The Color of Shade

What is the color of shade? In the first photograph you will see three horses: a mare, a foal resting in the grass, and a blue stallion. A blue horse? The color of the horse is called "blue roan" which refers to a coat of black hair muted with many white hairs. In the shade, the horse appears to be truly blue.

In the second photograph, the blue roan stallion is now in the sun. The warm color of sunlight visually changes the appearance of the cool blue color the shade cast on him, to the black and white of his true hair color. This stallion is a horse of many colors depending on the color of the light!

Cumberland Island National Park, Georgia