Do eventers like coloureds or does the bay gelding reign supreme?

measles

measles

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Following on from the thread about head or heart I wondered if nowadays the bay gelding stereotype was a bit out of date, or does it still hold true?

One of my motivations for asking is that I've just bought in Ireland to produce a 3/4 bred stamp coloured 6yo mare with her breeding recorded who was 6th in her only affiliated event. I'm now wondering if others find, like me, a good quality coloured is particularly attractive as a competition horse, or will she be "too unique"?

Son had a coloured 13.2hh and a coloured 14.2hh and so I'm a fan but perhaps others are prejudiced against them?
 
Coloured horses are pretty fashionable I think- a lot of people on here (NL mainly) set out things like "not bay" in their list of what they wants it's 'boring'...

Tbh, I don't think I'd care if I were looking for a horse. The way they're made, their attitude and outlook and general ability is more important and I'm a total numpty really.
 
In Eventing Ireland, there are a lot of coloureds starting to creep into eventing ;)
2 years ago there was 1, maybe 2, now there are over 30 and that's just in the northern region!

I have no biased towards coloureds, although I don't like anything too common looking due to personal taste :) If Billy was a bay I would still have bought him! :D

IMO as long as there isn't too much white then most people will like them :)

The only downside to having a coloured I have seen so far, is that we can't audition to become an extra on game of thrones :p
 
It really shouldn't matter, but I do find my head turns when a nice coloured wonders by! I especially like mares, so geldings generally don't do it for me personally.
I think bay geldings are a tad 'old school' but that doesn't mean they are not wanted, and there are still plenty about?
 
There are loads at lower levels but look at top level and they are minimal and I think there is a reason for that and its due to blood and scope. I know they are getting classier with some of the warmblood ones but they are still not quite right for eventing. Think of a top coloured at the moment and you will struggle. A lot seem to be around for a brief bit but then often have injuries so you do not see them again. If they do stay around longer its because they are not top class.

I know lots of people are breeding coloured TBs but they are being bred for colour and not performance and this is the fundamental reason they fall down. I have never seen a coloured out eventing that I would love to take home. I think in 10 years we might see some more but there will need to be a fundamental change in the way they are bred which is for performance and not just colour.
 
I dont think it matters. Some people like more unusual horses when others like to blend in. I have a horse that sticks out at a competition which is fine if it goes well but when it dosent every one remembers. As they say a good horse is never a bad colour.
 
I think it is mainly due to fashion eg. if you have a look at top riders there are a lot more greys starting to creep in. Nowadays I think sponsors will like a horse that stands out (obviously for the right reasons!)
 
I am on the fence! I do notice nice coloured horses but have never been tempted to buy one. I agree with LEC in that sometimes they are bred for colour first and foremost which is not a good thing. As you know I would love a palomino but have yet to see one that meets the other criteria I want - so it is the same thing I guess. We have a little coloured pony though and he is a superstar but his colour was not the top priority when we picked him though he does look very cute so it certainly did not put me off :) Having had umpteen grey ponies as a child my main criteria was "not a grey!!" ;)

I think if you are buying to sell on as a fun horse for someone the colour will be a plus as a serious eventer the bay gelding is still up there :p;)
 
LEC said:
I have never seen a coloured out eventing that I would love to take home
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:eek: How can you say that when you have seen my billy? :p:p

Glenhill Gold is competing successfully at 3*, and he is proper ISH being IDxTB, There are quite a few coloureds coming up the ranks - the problem is, that 5 years ago it was VERY fashionable to have a coloured horse, so people started to breed competition coloureds, so imo they are really only coming out and competing now, starting off at the lower levels :)
 
I have one. He's 1/2 DWB and 1/2 ATB. Granted he is very minimal, just has identical marks down each shoulder and a biggish diamond behind his saddle. I love nice coloureds.

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And the other side of him. He's 7 I've had him 10 months

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Um silly question to ask me!!!!:p

However, my event coloured chap wasn't chosen for his colour but his personality, attitude and pingyness! As he was my second coloured I could say I am biased but colour to me is irrelevant and have a tick box list that must be ticked first before colour.

It is also just happens to be coincidental that my youngster is a coloured too but he is Tobiano. (okay so that's 3 coloureds I will have had perhaps I am biased!!)

Saying that we always get lovely comments when at events regarding their looks and markings and you never miss us.

There are times before an event when standing late at night with a hose pipe scrubbing the white bits and chalking that I do wish I had a bay!!!:D:D
 
I love a nice chestnut though too, with a big white blaze. Or a nice grey but wouldn't like to keep one clean. I think a nice horse is a nice horse whatever it's breeding or colour.
 
Handsome is as handsome does!
I doubt that eventers really care about the colour of a horse as long as it performs and has a great temperament.
Perhaps there is some bias against mares, but again if they perform.......
 
We have found some judges really like them however some have just got a dislike to them. We had one event with marlon and he did a fab test should of been in the 20's however he was toward the back end of the scores. Turns out the one just behind him was also a coloured !!

On the other hand we have had a hell of alot coments saying what a fab looking horse he is. :)

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I think coloured horses are also a very personal thing, eg. some people like mainly white or mainly dark. I for instance am the latter, I dislike coloureds that are mainly white and if they aren't mainly dark I like them to be half and half and without pink skin on their face. Fussy, me? No!! :p :o
 
Princecharming he would make the most fantastic show coloured with those markings!!! they are pretty much perfect for a coloured show horse!!! he is stunning very lucky!!!


Coloured are becoming more fashionable, tbh I don't think people go out for a 'colour' they go out for a horse and the colour doesn't matter hahaha, and a 'nice coloured horse' (depending on preference of course) is a bonus :D

I'm personally not a fan of chestnut horses, I have no idea why just don't favor the colour but it would never stop me buying a nice chestnut that fits the type of horse I want!!!

I love coloureds- Coloureds like PrinceCharmings, which even markings, nice long white legs, a dark tail, mostly dark mane (I quite like a broken mane) and a dark head (with a small- star/stripe/snip)
I'm not a fan of white faces or blue eyes unfortunately

But I think a nice coloured can be VERY striking and VERY appealing!!!

I was only saying the other day how I would love a nicely marked (as mentioned above) coloured show horse!!! but they are so rare (to get a nice one) as you have to not only get the usuals right (confo, movement, temp ect) but ALSO good markings HAHA

xxx
 
I've had a couple of coloureds that I've evented - have to confess to being drawn towards them, once I've discounted all the greys! I think they've fallen a bit out of fashion again though - seem to be masses at the lower end of eventing a couple of years ago.

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I think coloureds are still popular - particularly at lower levels - so I don't think this would be a negative factor at all.
 
I just look for a really good horse, I don't care what colour it is, but if i was offered two horses of identical talent, size, etc, one bay and one coloured, i'd choose the coloured.
Princecharming's boy is lovely, super markings, ditto noodlejaffa's.
I think coloureds can be worth a bit more and more in demand, I sold a coloured years ago and have never had a response like it from an H&H ad, the phone rang constantly for a week.
 
I was once told as a kid all coloureds jump!! Its seems to have stuck in my mind, i have had three coloureds in my life time so far. One was a 14h pony when i was a kid at pony club who was a bit of mare, i got slagged off nothing on earth though, gypsy pony, should be pulling an ice cream cart etc etc. Hated it and only wanted a bay tb!!
I then bought my first event horse 11 years ago again i got a lot of stick but towards the end of his career i got numerous offers for him, coloureds had become very fashionable. Have to admit when i got my boy at the moment i was drawn to his colour but as many people have told me its dosnet mean he will be as good as my old guy!!!
Another good thing about coloureds is they are easily recognisable, my non horsey mum can always spot me eventing in the dressage warm up and on the x country. Here is a photo of my old guy.

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and current horse

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I have a coloured who events and have just bought a new youngster who is a bay. I don't go for the colour when I buy I horse I look at their ability.

I do love watching my coloured because they stand out from all the others warming up but when I have to get up at 4am to make sure she is clean before she goes on the lorry I am not as sure ;)

The bay went out for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I turned up early forgetting that she only required a quick brush not a full bath :D
 
I basically going to repeat what everyone else has said that we buy horses on what we think they can achieve phusically and not ever on colour. Though we have just ventured into our first "coloured" pony which is against pretty much everything everyone has said as the beast has more white then brown which I'm just learning means washing :(
He is only 3 so has done 2 in hand shows. One riding club where everyone said how lovely he was and then one hunt show where everyone (including my granddad) ignores the "coloured thing" and looks at the big bay 2yo we have ;)
 
Well, Mini TX's mare is an eventer, is a skewbald and was both bred to event and the breeder also wanted a coloured. Her mum was a bay TB who was by Motivate who evented up to Intermediate level and dad is Hercorose, a coloured stallion by the great Samber. She is a mini Samber to look at, with a beautiful bay head, lots of nice markings and lovely long white legs, no pics, sorry. She also has the most gorgeous temperament is not at all marish and is a perfect little JRN horse. We didnt set out to buy a coloured, we just fell in love with her and yes she jumps, does a dressage test usually in the 20s and is a tiger xc. Judges usually love her as she is so correct, we get the odd test in the 30s, but couldnt say whether its down to her colour or not. Shes at Novice now, will probably go to Intermediate when Mini TX can be fussed to do it and always gets admiring glances at events. Most of our PC branch want her - shes gone to the PC Nationals twice and is part of the reigning champion Open dressage team as well, and I have had a few offers from parents of cold hard cash - she's not going anywhere though. So yes, eventers do like coloured geldings!
 
I always think that coloureds tend to tuck up a lot more than other horses, something about the native in them that they know where their feet are, give me that over a gangly legged TB anyday - this is not scientific btw, just something I have noticed in horses I've known :)

Although I do think its easier to make a bay horse look clean :p
 
2 months ago we bought a new eventer. We had a list of what we were looking for and colour didn't feature. We all love coloured horses but most looked too "thick set" to event. We settled on an American TB chestnut produced to event - he just looked so right!! Would definitely buy a coloured tho' if he went well and looked capable.

As an aside, if you have a coloured does that mean you're stuck playing Tonto or do you occasionally get to be the Lone Ranger!!!:D
 
wench said:
Give me a nice brown horse anyday of the week... no bathing. No mud stains.
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Can we have your bay? Reg is this big, plain brown gelding. He genuinely wallows. He spent the whole winter with dreadlocks, covered with about 3 inches of mud despite being coated in 7-day Mud Away...
 
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