Flaxen (color variant)

Flaxen is a genetic trait in which the mane and tail of chestnut-colored horses are noticeably lighter than the body coat color, often a golden blonde shade.

[2] The degree of expression of the trait is highly variable, with some chestnuts being only slightly flaxen while others are more so.

However, as there are examples of flaxen chestnuts born to parents that are black or bay, it may be masked in darker-colored horses but still passed on to their offspring.

Deep gold palominos may be hard to distinguish from light chestnuts with significant expression of flaxen, but genetic tests can aid determination of color.

On a black base coat, it lightens the body to a brown color and the mane/tail to a cream or silver shade; on a bay base coat, it lightens the mane and tail to cream or silver.