Horse of a Better Color?
Doris Eraldi

“Fat is a good color” Cowboy saying.

Many years ago, when my parents decided that I could have a horse of my own, they asked my Uncle Bill to be responsible for choosing the horse. I’d been riding with Uncle Bill for years, and he knew my abilities and also my dreams about the perfect horse, but he still sat me down and queried me.

“So, what kind of horse do you want? What do you want to do with it?”

He listened as I listed some of my desires; young, maybe an Arabian? A good trail horse. Maybe I wanted to do Endurance. No, I didn’t care if it was a mare or a gelding (actually my parents specified a gelding; they knew me too well and knew that if I owned a mare, I would also soon own more than one horse). Finally Uncle Bill asked “What color do you want?”

Color? I was afraid if I specified a certain color, it would only slow down the search for my own-very-own horse. I answered that color didn’t matter to me. Uncle Bill nodded wisely.

No one can deny that a flashy horse stands out from the crowd and in many events that can have a positive effect. In classes where competitors work in a group, such as Pleasure, it’s important to be seen. Even in individual events such as cutting, having a pretty horse that shows up well against the herd of dark cattle can be an advantage, but one must be aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of color. To the experienced horsemen, black and white spots will not make a poorly conformed horse good-looking.

Everyone has favorites as far as color, and there are plenty of stories extolling the supposed virtues of one tint over another. Duns and Buckskins have long been cowboy favorites, with their virtues (other than attractive coat color) ranging from being more cowy to having more “bottom.” American Indians have legends of certain pinto* or Appaloosa coat patterns possessing protective qualities. Many cultures avoided light grey or white horses; and this is probably based on good reason. Those colors are more prone to skin cancers and potentially fore-shortened lives. But for most of us, what should matter more than the color of the horse is whether he is suited to the rider and the purpose for which he will be used.

I bred and trained American Paint Horses (APHA) for nearly 15 years, and obviously if one wants to compete at APHA shows, one needs to own a Paint horse. Paints come is such a wide variety of coat patterns – from mostly white to minimal white – that you can pick one that suits your own style quite easily. But the main reason I was involved in APHA horses was situation (I worked at a Paint breeding farm) and that I liked the temperament and personality of the horses. When I changed to raising and training Quarter Horses, again it was situation (and also I got tired of washing all that white!) Other than wanting to be in a certain breed association, it always raises a red flag when someone tells me “I want a bay. It has to be bay” when they are looking to buy a horse. I usually put “it has to be well trained” or “it has to be good on the trail” or “it has to be sound enough for jumping” way higher on my list than what color hair the horse should have.

The old cowboy saying is right, a horse that is slick, cared-for and in great condition will be a “good color.” You can always dress up your horse with pretty tack, complimentary-colored clothing and blankets, and excellent grooming if you compete in group events and need to stand out, but a poorly conformed horse, or one that isn’t suited to his job, is not going to become a winner simply because he is a Palomino.

I have to admit, though, I do have a favorite color. Dark Brown. Not very exciting, huh? Likely that’s because my favorite horse is seal brown with no white at all, and I think she is elegant. Besides, she looks great in purple.

*I am using “pinto” as a generalization meaning “broken or spotted coat pattern.” This coat pattern appears in many breeds and types of horses and ponies. Specific Breed Registries such as the National Show Horse Association, or The American Paint Horse Association, may require other criteria for registration in addition to coat pattern. For more information on equine color genetics see:

http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/~lvmillon/coatcolor/coatclr3.html

Doris Eraldi of Eraldi Training in Potter Valley specializes in Pleasure horses and Equitation riders. She can be contacted at 707-743-1337, or by e-mail dyan@eraldi.net.


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