The kiang is the largest of the wild asses, with an average shoulder height at the withers of {{hands|13.3}}. They range from {{convert|132|to|142|cm|abbr=on}} high at the shoulderwithers, with a body {{convert|182|to|214|cm|abbr=on}} long, and a tail of {{convert|32|to|45|cm|abbr=on}}. Kiangs have only slight [[sexual dimorphism]], with the males weighing from {{convert|350|to|400|kg|abbr=on}}, while females weigh {{convert|250|to|300|kg|abbr=on}}. They have a large head, with a blunt muzzle and a convex nose. The mane is upright and relatively short. The coat is a rich chestnut colour, darker brown in winter and a sleek reddish brown in late summer, when the animal moults its woolly fur. The summer coat is 1.5 cm long and the winter coat is double that length. The legs, underparts, end of the muzzle, and the inside of the ears are all white. A broad, dark chocolate-coloured dorsal stripe extends from the mane to the end of the tail, which ends in a tuft of blackish brown hairs.<ref name=StLouis2009>{{cite journal |author1=St-Louis, A. |author2=Côté, S. | year = 2009 | title = ''Equus kiang'' (Perissodactyla: Equidae) | journal = Mammalian Species | volume = 835 | pages = 1–11 | doi = 10.1644/835.1}}</ref>
