What Is a Black Stallion Horse?

Black stallions have had many movies and books written about them, including a popular book and movie series by Walter Farley. This is because they often represent the power, intelligence and majesty of a horse. Black stallions come in various sizes, temperaments, and breeds and can compete in many different equine sports. For a horse to be called a black stallion, it must meet certain criteria, however.
  1. Color

    • A black stallion will be called black when its body is mostly black with the exception of white facial markings such as a blaze or star, or leg markings like socks. A black horse's coat can sometimes fade in the sun and be left looking brown until the horse grows a new coat. DNA testing can determine for sure whether a stallion is truly black or if it is a different color such as seal brown or dark bay.

    Gender

    • A black stallion is a black male horse that has not been gelded, or neutered by having its testicles surgically removed. Most male horses are gelded before they reach one year old in order to prevent aggressive behavior and allow the animal to be turned out with mares without the desire to breed them. A stallion is left intact so it can be used to breed mares and pass on its genes and desirable traits to its offspring.

    Breed

    • A black stallion can be a horse of almost any breed. Some purebred horse breeds, such as haflingers, only have one basic coat color with minor variations; and if purebred, cannot be black. But most common breeds such as quarter horses, thoroughbreds or arabians may be black or a number of other colors. Some breeds such as friesian and percheron are usually black.

    Age

    • Horses are considered stallions if they are intact males over the age of three. Prior to its third birthday, the intact male is typically still referred to as a colt unless it has already been used for breeding purposes.