Dappled horses are horses with a coat of white and dark patches, often referred to as roans. Roans are a type of horse coat color that is characterized by a mixture of white and dark hairs on the body, usually in a mottled or spotted pattern. The term 'roan' comes from the French word 'rouan, ' which means 'reddish-brown.' Roans can be found in many breeds, including Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, and Arabians.