Coloured Horses

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bubbles145

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Just out of interest.

Why are coloured horses so popular?

Years ago nobody would even look at a coloured horse and now they seem to be the new ‘fashion’ item. Are they different to solid coloured horses?
 
It's just fashion. I personally like coloureds and am glad to have one-easy to see and distinguish from the crowd of bays in the field! I caught in for a mate the other day and had to ask about three people which was her horse-they all look the same to me if they're solid coloured. :o And don't get me started on chestnuts!
 
I've always loved coloured horses. I bought my first one in 1986 so certainly haven't followed a fashion. People thought i was silly buying a gypsy cob when i got my first horse. When i lost her 4 years ago i started to look for another one, i couldn't believe how expensive they were when i wanted to buy another one. I ended up buying an Irish sports horse as i couldn't afford another one. I have managed to buy another one last year :D. I absolutely adore her.
They stand out in a crowd as no 2 look the same.
 
I think certain members of the community have made them very nickable, especially the mares! Owners are therefore a little more protective and precious with them, I worry like mad my lad will be taken. The other thing is that they're mostly cobs, and lets face it .... cobs are low maintenance, generally safe - and fantastic!!!!!:D
 
I love coloureds of any breed or type. Good markings can be quite stunning. Unless a solid coloured horse stands out by exceptional conformation or movement, they are a bit samey.

Perhaps the reason for the popularity of coloured horses is not the colour itself, but the Traditonal Coloured cob being the choice of horse favoured by leisure riders.

The market has changed in recent years with increased disposible income and free time of many mature, return-to-riding people. The sane and easy going nature of these animals bred for their reliability, weight carrying and being a horse that all the family can hop on, makes them perfect for a lot of people.

That said, one of mine is a black horse and she's gorgeous with the bonus of being very easy to keep looking clean.
 
I dont think theyre a fashion item? Had my boy nearly 6 years and always wanted a coloured. I hav not met a nasty/spooky/bitey one yet. U know what you are getting, I think u pay for their temperament/sense etc but someone will probably prove me wrong now.

Likewise as someone said about finding a 'brown' horse, I shared a brown boy in a herd of 54 brown horses!!! Even the owner had problems if his scar was mud covered!!

I would happily have a herd of coloureds....but yes I struggle with the white!!!
 
I've just bought a piebald, having had a piebald on loan for 16 years previously. However, I certainly didn't go shopping for a coloured but I wanted a cob and as it turned out, virtually everyone I looked at was coloured. I think it is as a previous poster said, that these days most cobs seem to be coloured!
Fingers crossed he turns out to be the sensible, low maintenance horse I was looking for - although he did try to take a chunk out of me yesterday! Manners are pretty good generally though.
I don't agree that they are all sensible, safe horses by any stretch. My old boy was as spooky as Halloween and as sharp as a knife!
 
The colour is a genetic coat pattern and as such can occur in many types of horse, from TB to shetland. In the UK "coloured" horses tend to be mostly cob types and as such are popular with leisure riders, as much for their temperaments as anything else. I couldn't be doing with the white, or the hairiness!
 
Very true Cortez.

Here's a coloured TB (sabino).
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Plus a couple of coloured arabs (sabino again).
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ETA. ^ Purebred arabs not pintabians.

Remember that tobiano (the gene often seen in cobs - although they do have sabino/blagdon too) is not the only gene that causes white markings on the body.
 
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They don't have to be hairy. I have a cob x tb. She is not hairy, has only a tiny bit of feather and that has only come since she turned 18 years old, she is 21 years old now. She is also far from quiet to ride. She is a very spooky ride and shies at her own shadow for fun. Her mum was a gypsy cob and a very lively ride, she would rear and she is the only horse i have been run off with in a trot, lol, although she would look after a novice rider.
My new one is so far fairly quiet but she has been in work for a very short time, was only backed this summer and only lightly as she is only 3 years old, but proving to be a lovely young girl :D.
I agree about the white though. A nightmare to clean when they have had a good roll in the winter, but i am used to that with having coloureds for the last 26 years.
 
carthorse said:
Mine is in siggie. I bred him from my half TB mare to Akkord (han) as I wanted a well bred coloured
Click to expand...

I worked for Eva Maria Kirby who owned Accord, she offered me a free service to him. I turned it down as I thought he was too heavy. How stupid was I! I still kick myself all these years later.
 
My girl is a welsh D x traditional she has not a lot of feathers and l love her colour she is a red and white. My last boy was a palomino and white l don`t every go looking for a coloured but that what l ended up with :)
 
I think you can get some really beautiful coloureds, or some very unusual attractive ones, saying that you can get some really disgusting looking coloured that looks all wrong all over. It really is a question of opinion and personal preference, I love a good bay! My mare has dapples and when she's not a filthy mud covered rat she looks beautiful.
 
Also very popular due to showing and usually having a coloured gives you an extra class to do. I have two blue and whites, my maxi cob I have had for 10.5 years and I got my Irish sports horse earlier this year. With my first I did go shopping for a grey then either a grey or coloured for my youngster but didn't think I would find another blue and white- they are the best of both for me, just wish they didn't fade so quickly.
 
We have a coloured shettie x which was the kids first pony , and yes the white bits are a pain. So now we have found a new one , we have two bays, a v dark bay and a chocolate dun and the new one is coloured. She has reasonable markings but we have to say that when she puts her ears back and head down she looks a bit like a dairy cow !!. There was something about her the first time we laid eyes on her , it wouldnt have mattered what colour she was
 
Ive always loved them- i now have 3 of varying types.

I have a red and white coloured arab x (not cobby at all)
I have a Tobanio (sp?) Gelding
and i have a tri coloured.

I love them all :D
 
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