The forelock of a horse is an undeniable element of ornament which gives it a special character and indicates the nobility of its origin. It also fulfills several functions such as protecting the horse from heat, light and flies and allowing it to be caught without a halter. The washed hair (i.e. lighter than its coat) of the forelock but also of the mane, tail and baleen of the Comtois horse are due to the dominant gene Silver which transformed the original black pigment of the breed.