Awas Terkecoh! Ini Beda Warna Kuda Merah, Napas, dan Jragem

Don’t Get Tricked! Here’s the Difference Between Merah, Napas, and Jragem Horse Colors According to the Indonesian Studbook

SARGA.CO – Ever watched a horse race and struggled to spot your favorite because all the horses look almost the same? Most people get confused because they don’t know the saddle number of the horse they’re rooting for.

If you’ve experienced this, don’t feel embarrassed or discouraged. Many people still often misidentify horse colors.

Horse color classifications really can be confusing.

Indonesia Uses a Simpler System Than Abroad

In other countries, horse colors can be divided into dozens of types—bay, chestnut, seal brown, roan, perlino, and many more. The terminology is specific and takes time to learn.

Fortunately, in Indonesia, things are simpler. The Central Board of the Indonesian Equestrian Sports Association (PP PORDASI) created the Indonesian Studbook, which recognizes only seven color groups.

The Studbook identifies horses with white, grey (often called dawuk), red, jeragem, black, napas, and bopong or light golden-cream coloring.

Fans of horse racing are even more helped by the fact that most racehorses fall into just three of these seven categories.

On Indonesian racetracks, the dominant colors you’ll see are merah, napas, and jragem.

The Difference Between Merah, Napas, and Jragem

Color identification isn’t only based on the horse’s body.
Merah refers to brown horses with black manes and tails. The body is brown, but the hair is dark.

Napas refers to brown horses whose manes and tails are also brown. From the tip of their ears to the tip of their tails, everything is one color.

Then there’s jeragem, which is a dark brown that almost looks black. Keep in mind that this color can easily trick the eyes—when the horse is wet or sweaty, it can look completely different.

That’s why many people mistakenly call them black, even though the Studbook records them as jragem.

But when it comes to racing performance, color has zero effect on a horse’s speed. Wins are determined by genetics, training, and strategy—far more influential than coat color.

Color matters as part of a horse’s identity. For race fans, it’s one of the easiest ways to spot their favorite on the track. So next time you're watching a race, try paying closer attention—merah, napas, or jeragem?