

SARGA.CO – Behind the speed and strength of a racehorse, one feature often grabs attention even before the horse enters the track: its color.
Far from being just a physical trait, a horse’s coat color often serves as a signature identity, one that owners proudly display.
Mario Bahar, owner and breeder at Bendang Stable, shared insights into both the common and rare coat colors seen in racehorses.
“The most common colors are napas, merah, and jragem,” Mario told SARGA.CO during a recent visit to his training facility.
According to Mario, napas is a light brown shade with a unique characteristic: the mane and body hair match perfectly in color, creating a warm, classic look.
Meanwhile, the merah (red) coat is one of the most popular among fans, featuring a distinct reddish hue. Its defining feature is a jet-black mane and tail.
Mario explained.
Then there’s jragem, which Mario describes as a darker variation of merah.
“It’s a deep red shade that comes very close to black but still has a visible red sheen in certain lighting,” he said.
he noted.
The same goes for dawuk, or gray-coated horses, which are equally uncommon. Like black horses, gray ones also make up roughly 5% of the racehorse population.
While coat color doesn’t affect performance on the track, many owners and jockeys attach emotional or superstitious value to certain colors.
In the world of racing, sometimes pride and belief in a horse start with its color.
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