Does colour influence you when you buy a horse?

measles

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A recent conversation with someone got me thinking about the degree to which the colour of a horse influences potential purchasers.

We have just got a 15.2hh irish connemara cross to produce and he is a very unusual dark silvery dun colour which has provoked some debate on facebook (I don't want to post a link here incase I get rapped knuckles but if anyone wants to see it pm me). Someone who had been waiting for a dun particularly said he wasn't the right colour of dun for them to consider (they wanted a golden dun and I respect their wishes) but it got me thinking that colour must for some people influence the horse that they buy to a huge extent.

What do people think? Is a good horse a good horse for you no matter what colour or are you influenced by an eye catching colour or markings?
 

Holidays_are_coming

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Doesn't bother me in the slightest I don't really like bays they are common yet my last 2 have been bay! I love greys and odd coloured horses but if they are not nice to ride and won't do the job I want they are not much use!
 

AbFab

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Yes! I always go out saying 'definitely not a grey'. And then I buy greys. It seems I am destined to spend my life scrubbing at poo stains.


More seriously though, if I liked the horse I don't think I'd care what colour it was. The weirder the better!
 

saz5083

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I saw your new boy on facebook and thought he looked stunning ;)

For me I think I am always drawn to 'unusual' colours. I love duns, minimally marked coloureds, rose greys, loud leg and face markings etc and find bays/chestnuts etc a bit samey. That said my most recent purchase is a chestnut (all be it with 3 stockings) which shocked most people who know me as Iv never been a fan of them. But for me a good horse is never a bad colour so I looked past the gingeryness ;)

I think colour might influence whether I was initially drawn to the advert but at the end of the day its not a deciding factor in whether I buy the horse.
 

Capriole

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Im interested in a particular breed, with a limited range of acceptable colours but I would be more interested in a nice horse with a rarer colour *within the breed* than a nice horse of a more common colour within the breed.
But in general I prefer a plain, solid coloured horse and would pass by anything fancy/unusual/coloured as it doesnt float my boat.
 

Laafet

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Well yes I suppose it has in the past, we looked over a year at horses before finding my first horse. We never looked at a grey one, mainly because of the melanoma thing (my aunt's horse suffered badly from it). However after driving the length and bredth of the country, had 3 horses fail the vet, my lovely farrier found one that he thought was suitable. He was close by so we thought we'd go and look, he was grey, dark dapple with a black mane and tail. I fell in love and bought him. He was a very good horse and a fair servant. However as he was a mucky pup, when I was looking for my next horse I decided I wanted any colour other than grey! Bought a beautiful bay, but he didn't want to be a competition horse so sold him to a hunting home. What do I have now.............
Another grey, I do have a soft spot. When I first started doing BD I did think that I stood out being on a Irish type small grey horse rather than a big dark warmblood and we showed too successfully, in part I think due to his fab paces and how he stood out from a line up of dark show hunters.
I've always wanted a dun, but to be honest, the colour is not that important as long as they do the job unless I win the Lottery and can afford to buy as many as I want!
 

stencilface

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I prefer more interesting coloured horses, and would generally steer clear of the typically boring bay. However I like a nice face, and prefer them with white markings, so a decent bay with nice markings would be fine. I do like chestnuts and would have one of those again - anything to avoid having a dirty grey again lol :)
 

Wilbur_Force

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I have always wanted a grey, call me mad! Never managed to find one yet though, always had bay boys. I've just checked out your facebook page and I think he's absolutely fabulous. Lovely stamp of a horse and if I was looking he'd be my perfect type, height, etc. When I'm looking for a new one, I'm on the next flight up to you! :)
 

3Beasties

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I don't think it would influence me a great deal, there are some colours I'm not keen on but probably only one colour I wouldn't want to own. I think if there is a nice stamp of a horse under it's colour then it will be good looking no matter what colour it's fluff is!

I've recently bought a horse, during my search I considered most colours, I had a preference for coloureds (didn't think I'd actually end up with one!) but wouldn't have been put off by the right horse at the right price.

The horse I bought was a coloured, her markings caught my eye and I just really liked the look of her. I bought her despite a couple of boxes not being ticked, if she had been a bog standard bay/grey etc I'm not sure I would have done.

So for me colour isn't important when I'm looking but might play a part when the final decision is being made if that makes sense?!
 
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xspiralx

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It doesn't really influence me, although there are colours I am not so fond of - I am not very keen on appaloosas, coloureds with a lot of white or roans/fleabitten greys. However if the horse seemed perfect in every other respect I'd never rule out a horse in a colour I didn't like.

The same is true of looks - it is hard not to lean towards a good looking horse, but ultimately I am looking for a horse that will do a job, is nice to ride and nice to own, and colour and looks are definitely second to that.

The horse I've just bought actually is a very dark brown with no white on him - colour-wise you couldn't get much more plain but I think he's very smart and couldn't care less that he isn't the flashiest colour.
 

TheoryX1

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Not really, but I do have a huge weakness for a dapple grey and I love coloureds with a vengenace, plus black horses also occupy a huge soft spot in my heart. I currently own a black horse and a skewbald. When I purchased said black horse I was looking for a 16hh dapple grey irish type. What did I end up with? A 14.3hh black cob with 4 white socks and a star. He is irish though. When we were looking to purchase Mini TX a new horse 4 and half years ago she told me she wanted a nice bay gelding. She ended up with a pretty skewbald mare. Just goes to show you cant help what you fall in love with.

I have to be honest I do like different colours, but personally its what the horse looks like as a whole that I tend to go by. Pet hates include pink/white muzzles and wall eyes. However, if I found a good un with a pink/white muzzle it would not deter me, but a wall eye is a huge turn off. To thosr of you with horses with wall eyes, this is purely my personal preference, iti s not a criticism upon your horse (thank god this isnt NL).

One day I will buy my 16 hh Irish dapple grey, one day ..........
 

kit279

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Yes but more for sentimental reasons. I had a lovely grey horse once and since then I have spent the last few years really secretly wanting a little grey Thoroughbred. Found the perfect one and plan to buy him but he had an accident in the field and is turned away for a bit now to recover. I do go down the Tattersalls Sales lists and specifically earmark the greys! :O I never buy just because of colour but I do specifically go and see the grey ones! And now having had a lovely black horse, I'd probably go and see the black ones too. Clearly I am a fruit loop...:D
 

Quadro

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My only line is no coloureds really really not a fan and as they tend to be bred for colour rather than performance it gives me an added reason! The same with spotties.
I would love a palamimo, they would match my hair and would carry off pink well and aid my riding barbie look :D
Q
 

Polotash

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The only thing that would put me off is pink/ spotty bits and muzzle! Otherwise, anything goes, even tho greys and coloureds are much harder work ;0)
 

Rafferoo

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I love greys but have not had one for years! Not keen on coloureds myself but would buy one anyway if it was the right horse for me. The only colour I would not go for is black ... because a psychic once told me not to buy the black horse ... superstitious? Me? Never!
 

lex2501

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I have 5 horses - all of which grey, but despite the stats colour doesn't actually influence my decision on a horse. In fact when I was searching for my latest horse I was hoping for something other than grey but Murphy appeared and he ticked all the boxes and I couldn't resist :D

I must admit that I wouldn't want an "unattractive" horse - but to me colour is totally irrelevant. I have seen the photos of your chap on facebook and I think he is absolutely stunning and your client is bonkers not to snap him up! If I had a spare stable I would be heading up to you with the lorry ;)
 

SpottedCat

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From a purely academic point of view, I can pick out a good horse regardless of colour. From a selling on point of view I would always go for a dun, palomino or a coloured - people seem to want those more. From a personal point of view I would rather not have a grey or a horse with a lot of white like a coloured as I have clean horse OCD and it would take me forever to get anything done!

I'm horse shopping right now, at the cheaper end of the market (sub 5K) and am actively looking at duns/palominos/coloureds as I have the suspicion that for my budget I won't be able to get the talent I want, so will need to produce, sell on and buy again. Having had the amazing experience of the phone ringing off the hook for a dun horse I sold reasonably recently, I am inclined to go for something I know will sell well for decent money partly because of its colour!

People on here will tell you till the cows come home they don't care blah blah, but my experience as a seller is that for every one person who says they don't care, there are 10 that do ;)
 

Littlelegs

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I love greys, always have. And after that, like dark bays, followed by chestnuts. But, that said if I viewed an otherwise perfect horse, I wouldn't not buy purely because of colour. More that if given the choice between two otherwise identical horses, I'd pick the grey.
Only colour I would be put off by is traditional coloured horses. Just because I find them a pain to keep clean. You have to worry about keeping the white bits clean & the dark bits dust free & shiny. At least with solid colours its only one or the other. That said, I'd happily buy daughter a coloured, just wouldn't buy one solely as mine I don't think.
 

Firewell

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Conciously No.

Subconciously? Well like Kit we have been blessed with some super grey horses in the past. A grey will always tug on the heartstrings for this reason. The same with a chestnut. My best pony when I was a child was chestnut, brave as a lion she was. Now J is chestnut and when I went to see him I had the choice of two to pick from and I didn't even see the little dark bay mare he was stabled next to! Now I love admiring his coat, it's the colour of the autumn leaves at the moment, and it shines a brunished gold in the sunhine..... just there I have made my point lol.

Who knows what past experiences people have had that may influence them slightly. My mums new horse is a bay, probably my least favourite colour but we spotted him in a barn of all bay TB's so something must have stood out and actually he is a very handsome chap, and lovely and shiney :).
 

Little Nell

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A good horse is never a bad colour!! So no it wouldn't influence me at all although i do have a penchant for greys and bays with white blazes
 

Tangaroo

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Ive got a skewbald and a dapple grey at the mo. If i had a choice i would always buy a coloured. I have never met a bad one, might just be luck though!. My grey has got dark legs and hes not particularly dirty so quite easy to look after.
Im of the opinion, if its the right horse it doesnt matter what colour it is although i am always drawn to coloured ones.
 

sz90168

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In May I bought a lovely 2 year old Palomino Warmblood Gelding. If we would of been grey or bay I would of thought twice about it. As his conformation and paces were also good I went for it. I think his colour makes him a bit more special. My friends breeds palomino and duns as she finds something more unusual sells quicker. I do have a soft spot for black horses as well. I would not go on colour only though, it is about the whole package.
 

Jenni_

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Oooh PM me Measles he sounds unusual, I like unusual!

I used to only like 'standard' colours, but I now find myself leaning towards more 'unusuals' - as in I'm getting an Apaloosa next week! Something I would NEVER have considered a few years ago (did have one briefly as a teenager though)

My only worry is he won't really go with navy/white show stuff!!! Infact, just because its an oppetunity, here he is :D (mot me riding btw, but I took this blatantly obvious professional picture!)
633F194E-2464-4572-9217-D316999C7375-2068-000001E70309EF87.jpg
 

Frosty89

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Doesn't really bother me. As long as it rides nice, that's the main thing for me.

I would however say I'm not a fan of coloureds, yet I have owned one. I love greys (more so in the darker years), I think they are very flashy. Enya is starting to turn rose grey which I think looks very nice.
 

Puppy

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Yes, to a certain extent because I wouldn't ever consider a spotted horse or a cremello. I'm also not overly keen on chestnuts, unless they have nice white markings, and a coloured would have to be well marked for me to consider it.

I am however another one who is a sucker for a nice grey, and do think my grey girl is the most beautiful horse I've ever owned :)

Over the years I've mostly owned bays (with stars) but now for the first time I find myself without one. I was kind of expecting to end up with one (having bought two new horses in the last year) but instead we've ended up with a dun and a black. Neither were bought for their colour but because of how they ride and what lovely horses they are. The black one in particular had a very specific criteria as she is for my mother to ride, it just so happens that she is also absolutely beautiful and very nicely eye-catching. The dun one, I was not wowed by when I first saw him stood on the yard, but tacked up and cantering, I was. Then I rode him and he is just my idea of perfect. My instructor said of him "his colour is unfortunate, because you look at him and think he's just a dun cob (connie x TB) but actually once you see him move there's something really quite special about him!" :rolleyes:


Of course it helped sway us when we bought them that they are both beautiful, and their colours contribute to that, but I wouldn't have bought them if they were poorly put together/didn't ride well and I have turned down both blacks and duns that I've viewed in the past.
 

ihatework

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Yes to an extent - although horse would still have to meet conformation, temprement and ability standards too.

I actively shy away from greys & coloureds and any wishy washy colour.
I outright dismiss cremello & spotties
I am more drawn towards black, very dark bay, liver chestnut
Attractive white markings normally seal the deal.
 
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