Leg markings are areas of white hair that extend up from the hoof on an otherwise the dark-colored horse. There is so much variety in leg markings and so many unique combinations that leg marking are an important way to identify individual horses. Horses may have four similar white markings on their legs, or the leg markings can be completely different on each leg. For example, a horse may have no white on one leg, a high stocking on another, a coronet on another and a sock on another. Leg and facial markings are sometimes passed on from one generation of horses to the next. For example, Arabian horses of Crabbet bloodlines often have wide white facial markings along with four white stockings. Horses with particularly flashy and eye-catching white on their legs are said to have 'chrome'.

For breed registration and other official paperwork, you must accurately draw the markings on the documents you will submit. You may also have to write a description, and that means you have to use the right terminology. If your horse were to go missing, it's helpful to have clear photos that show its white markings, a written description, and you may need to be able describe its markings accurately when giving information.

Most often, if a horse has white leg markings, the hoof wall will be white too. Anywhere there is a patch of body hair, or an ermine mark, there may be a dark stripe down the hoof. As grey horses age, the leg and  facial markings may not be as obvious. However, they are still there, because the skin underneath white leg markings is pink, and the skin under the coat color will be grey. The shape of leg markings does not change though, regardless of the age of any colored horse. If a horse was born with four white stockings, the shape of the stockings will remain the same throughout the horse's life.

Occasionally, you'll see white markings on the legs that the horse wasn't born with. My horse has a white patch on her knee. This small white patch is from a scar left from an old injury. Because it is permanent, it too can be used as an identifying mark.

•Coronet

The coronet is a band of white hairs around the top of the hoof (the coronet band of the hoof) that does not extend up onto the pastern. If the coronet extends around the whole hoof, the hoof itself will likely be white. If there is a break in the white hairs where there is coat color, the hoof may have a dark stripe below it. If the white hairs only cover a small area just above the coronet band of the hoof, usually at the back the marking is called a heel or partial coronet. The photo shows a 'heel'.

•Socks

Socks extend above the fetlock but not to the knee. Socks stop about half-way up to the canon bone on either the front or back legs. If the sock is solid white around the hoof, the hoof will most likely be white. If there is a patch of coat color, or an ermine just above the hoof, there may be a stripe of dark hoof below.

•Stockings

Stockings extend to the knee or hock and above. They may end in a symmetrical or pattern, or they may extend further up the leg in a jagged 'irregular' pattern. If they extend well past the knee or hock they are called 'high white'.

•Boot or Fetlock

A boot or fetlock is white that extends up to, but only slightly past the fetlock joint. A partial fetlock means that only a portion of the fetlock joint is covered with white hair.

•Pastern

A pastern marking covers the pastern area, but does not extend beyond the fetlock joint.

•Ermines

Ermines are random black spots that appear on white areas on the horse's body. They can appear on the horse's white leg markings, and if they are against the coronet band of the hoof, there may be a stripe of dark hoof wall on an otherwise white hoof. Ermines can also appear on horse's facial markings too.
 
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