.

Breton horses are typically chestnut with flaxen tails and manes. However, you may find them in other colors, including roan, bay, and gray.

Traditionally, Breton horses are workhorses. But these days, they find various purposes, including riding and carriage.

The average Breton horse lives for up to 25 years. Breton horses are typically 15-16 hands tall while weighing 1,250-1,700 pounds.

6. Brabant

The Brabant is a Belgian horse breed closely related to the American Belgian horse breed. In fact, it is the foundation breed for the American Belgian horse.

Brabant horses are one of the strongest draft horses, and they are perhaps the heaviest draft horse breed. Besides being workhorses, people sometimes raise Brabants for meat.

Brabant horses come in various colors, including blue roan, bay roan, bay, and chestnut. They are typically 14 to 17 hands tall and 1,500 to 3,000 pounds heavy.

7. American Paint Horse

American Paint Horse running in the forest

American Paint horses are an American breed famed for their unique coloring. Their coats typically come as a mixture of white and other colors, and this mixture could be one of many patterns. Such patterns include tobiano, overo, and tovero.

While Paint horses typically have patterned coats, they can also be solid-colored or almost solid-colored. People call those with solid coats “solid paint bred.”

American Paint horses come in various colors, including blue roan, black, bay, chestnut, dun, or palomino.

When Paints have the tobiano pattern, their tail and withers have white patches. However, their head and flanks have color. In some cases, the tail and manes of tobiano Paints have two colors, while their heads have star, stripe, or blaze markings.

American Paint horses with the overo pattern have solid-colored backs. They also have colored legs, which may or may not have white stockings. The face of an overo Paint is white. They also have white patches on many other body parts.

Paints with the tovero pattern are white in most places. But then, their upper head, chest, and flanks have a color. Sometimes, Paints with a tovero coat have blue eyes.

The average Paint is 14 to 16 hands tall and 900 to 1,200 pounds heavy. Besides being colorful, they are calm, friendly, athletic, and intelligent. This makes them ideal for riders and owners of all levels.

American Paint horses can live for up to 30 years. They were traditionally a draft and transportation breed. However, these days people use them in various equine sports.

8. Welsh Pony

As the name implies, the Welsh pony is a horse breed from Wales. While they are comparatively small, Welsh ponies are quite strong. Unsurprisingly, people used them in coal mines and for pulling carts in sporting arenas.

Welsh ponies vary greatly. Hence, there are multiple classes within this breed.

Based on height, they fall into four classes: Welsh Mountain pony, Welsh pony of riding type, Welsh pony of Cob type, and the Welsh Cob.

Welsh ponies typically have solid colors. But they may also be bay, black, cream, chestnut, blue roan, red roan, and other roan variations. However, they are never skewbald or piebald.

The average Welsh pony is around 11 to 14.2 hands tall and 400 to 700 pounds heavy.

Welsh ponies are pretty social, so they thrive amongst other horses. In general, they are friendly and easy to manage. But then, you may find some tough ones.

Welsh ponies have a life expectancy of up to 35 years.

9. Appaloosa

The Appaloosa is an American breed that stands out because of its unique coat pattern. Horses of this breed come with mottled or spotted coats, which could have one of several patterns. Of these patterns are marble, blanket, snowflake, and leopard.

Appaloosa horses can have one of many base colors, including blue roan, bay roan, red roan, gray, black, brown, chestnut, bay, and dark bay. They could also be palomino, perlino, dun, or grulla.

The average Appaloosa horse is 950 to 1,200 pounds heavy while standing at around 14 to 15 hands tall. Besides being colorful, Appaloosa horses are loyal, gentle, agile, and hardy. On average, they live as long as 30 years.

10. Percheron

Percherons are a French draft horse breed from the Perche region. They are one of the oldest draft horses.

Percherons may be a result of crossbreeding Arabian horses with Flemish horses. Famed for their strength, willingness to work, and stamina, you’ll still find Percherons in the Disneyland resort in Paris, where they pull trams.

While they are typically gray and black, Percherons come in many other registered colors, including blue roan, bay roan, chestnut, black, sorrel, and gray.

Percherons have thick, wavy manes and tails, and their legs are quite muscular. They weigh around 1,900 to 2,100 pounds while measuring 16 to 17 hands in height. These characteristics make them one of the heaviest horse breeds.

Percheron horses are friendly, and they have a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.