Does colour influence you when you buy a horse?

humblepie

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Not bought that many horses as keep them for ever but generally no it doesn't but more importantly I have to like the horse's head as it looks over the door when I first see him or her.

That said, did really want a grey and got a grey and in the past bought a very inexpensive chestnut mare who wasn't advertised with any colour presumably so as not to put people off who don't like chestnut mares, and both turned out to be fantastic horses.
 

hayinamanger

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I have always been a supporter of the old adage that no good horse is ever a bad colour, however I have recently been told that CRs would not touch a palomino. Is this true?
 

Luci07

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Unusual horses do attract a premium. When my YO was selling her dun horse, people were focusing on his colour far more that what he could actually do!
 

crabbymare

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Colour would only come into it if after viewings I had 2 horses that were equal and I could not decide any other way and in that case I would go with the least flashy colour. otherwise I look at the horse and decide on how well it will do the job I want it for.
 

maxie

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Yes, colour would have an influence on me, providing the horse has ticked all the other boxes first.
Markings are particularly important to me in a coloured horse- I like a solid dark coloured tail & preferably a solid dark coloured mane too. Lots of coloured horses are ruined by their facial markings- too wide & it makes them look plain, too narrow looks bad too & a lop-sided blaze just wrecks my head!

We just bought this lad & plan to sell him again next year. I think his colour will add to his appeal among potential buyers:

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oscarwild

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I always said that I would never like a chestnut, but when I rode her I fell in love and her colour was the last thing in my mind. She does the job I require her to do and that is all that matters. So if I was to get another horse the colour wouldnt bother me in the slightest.
 

Bright_Spark

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I don't think it has, there's not really any colours I dislike, although I do like palominos, blacks, roans and dun/buckskins. However I own 2 chestnuts, a bay and a grey!

As long as the horse ticks all the boxes, I'm not fussed on the colour.
 

Cop-Pop

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I've always said I'd never buy a grey and I'm sticking to it. Scrubbing the pony's back legs at 5am in the freezing cold to get the stains out (that she had rubbed in the night before :rolleyes: ) before a show was more than enough for me!
 

Nic

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Yes, all black ponies should be mine, MINE!!

Other than that minor detail, not really. Not hugely keen on chestnut or spotties, but if the horse is right it doesn't matter.
 

Avonbrook

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Someone who had been waiting for a dun particularly said he wasn't the right colour of dun for them to consider

I don't know but is there a "right" colour dun for the showring in the same way that there is apparently a "right" coloured palomino?

Some people came to look at my liver chestnut pba foal and liked him enormously but ultimately decided that they needed a bay for pba and large riding horse show classes... Maybe they're right, I wouldn't know!

Personally, there is no colour I am set against (although the grey Connie is a swamp maiden of the highest order) however mostly the ones that sneak home seem to be chestnut of various hues...
 
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EventingMum

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I think if a horse was 'right' in other ways the colour wouldn't be an issue - Over the years we have had just about every colour going except appaloosa.

Certain colours make horses stand out from the crowd more, my son's 148's were a golden dun and very striking coloured (more bay than white) and they were often commented on, as was his roan first pony. Horses of these colours also tend to be more unusual than ponies so are even more noticeable. When looking for a horse I always say I would prefer not to get a grey or one with too much white to keep clean but it dooesn't seem to happen. When our grey mare was in foal to a bay stallion I had my fingers firmly crossed that she wouldn't produce a grey - she didn't but had the last laugh with these white legs which take a lot of cleaning :)

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LEC

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I only like bays or chestnuts for myself. I would something else but it would have to be absolutely fantastic. A lot of it is to do with breeding and quality and those with fancy colour tend to lack quality. I loathe the whole idea of choosing a horse purely on colour it just seems a bizarre concept?
 

Doogal

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I love palominos, liver chestnuts with flaxon manes and tails, jet back horses with perfect facial markings and golden duns etc. but when it came to buying my own horse the colour was the very least of my concerns.

To be honest, if I had the choice of my perfect horse in boring bay or my perfect horse in a striking colour I'd probably STILL pick the boring bay because the pretty colour would probably equate to premium price tag too as a lot of people are willing to pay more.
 

NinjaPony

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Nope or I wouldn't have got my second (!) grey! I wanted a connemara and my boy was just perfect for me, so the fact he was grey wasn't a factor.
My welsh pony is black with 4 white socks and a blaze, so very striking. If I was looking for another welsh colour would help me pick, as I do like the striking looking ones.
However, he is a perfect example of a gorgeous but naughty boy so buying for colour alone may not always be sensible!
 

Joss

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Well, that question sparked a lively debate in our household. I think our verdict is yes you cant really help but be influenced a little as the colour plays a large part in the first impression you get when you look at a horse. Mind you turning one down because its not the right shade of colour that you are looking for is a little extreme.

I would struggle to go & look at a chestnut mare but not a great mare fan anyway. Also I am not at all keen on greys - purely for practical reasons. I have limited time & dont relish having something that needs a bath everytime you go anywhere...........ummm just read that paragraph & what do I have looking at me from our field....a grey mare:D:eek:

Also not a fan of spotties, but they are more a breed than a colour arent they?

BTW, I really like the new dun horse & even if he were to go grey it will surely be many years before he is 'white' grey. Looking forward to seeing him under saddle:):)
 

Crugeran Celt

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However, he is a perfect example of a gorgeous but naughty boy so buying for colour alone may not always be sensible![/QUOTE]

That is so true, when I was looking for a horse a few years ago I called regarding a grey thoroughbred and arranged to see him on the weekend. The lady rang me on the Friday night to say she had sold him but the girl she had sold to had a lovely 11 year old TBX that I could go to see instead on the Saturday so off I went to be met with a chestnut with four white socks and a wide white blaze. Didn't even want to try him but he was tacked up ready and I felt it would have been rude just to say no because of his colour. Got on him and he was push button perfect, never ridden such a well schooled horse but couldn't get the fact he was chestnut out of my head. Left the yard and went straight to see a bay welsh sect D that I fell in love with and bought. Don't get me wrong I love my cob but he is hard work and I do wonder sometimes if my life would have been a lot easier if I had bought the chestnut. So never be put off by colour!!!!!!!
 

SKW

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I think you will always be influenced whether you realise it or not by whether a horse is an attractive colour. Having said that, I wouldn't choose a horse based on its colour. The only colour I would be more reluctant to view would be grey (purely for practical purposes), but I have viewed some greys and if one had turned out to be right for me I wouldn't have said no based on its colour!
 

Goldenstar

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A nice colour is the icing on the cake for me I love odd coloured horses but the only thing I would not buy is a coloured after I am not mad on chestnuts but have owned many. I would love a dark dun but it still have to be a nice horse IMO the colour would not blind me to conformation faults.
 

arizonahoney

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I can unashamedly say that I love the funky colours... :eek: See below!

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I'm not competing to a high level at all, so scope isn't so important - but as for everyone, temperament is key.

I do have a soft spot for chestnuts though, so you never know...
 

rowy

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I do tend to sway more towards unusual colours. I like to stand out and normal bays and chestnuts do tend to blend into the background at competitions. I like horses that stand out and are a bit special.
I currently own a dark bay almost black mare who catches a lot if attention at competitions. A large leopard spotted welsh x who has flashy paces combined with his colour. And just got a steel grey mare.
Would love a dun or buckskin or palomino next! Not as keen on coloureds unless they don't have many markings as I think sometimes the markings can make their body look odd shapes.
 

rhino

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I prefer solid, darker colours :D Can't see myself buying a grey or a coloured although admire them when they belong to other people!

I saw your lad on fb, OP, and thought he looked absolutely lovely! Really nice looking chap :) Isn't he technically buckskin, not dun though, if he is a connie x?
 

sarahann1

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Nope, colour doesn't mean anything to me, it's all about personality and temprement for me.
But that said I'm looking for something really specific temprement wise so I really couldn't afford to be fussy about much else.

Measles the horse on Facebook is very lovely looking indeed :)
 

DarkHorseB

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I think these days with adverts (generally) having such good pictures our eye is drawn to a horse that we find pleasing to the eye whether we are consciously thinking about colour or not.

The last 2 I have purchased I very much liked in pictures and as much again when I went to try them. I do have a type I return to which is bay or black with significant white markings. I have never owned a plain bay so I am clearly not drawn to them but I have owned a dark brown/ black horse with minimal markings.

As children my sister and I seemed to have nothing but grey ponies - our first 7 equines were grey :eek: and I have only had one since. Whilst I like them they wouldn't generally be what I look for first. Funnily enough none of my children's ponies so far have been grey!! We did look at a few spot appy and the colour was certainly a negative rather than a positive living in a place where rain and mud are plentiful!

Chestnuts would have to be very special for me to consider them. They have not been lucky for me and I have a permanent scar from each of the two we owned (from a bite and a kick :eek:).

I would absolutely adore a palomino for either me or the girls but one has yet to come our way. I did see a very cute one a couple of ponies ago but daughter was more drawn to a coloured pony though I have never really been a coloured fan. If we can't get a palomino a dun would be nice - I have met some very nice ones. Absolute favourite is probably black though :)
 

welshstar

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I like to see an attractive horse looking over the door at me but I don't think I'm too fussed over colour. We've currently got a bay, two greys and a buckskin. For ease, I'd prefer to not have a grey but they were fine in other ways so we had to put up with it :p

The buckskin is a very striking bright colour with two equal back socks and a star. He also has really light, hazel coloured eyes so often attracts a lot of attention with this and his colouring. I have to admit, I do like the attention he gets but unfortunately you do get remembered wherever you go. I didn't buy him based on the colour, infact when I went to see him and can't ever remember giving his eyes or colour a second glance and it certainly didn't influence my purchase. He is a registered welsh cob and his colour seems to go in his favour when showing. I think if he was sold, he would get a lot of interest based on their increasing popularity in the show ring.
 

star

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I wont have a grey - I love them but just haven't got the time to do all that cleaning. I'm also not overly keen on bays as everyone has a bay and I like something a bit different. Started with a pally and then 2 orange boys. Definitely partial to a nice orange one :D Would love a black or a dun for something different.
 

FfionWinnie

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Yes I am terrible :eek:. Same with dogs, all my sheep dogs are abnormal colours except ironically two I bred. But there was no choice in that litter, they were all normal.

The first horse I owned was a grey and I don't like greys and for myself now I wouldn't even look at a grey. Different if it was a proven competition pony for my daughter tho, in that case I wouldn't care what colour it was if the other boxes were ticked.

My horses are a sabino chestnut, palomino and dun tobiano and I didn't look at anything that I didn't like the colour of :eek:. Very happy with them tho :D
 
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