Instructions
Groom away the tuft of hair on the horse's face so you can get a clear look at how wide and long the marking is.
Use your fingers and hand to measure the horse's marking. A white mark that is only one or two fingers wide all the way from the forehead to the muzzle is a stripe. A marking that is three or more fingers wide is more likely a blaze.
Examine how wide the marking is near the horse's forehead and eyes. A mark that is wide enough to cover the forehead and extend from eye to eye is a blaze.
Take special note of irregular or uneven markings. It is possible to have a combination of one marking and another. A white marking on a horse's face may thicken into a blaze at a certain point and thin to a stripe at another.
Take note of the color on the horse's muzzle. If the whole muzzle, including the lips and nostrils is white, the marking is neither a stripe nor a blaze, but an apron or a bald face.
How to Tell the Difference Between a Stripe & a Blaze on a Horse
There are many kinds of markings that appear on the face of a horse and twice as many terms used to describe them. A blaze is a wide, white mark running down the middle of the horse's face. It is one of the most common facial markings. A stripe, also referred to as a strip or race, also runs from the forehead to muzzle but is much thinner. There are some other notable differences that can help you tell them apart.