Resources for painting references

The best way for equine artists to develop a sense of realistic colors and patterns is to look at a lot of photos. These are some of my favorite resources for information and inspiration:

Appaloosas

Appaloosas of South Africa (Facebook group)

Ulrich Appaloosa Group (Facebook group)
ApHC Foals of 2025 (Facebook group)
ApHC Foals of 2024 (Facebook group)
Knabstrupper Passion (Facebook group)
Appaloosa Horse Breeders (Facebook group)
Appaloosa Color and Pattern Inheritance Genetics (Facebook group)
International Colored Appaloosa Association (Facebook group)
Halstock Shetland Pony Stud  (British Spotted Ponies)
Halstock Shetladn Pony Stud (Facebook page)
Joseph's Dream Stud (Namibia)
Majestic Knabstrupper Stud (South Africa)
Nederlands Appaloosa Stallion Listing (Dutch Appaloosas)
Nederlands Appaloosa Stallion Archive (Dutch Appaloosas)
Scripter Appaloosa Breeders (Facebook group)
Vision Quest Appaloosas (Facebook page)
Knabstrupper show results - 2018/earlier (most photos enlarge when clicked)
Knabstrupper show results - 2019/after (links to 2023, other years use pull-down menu)
Stal Nørgaard (Knabstrupper)
Stutteri Kronplet (Knabstrupper)
Sukuposti, Knabstrupper gallery (click to enlarge)
Cold-blooded Stallions  (Facebook group)
Domaine du Plantey - Elevage de chevaux de sport (Facebook page)
Hidden Ponds Gypsies - appaloosas and pintaloosas

6/964 Sylva, a Czech Noriker mare pictured in the chladnokrevní hřebci (Cold-blooded Stallion) group

Pinto Patterns

Colored Thoroughbreds - dominant white (sabino), frame overo (Facebook page)

Haras do Barulho (Campolinas) - Tobianos, some belton patterned (Facebook page)

Veronika Equine Photography (Stock Horses) - mostly splashes, some others (Facebook page)

Prime Selection (Mangalarga Paulista) - tobianos, sabino, salpicada (white ticking)

Domaine du Plantey - Elevage de chevaux de sport (Facebook page) - tobianos, frame overos

Gotland Breeding Evaluations - several splashed whites
Elevage Unhaia (Pottok Pony) - tobianos

APHA Homozygous Tobiano Stallions at Stud (Facebook group)
Overo TWH/SSH Brags (Facebook group)

Gypsy Dreams Cobs (Facebook page) tobianos, sabinos
Hidden Ponds Gypsies - tobianos, sabinos, pintaloosas
Hidden Ponds Gypies (Facebook page)

Sukuposti - Welsh Section A gallery - sabinos
Sukuposti - Welsh Section D gallery - sabinos, white ticked

Sukuposti - Shetland Pony gallery - tobianos (many minimal or skewed)

RPN Leilões - Mangalarga Paulistas (sabinos, tobianos, belton spotting all common)

Dilutes

Yeguada Paco Marti (PRE) - pearls and creams (Facebook page)

Alasar PRE and Lusitano Horses - pearls and creams
Colored Thoroughbreds - cream dilutes (Facebook page)

Sukuposti - Connemara gallery - cream dilutes (mostly buckskin)
Silver Equine Society - silver dilutes of all breeds (Facebook group)
Haras Donato (Campolinas) - Duns of varying colors and shades
Haras do Barulho (Campolinas) - Duns (Facebook page)
Palomino Arabians (Part-Arabians) - cream and double-dilutes (Facebook group)

Grulla/Champagne/Duns - a wide variety of dilutes and combinations (Facebook group)
Palominos as Breeding and Sporthorses - palomino, buckskin and double-dilute (Facebook group)

Akhal-Teke LLC - cream dilutes
Dacor Stud (Akhal-Teke) - cream dilutes
International Champagne Registry - an online photo studbook
Veronika Equine Photography (Stock Horses) (Facebook Page)

Stutteri Stjernen (Shetland Ponies) - mushroom

Domaine du Plantey - Elevage de chevaux de sport (Facebook page) - silvers, champagnes, creams
Koni Club Discussion Board - Vyatka thread - duns and cream duns, some dappled duns
Fjord Stallion Premier - Fjord duns

Hidden Ponds Gypsies - a variety of dilutes and combinations

Sukuposti - Shetland Pony gallery - duns

Roan and white ticking patterns

Annuaire des Etalons Trait du Nord - 2025 stallion catalog

Chappell Horse Sales - roans, rabicanos

Veronika Equine Photography (Stock Horses) - roans, rabicanos and white ticking
Trekpaard - Belgian stallions - click on images to enlarge
Trekpaard - Netherland stallions - click on images to enlarge

817 Horse Sales (Stock Horses) - roans, rabicanos and white ticking

Pernilla Hägg Photography - multiple breeds (photos arranged by event)

Gypsy Dreams Cobs (Facebook page) roans

Sukuposti - Shetland Pony gallery - roans (good references for seasonal changes)

Greys

Sukuposti - Connemara gallery
Sukuposti - Welsh Section A gallery
Syndicat Hippique Boulonnais - white greys, early grey foals
Les Boulonnais - white greys, many with depigmentation (click to enlarge)

Koni Club Discussion Board - Orlov thread 1 - vivid dapple greys (click through all the pages)

Koni Club Discussion Board - Orlov thread 2 - vivid dapple greys (click through all the pages)
2024 Royal Highland Show by Elrenia Greenleaf - dapples and duns turning grey

Sooty

Akhal-Teke LLC

Dacor Stud (Akhal-Teke)

Czech-Moravian Belgian Breeders - sooty chestnuts (each link is a separate event with photos)

Koni Club Discussion Board - Teke thread - sooty creams and bays

Mealy

Polish Breeders Association, Ardennes 2024 

Pernilla Hägg Photography - multiple breeds (photos arranged by event)

Sukuposti - Gotland Pony gallery

Auction sites

Because the current offerings change regularly, auction sites are a great source for new ideas and unexpected inspiration. Note that for some of these, you'll need to navigate to find either online listings or digital catalogs. 

Horse Bid - wide variety of themed auction, keeps an archive of past auctions
Premier Oline Auctions - archive of past auctions, wide variety
Horse Auctions Europe - sport horses, often foals (Facebook group)
SLF Auctions - sport horse foals
Canal Business - Primarily Mangalarga Marchadors (tobianos, greys) (Facebook page)

Fiel Leilões - Marchadors, donkeys and mules