Please refer to the accompanying illustration for examples of the listed markings. A star is always found on the forehead and may be of any size or shape. A stripe is a vertical marking found below eye level and above the imaginary horizontal line connecting the top of the nostrils. Any mark in this area regardless of size is referred to as a stripe. A snip is any mark found below the top of the nostrils, down to and including the lower lip.
Snips can enter into one or both nostrils, or extend to the lip.
A blaze is a large or wide marking which connects a star, stripe and snip. A blaze is always a combination of all three of these marks and therefore will never end above the nostrils. It extends close to the eyes, wide over the center of the face and bridge of the nose, and either extends almost the width of the nostrils or over part of all of each nostril. It will generally cover the width of the nose and the entire muzzle. A horse with a bald face will often have a large snip on the lower lip which can extend to the under lip area or chin.