Are horses colour-ist?

My black mare who had a piebald foal (before I had her) goes mad for our black and white calves and will pinch one and mother it if they are turned out together. She isn't fussed about the black and brown ones. My other mare (never had a foal) loves all the calves and will also mother them.
 
I suspect it is related to early experiences, partly the dam but perhap also the other mares and foals if they are in a group and who they get turned out with on being weaned. In many environment this would probably mean horses of similar types and even colours.

Doesn't explain why an ex racehorse is most interested in palomino mares and least in bay mares (like his dam). His preference for friends is for other tbs, warmbloods and big irish drafts and quite likes araby looking chestnuts with big white faces. He has no time for ponies and small cobs.
 
I remember reading something years ago about greys being ostracised by herds of darker coloured horses. I wonder if in the wild a grey is much more easily spotted by a predator, thus drawing attention to the herd? Such an interesting topic, especially with the first hand evidence here.
 
My herd (all different colours) mix together just fine, but I do have a slightly racist Welsh D.

We live in a part of the country which is still mostly white, and the first few times he saw someone black (not Asian - that's fine apparently) he did a 'start' and stared for a full few seconds before I could move him on.
It was really quite embarrassing, but he seems to have got over it, thank goodness.
 
There's about 50 horses who live on my farm and there is certainly something to your trail of thought OP. I don't know exactly what it is but I have viewed this for years on my farm, whereby bays all stick together, chestnuts with chestnuts, appaloosas and paints all stick together, greys are usually with greys and palominos seem to be able to merge in with any of the lighter coloured horses. Horses 'colour vision' is different and more limited spectrum to ours but they can tell different shading etc.
 
puppystitch said:
I remember reading something years ago about greys being ostracised by herds of darker coloured horses. I wonder if in the wild a grey is much more easily spotted by a predator, thus drawing attention to the herd? Such an interesting topic, especially with the first hand evidence here.
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I read something similar . . . I also read somewhere that at dusk and dawn greys are often the horses on "watch" because it's easier for the rest of the herd to see them/their cues, although I'm prepared to be told that this is utter hogwash ;).

P
 
I don't really think so to be fair as a horse doesn't know what colour it's own coat is so it's not going to think ahhh I've got a bay coat so ill team up with that bay over there! However, correct me if I'm wrong hehe ;)
 
pippixox said:
my tb used to spook at colored horses! life on a racing yard i guess he never saw them! but he is now great friends with a tiny colored Shetland.
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I was riding my coloured mare along Epsom Downs once and came across two thoroughbreds out on their training. One of them had a complete fit as soon as she saw my mare, the stable lad had a hell of a job to get it to go past us. I'm sure it was because of my mare's colour.
 
It's fascinating, and I think there must be something in it.

My grey hates other greys - to the extent that she can't be stabled next to one. Every horse I know, however, loves her. Maybe that's just because she's beautiful :)
 
This is really interesting! I havent noticed a preference for colour with ours, however weirdly both duns I have owned have been quite concerned about anything coloured... dun number 1 would absolutely freak if he came across one at an event or on a hack, and do anything he could to get away from a coloured horse - possibly due to a past bad experience?! My current mare isn't quite as judgemental but still gets very tense around them. No idea why, I certainly dont have anything against coloureds!
 
Quite often I see the coloured together at the opposite end of the field from the 'solid' coloured horses, and they in tune are usually bay with bay and chestnut with chestnut, etc. I thought it was just that herd, but maybe there is something in it.
 
Our mare is piebald we took her to a show 3 weekends ago and unfortunately she came into season literally on the day... she spent the entire time flirting, squirting etc at only other coloured horses ! She spent the rest of the time spooking at any other colour horse not particularly useful in a small show ring.
 
criso said:
I suspect it is related to early experiences, partly the dam but perhap also the other mares and foals if they are in a group and who they get turned out with on being weaned. In many environment this would probably mean horses of similar types and even colours.
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Well said, Criso
Although horses won't have conscious thoughts about their own colour or that of other horses they meet, they will have a degree of instinct to stick with like-coloured herd mates as each will be less conspicuous to any predators that way whilst a horse of a different colour could attract the wrong sort of attention. Each animal will have their own set of gene-based instincts and personal memories and experience and this must influence their behaviour. So... the least "colourist" horses will be those who always have a mixture of buddies to live with? This is a fascinating thread OP! :D
 
i believe horses have a real sense of their own colour and general shape.They also seem to 'know' other horse s ages , in that the pecking order seems related to age. I would say horses are drawn to those similar to themselves. Like ourselves i think they seek out the familiar. My old boy now has a 'mini me' - he is a 23 yr old HW ex show cob of 16hh.Mini me is a 20 yr old 14.3 gypsy cob - so not so mini! They are such good friends - my old boy has been the herd leader since we got him aged 5 , and he snever had a true friend before.They are marked similarly too.
We have coloureds for nearly 30 yrs ,at that time when we went to shows , hunting etc there would be few other coloureds. But if our coloureds saw another sometimes in the far distance , they would call and watch, hoping it was a pal from home.
 
The black mare I used to ride in a riding school used to spook at coloureds.

My boy is a skewbald and his field buddies are a dun pony and bay ISH, both geldings and all three get on well together being a group of misfits I guess!

Here they are heading off across the field
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