Picking your horse's colors is half organization, half personality and a whole lot of fun. There’s something special about deciding his color. The bucket, halter, brushes, pad, blanket … matching everything like it was meant to be.
Instead of guessing or defaulting to whatever's trendy, you can actually use color theory to find colors that naturally flatter your horse's coat. You might not know it, but there is science behind why one color pops and another falls flat.
Let’s break it down in a practical, no-art-degree-required way.
Color Theory 101 (Quick and Useful)
Color theory is the study of how colors interact. The tool we care about most is the color wheel, which helps us find color harmonies. These are combinations that look balanced and pleasing to the eye.
Here are some of the harmonies you’ll use most when picking horse gear.
Complementary
Colors that are directly opposite each other on the wheel.
Look: High contrast, bold, eye-catching
Examples: Orange and blue, red and green
Best For: Riders wanting their horse to stand out. These colors will pull the eye directly into your horse's coat
Split Complementary
One base color plus the two colors on either side of its complement.
Look: Balanced, but still interesting
Examples: Yellow with blue-purple and red-purple
Best For: Horses with lighter or louder coats
Monochromatic
Different shades, tints and tones of the same color.
Look: Clean, polished, effortless
Examples: Light gray, charcoal and dark gray
Best For: Monochromatic looks are foolproof. Great for the simple or minimalistic rider.
(They’re especially helpful for horses with a lot of pattern or contrast in their coat, since the color choice stays simple and intentional.)
Triadic
Three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel.
Look: Balanced, but playful
Examples: Red, blue and yellow
Best For: Variety without chaos.
(One color should stay dominant, with the other two used as accents so things don’t get overwhelming.)
Don’t worry. You don't need to memorize these. You just need a good photo of your horse (full body, side view) and a color wheel calculator.
Step-by-Step: How to Find Your Horse's Perfect Colors
1. Take a Photo: Snap a picture of your horse in natural light. Avoid arena lighting and heavy filters. It's best to take a photo of your horse from the side to show most of his body.
2. Pull the Coat Color: Use a color picker tool in an app like Canva or Photoshop. Click on the area of your horse's coat that best represents their overall color. Avoid white markings.
This will give you a hex code, like #CAAC8A, which is a code that graphic designers use to select exact shades of color on the web.
3. Use a Color Wheel: Paste that code into an online color wheel calculator, such as one that Sessions College offers.
You'll instantly see complementary, analogous, and split complementary options.
Now comes the fun part: matching gear.
COLOR PAIRING BY COAT TYPE
Sorrel and Chestnut
Example base color: #B95022
Sorrel coats tend to lean toward warm, earthy tones, which means they love cool contrast.
- Best harmony: Complementary
- Standout color: Turquoise (#2298B9)
This is why turquoise looks so good on red horses. It’s not just tradition, it’s color science.
Great options include turquoise saddle pads, matching turnout blankets, and bell boots or halters for a bold, polished look.
Gray
Example base color: #A2A29A
Grays are neutral but tricky. Highly saturated colors can overpower them.
- Best harmony: Analogous or monochromatic
- Best colors: Pastels, slate blues, moss greens and soft purples
Try light purple grooming kits, soft blue or sage pads, or a full gray-on-gray setup for a sleek, modern look. If your gray has heavy dappling, keep patterns simple and let the color do the work.
Dark Bay and Black
Example base color: #653C32 or #000000
These coats are some of the most fun to style.
- Best harmony: Complementary or high contrast
- What works: Almost everything
High-saturation colors really shine here. Neon green halters, bright red lunge gear, or bold turnout blankets all look fantastic. For a clean, classic look, black-on-black is always a winner.
Buckskin and Palomino
Example base color: #CAAC8A
Cream-colored coats pair beautifully with lighter, playful shades.
- Best harmony: Split complementary
- Standout colors: Sky blue, lilac and soft pink
From the color wheel, robin's egg blue (#8AC1CA) and lilac (#AE8ACA) are especially flattering. Or lean all the way into a Barbie Girl moment with pink gear. Pink halters, hay nets and grooming tools absolutely pop on these coats.
Pintos, Roans and Appaloosas
These coats have more visual interest, so simplicity works best.
Rule of thumb: Pull from the base coat, not the white.
- Bay pintos should follow bay color palettes
- Black pintos should be treated like black horses
- Blue roans work best with gray-based colors
- Red roans pull from soft orange or pink undertones
The louder the coat, the cleaner your color choices should be. Solid colors usually look better than busy patterns.
Color Matching Rules of Thumb:
- Stick to one or two main colors for loud coats
- Use high contrast on dark horses
- Choose softer tones for light or gray coats
- When in doubt, go monochromatic
Color theory doesn't take the fun out of choosing gear. It gives you a shortcut to getting it right. Next time you're picking out a halter, pad or blanket, let the color wheel do the work and give your horse a signature look that's flattering, eye-catching and complementary.
Crysta Brown is a professional horsewoman originally from California, but now based in Northern Ireland, where she trains horses and riders to compete in all-around and ranch classes. In 2025, she was awarded the AQHA Emerging Leader Award and splits her time between California and Ireland, working with other trainers, showing and coaching. You can learn more about Crysta at her website CBHorsemanship.com and follow her on TikTok @crystadbrown.
