Smoky black
A horse coat colour made by the cream gene on a black base
Smoky black is a horse coat colour that ranges from deep black to lighter brownish shades, caused by a single copy of the cream gene on a black base. It is often mistaken for black, bay, or brown, and can only be reliably identified through DNA testing or pedigree, as its appearance overlaps with several other horse colours.
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- Caused by a single cream gene on a black base coat
- Often mistaken for black, bay, or brown horses
- Can only be confirmed by DNA or parentage
- Common in breeds with cream-based colours
- In Icelandic horses, a lighter version is called glóbrúnn
What colour is Smoky black?
Smoky black is a horse coat colour that can look anywhere from pure black to a lighter, chocolate or brownish shade. It is created when a black horse carries a single copy of the cream gene. This gene subtly lightens the black base, but the effect is so slight that smoky black horses are often mistaken for black, dark bay, or even liver chestnut. Their coats may show chocolate or orange tones, especially after sun exposure, and their legs often stay darker than the rest of the body.
Where does Smoky black come from?
The name 'smoky black' comes from its appearance, which can look like a black horse with a smoky or lighter cast. The colour is found in horse breeds that carry the cream gene, such as Icelandic horses, where a lighter reddish-brown version is called 'glóbrúnn' or 'muskóttur'. The colour can only occur if at least one parent has the cream gene, and its presence is confirmed by genetic testing.
How Smoky black is defined
Smoky black is not made from a pigment or dye, but is the result of horse genetics. A horse must have a black base coat and inherit one copy of the cream gene. The cream gene slightly dilutes the black, but the result is often visually indistinguishable from black without genetic or pedigree testing. Other factors like sun, sweat, and nutrition can also affect the shade.
Black around the world
What the black family means from country to country.
The black eagle gives the country its own name for itself: Shqiperia is commonly read as the land of the eagles.
Politics and protestPrideSource: AlbaniaBlack and yellow were the colours of the Habsburg monarchy. They come from the black double-headed eagle on a gold ground used by the Holy Roman Emperors.
Royalty and powerSource: Flag of the Habsburg monarchyThe black upper half of the Aboriginal flag stands for the Aboriginal people of Australia.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Australian Aboriginal flagOn 21 February, Language Martyrs' Day, people wear black badges and black and white clothes and walk barefoot to the Shaheed Minar to honour those killed in 1952.
Mourning and deathPolitics and protestGriefSource: Bengali language movementThe black, yellow and red of the flag come from the arms of the Duchy of Brabant: a gold lion with red claws and tongue on black. They were raised in the 1830 revolution.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of BelgiumTwo diagonal stripes cross the yellow of the flag, one white and one black. They stand for the Sultan's two chief ministers.
Politics and protestSource: Flag of BruneiShades and relatives of Smoky black
Smoky black can be confused with several other horse colours, including true black, dark bay, seal brown, liver chestnut, classic champagne, and grullo. In Icelandic horses, a lighter, reddish-brown version is called glóbrúnn. The colour's appearance can change with sun exposure, making it hard to tell apart from other similar shades without genetic testing.
Colours that go with Smoky black
Harmonies are worked out from the value #100C08. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Smoky black
What colour is smoky black?
Smoky black is a horse coat colour that looks dark brown to deep black, sometimes with chocolate or orange tones, especially after sun exposure.
How does smoky black differ from true black in horses?
Smoky black horses have a single cream gene that slightly lightens the black base, but the difference is subtle and often only confirmed by DNA testing.
Where does the name smoky black come from?
The name comes from the colour's appearance, which can look like a black coat with a smoky or lighter cast.
Can you tell a smoky black horse just by looking?
No, smoky black can look almost identical to black, bay, or brown horses, and only genetic testing or pedigree can confirm it.
Is smoky black found in all horse breeds?
Smoky black is found in horse populations that carry the cream gene, such as Icelandic horses and others with cream-based colours.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Smoky black", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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