I'm 'fessing up. I like those krazy kolors. I just can't help it.
I mean, c'mon, you knew I had a problem, right?
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| Who wouldn't want this horse? |
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| Or this one? |
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| And a lonely little girl knew exactly which dog would fix everything. |
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| Well, maybe this one... So I grow up, a big ol' struttin' horse trainer, with lots of theories and sage advice....practical and realistic about what it takes to be a kind and educated horse owner. Preaching the philosophy, "We need to be color blind, a good horse is a good horse, no matter what color they are." |
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| Yet these are the horses I decide to retire with. |
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| ...and here is my dog.... Mighty suspicious is all I can say. So I'm going to come clean. Below, is a Walkaloosa. I think he's awesome. I like his spots and I like the idea of riding his lovely gaits on a trail. Maybe an endurance ride, or a sun dappled path on a trip through the Rockies.  |
How about a Paintaloosa? Tell me this horse is not the coolest thing you've ever seen, and I'll yell "Pants on Fire!"
This farm, http://www.dreamfriesians.com/, doesn't even try to apologize, I say, "Good for you!"
They have one of every sparkly, flowy haired breed there is and they like to play mix'n match.
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| This is a Friesian crossed with an APHA, head hanging, weird Western- hunter type horse. I like what happened with that cross. I think it produced a flashy, yet useful a animal. |
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| Appaloosa/Friesian cross anyone? |
How about hair? We can go ahead and be honest about loving the hair.
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| Here is lots of hair for you, plus some Krazy Kolor too. Want to know a secret? About six years ago, I helped an area trainer break out several, newly imported, just out of quarantine, Gypsy Vanners. They were lovely, every single one of them. Good minded, people oriented, smooth, to die for gaits, and easy, easy, easy to start. They also had broad, cushy backs....  Just in case your dream was to play Sheena of the jungle. Becky Bean and I decided the realistic way to own them would be to be wealthy enough to hire "feather washers." Not only did this thought inspire us to keep writing, it also made us wonder how "Head feather washer," would look on a resume. My favorite, fantasy, dream horse? Here he is. He's mine, don't touch him. |
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| Yep. He's red. Flaxen mane. Lusitano. Why? Because he's a fairy princess horse who can work cows, that's why. |
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| Ignore the fact that the first, and most influential horse movie in my life, My Friend Flicka, (the REAL one) featured a lovely sorrel filly with a flaxen mane and tail, who's heart could only be tamed, by an awkward, spacey, lonely little kid, just like me. |
I'm so guilty of the same thing. "Chrome won't get you home, and you can't ride color," are two of the sayings the old cowboys around here toll me all the time. They know I'm a color genetics nerd. I've got a chestnut appy gelding and a bay gelding that pretends to be a yellow dun.
ReplyDeleteOk, but those would be nice, functionaly capable horses even if they were "plainly" coloured. Why not have a little bling if they were otherwise bred to be at least decent mounts?
ReplyDeleteFor all the time I spend complaining about cleaning white horses - and I spend quite a bit of time doing that, thank you very much - I can't help but squeak like a little girl when my mare is clean and blingy and turning heads.
ReplyDeleteStill! Next one's gonna be bay or black. Harumph.
Funder - Yeah, right.
ReplyDeleteAh Mugs, We love those Flaxens for the exact same reason. When I was girl and had my Breyer's my little flaxen mare was named...Flicka, of course.
ReplyDeleteMy paint has more white than red, and is a bitch to keep clean. But then he is a ranch horse, not a show horse, so most of the time I just don't care.
I can honestly say I have never bought a horse for color, but I sure like my fancy colored horses.
Cindy D. - e too, but I seem to have kept my favorite colors. Sonita (red w/chrome) was supposed to be a quick "flip" horse.
ReplyDeleteOh Mugs! I'm a lover of color too!
ReplyDeleteMy mare is far from the bays and chestnuts I took/take lessons on. She's a you know what to keep clean but that just means I've become an expert at removing stains :)
I want my next horse to be a chocolate colored Rocky Mountain Horse with a flaxen mane.
:D I think we are all a little dazed by pretty colors. (even though I have an affinity for greys, after every one I exclaim "NOT ANOTHER GREY, I SWEAR I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER GREY" and what happens? Another grey
ReplyDeleteBut this reminds me of a lady that boards at our barn. She has 6 really nice horses, she didnt pay an arm and a leg and doesnt shop for color, but she currently has a dun, 2 red duns, a grulla, a cremello and a buckskin.
My husband says "Good horses come in all colors, but some are more convenient than others." And yeah, I disparage those that breed color only and not conformation. Color is sooo not important to me. (Hi, is this The Pot? Yeah, well I'm The Kettle calling. By the way, Your're Black!!!) Yup. 1 sooty chestnut with absolutely no white on him (which turns out to be just as flashy as big white). Dapples to die for. 1 Grey paint with nice butt dapples and a dark mane/tail, and a sooty buckskin with a big white blaze and those darn dapples again! They're all great minded, good horses. But...Yes, I have a dapple problem. Somebody help me.
ReplyDeleteI honestly was not looking for a "colorful" Morgan when I started shopping, but I ended up with the quintessential "newly minted gold coin" palomino (OK, she's actually more orange, but seriously, she is a drool-worthy Palomino.) Think living embodiment of Barbie's Dream Horse. Now, I could have done with better legs, and she'd be the same horse if she had been chestnut, but I do like having such a gorgeous horse. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XaxUsjLG36A/UIvqeeJ7jEI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Sh09PyMniY4/s800/portrait_small.jpg
ReplyDeleteI had one. A bay roan Peruvian / Paso Fino cross, mane and tail to die for, who - even the cowboys agreed - was the best working cow horse on the place. Would go two hours after the quarter horses quit and your butt didn't hurt at the end of an 8 hour day. He got older and needed an easier job, so he's retired with a neighbor where he herds the goats and gets ridden about 3 times a year and I know I'll never come close to replacing him...
ReplyDeleteAren't the people who mock the colorful long haired horses being just as color prejudice as the ones who want the color? I love them all but my colorful Morgan herd consists of a sorrel with with a dark silvery flaxen mane and tail, a grey, and a bright orange sorrel. The "plain sorrel" is the flashiest one in the bunch strangely enough. Love the palomino too quietann.
ReplyDeleteI almost didn't look at a couple of great boys because I didn't want to shop by colour. Seller finally hauled me over to look at 2 buckskins and a palomino because she said they are exactly what I have been looking for. After I got past the colour I said WOW! Just perfectly it. Out of 20 horses available for sale I picked my 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice: buckskin, palomino, buckskin. :) Colour isn't so bad.
ReplyDeleteI confess that I once almost bought a Heinz-57 grade horse that was - wait for it - a blue roan paintaloosa. He.was.awesome. 16h, saddlebred head, draft cross body and legs, Appaloosa mane and tail, he looked like he felll from the top of the fugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. But his gaits were good and his mind was golden, and I'm a sucker for color. I tried him out, said I'd think about it and left. Returned a couple of days later to buy him, as I walked into the barn the people who just bought him were walking out. Clearly, I've never gotten over it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and current herd is two buckskins, a palomino, a black/white paint with unusual white pattern, a solid black and a liver chestnut. I'm a sucker.
I'm not even gonna try -- I LOVE a coloured horse! That paintaloosa there rocks my world so hard I'm dizzy. I loved my bright red horse, and when I had the chance to get another chestnut, I grabbed her. I had better reasons than her looks, but I love looking at her red coat.
ReplyDeleteI didn't go out looking for another varnish roan appaloosa but I found him. I rarely see other white horses with brown legs and manes and ears - I've got two. And tails!!!! I am not humble enough to avoid bragging about that gelding's tail. It drags on the ground and it's so thick and full any horse would be jealous but an Appy with a tail like that is unheard of and no I didn't buy him because of that. It's just a bonus.
I BOUGHT HIM BECAUSE OF THE SPOTS BWA HAHAHA!
No really it was his mind and sweet face. But no lie. I love his cookies and cream coat!
Guys, it makes sense. It's healthy to look at your horse and think he's beautiful!
I wasn't shopping for color when I bought my horse, but I would be lying now if I didn't say that I absolutely love the way my buttermilk buckskin looks. When his knee-high black stockings and dapples show up in late spring, I wonder how on Earth I ended up with such a gorgeous horse. And I am not the only one. Hearing that your horse is pretty never gets old!
ReplyDeleteI don't know...I think a healthy, shiny, athletic, GOOD horse is all it takes to get my heart thumpin', and other horsepeople seem to be the same. My solid bay TB mare with just a star/strip/snip gets drooled on all the time by the girls at the barn...shiny, dappled, athletic, "Soooooo pretty!" (and no socks to try to keep clean! YAY!).
ReplyDeleteAfter all, a dirty, dingy, dull, skinny palo-painta-loosa-gaited-hairy whatsit is not going to get a second look from anyone.
I have to admit though that every time I see a sorrel sabino, or a sorrel with a bald face, my head turns and heart flips because the color reminds me of my good old mare. So I can understand that if you grew up watching Roy Rogers, and were in love with his horse, then every palomino you saw would make you turn your head.
I'm glad you got Flicka in there before the end. When I was a kid that was my favorite book, and my favorite TV show, well, co-favorite with Lassie. I love the colors and the fairy hair horses too, and I always think "someday" I'll own one. I always end up with a red horse, once I had a plain bay,
ReplyDeleteThat's okay too, because at one point in my childhood my dream horse was a chestnut morgan mare with a flaxen mane and tail. I would ride her english and her coat would look like a new penny in the sun. I would also have a 2 wheel cart that I could drive her around in (on my perfectly groomed farm) with my collie dog next to me. Now we have a bright chestnut mare with a flaxen mane and tail, and she really does shine like a new penny in the sun. She's also as round as a barrel, and not happy to do anything I want her to do. She's very lazy and gives me the "stink face" when I decide to ride her. So much for my fantasies.
It costs just as much to feed an ugly horse as it does a pretty horse. You might as well be happy with what you buy no matter the color. I personally love bays and don't really like chestnut mares (bad experiences with a lot of them). But some how I find myself riding the cutest little chestnut...
ReplyDeleteHalf-Dozen Farm--I am shaking my head in sadness and disappointment.
ReplyDeletePlease tell me true...when you wrote,"I think a healthy, shiny, athletic, GOOD horse is all it takes to get my heart thumpin', and other horsepeople seem to be the same," you weren't inferring that because I like color I am not a horseperson were you? Because that would be downright mean, and definitely not Horsaii.
I don't think anybody said anything about dirty, dingy, dull, skinny hairy anything.
Where on earth did you get that from this post?
Oh...and red horse...I just can't let this go. Where in the world did I write that every palomino turns my head? MY palomino turns my head. Well, and Trigger.
ReplyDeleteOops NOT REDHORSE - I was still being defensive towards Half Dozen Farms.
ReplyDeleteGotta admit that color is pretty...on somebody else's horse.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to mine, apparently I've got a strong eye for a Plain Brown Wrapper.
Because a hide like that provides the perfect backdrop for PURPLE BLING TACK, that's why!
When I was really new to horses I couldn't see past colour. I also couldn't tell you why some palominos weren't quite as pretty as the other ones. Now I can see that there's more to a beautiful horse than the paint job. However, I will always be a sucker for a black horse with just a bit of brown around the eyes and muzzle and a big bright star. Think... black beauty... I was too young to understand the movie when I saw it. We watched the first bit then ran around playing pretend ponies. I didn't realize how sad that story was until I watched it as an adult.
ReplyDeleteBut AareneX, there were plenty here who stated how much they love those solid color, no white horses. Those are their fantasy horses.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think purple bling would look awesome on Madonna and Odin.
I have two big hairy drafty cross geldings and Love Them! They are smooth and fun to ride. The black and white one is super gentle, the young black one has taught me a lot!
ReplyDeleteIf you ever want to come and ride a big black and white horse through the redwoods or along the beach Janet I will hook you up in a heartbeat! =)
Oh, and I drooooool over the Fresian crosses!
ReplyDeleteI have a little secret, we're talking about acquiring a pair of Percheron Morgan crosses. They are trained to ride and drive. They are owned by an older couple who have some health problems, they don't really want to sell, we don't really need more horses, but who in their right mind wouldn't dream of a Morgan Percheron? I know if we get them I'll hear about it for years....but it might be worth it. I would need at least 6 horses to fulfill all my fantasies.
ReplyDeleteMugs, I wish you hadn't corrected yourself, it would have given me a good excuse to get all indignant and give a snarky reply. It could have been a Fugly moment, which I think is finally dead.
ha! I knew something was missing on my resume. I have really been a professional feather washer dryer comber (Clydesdales at shows).
ReplyDeletethat flaxen maned lusitano is my dream horse too -- Whistlejacket (the Stubbs painting) has inspired my fantasy for life.
Oh, I am so guilty of this one! "you can't ride color" is a mantra I've repeated--while wiping drool-- to myself over and over, but somehow it never seems to stick. (of course it also contributed to the purchase of the cutest paint mule you ever saw, that in fact I COULDN'T ride, but that's another story). The thing that bugs me most about the Saddlebreds that I love is that abou 75% of them come in plain red wrappers, with minimal chrome. And I know if I'm honest that part of the reason I picked the one I have is that mahogany-chocolate dapple he turns seasonally and how his red legs fade in to gold from his cannons down to his black feet, and how his mane gets silvery. And the hair? After 30 years of faithfully pulling manes his Saddlebredness gives me a legit reason for long and flowing (if somewhat tangly). The very idea of a Friesaloosa makes my heart beat faster!
ReplyDeleteMorgan Percheron crosses? How cute will they be?
ReplyDeleteTrigger will always be my dream horse.
ReplyDeleteBut I have a Percheron-Arab that has been so much fun! Started black, roaned out by two, greyed out with lovely dapples by 6, and now is making the rounds to white at age 9. So one horse, and many colors, all beginning at his ears and slowly working down to his hooves. His color is a reflection of time's passing.
But I will miss the dapples!
There is a breeder that has a Friesian leopard Appaloosa that I love.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's a darn thing wrong with color so long as that isn't your only requirement and you don't have a list of unreasonable demands. Eg: "I want a golden palomino, kid broke, with long mane and tail, that does barrels and poles and isn't spooky ever. Will pay up to $500."
ReplyDeletePeople like color. It's hard as heck to sell a chestnut horse, even if they're a better horse than a flashy color, which sucks. But I do think there's nothing wrong with wanting some flash in your pasture, so long as you're willing to have some wiggle room or pay the price for a nice colorful horse.
Sorry, Mugs... I think I was responding after reading the comments and responding to them more than your post.
ReplyDeleteAnd SURELY you know I think you're DEFINITELY horsaii!! - I don't know how you misunderstood my post to mean I didn't - I mean I've read your blog for years, so I must agree with your points of view for the most part!
My point was that a REALLY nice plain bay or sorrel can make my heart beat faster, just the same as a REALLY nice palomino or buckskin. A nicely built, healthy horse is nice no matter the color. That's all - no ulterior motive at all - no hidden message in my comment - nothing negative meant towards you personally. Maybe it was a stupid comment...but I felt the need to comment for some reason, so there you go.
Back to my corner now.
Sorry, Mugs... I think I was responding after reading the comments and responding to them more than your post.
ReplyDeleteAnd SURELY you know I think you're DEFINITELY horsaii!! - I don't know how you misunderstood my post to mean I didn't - I mean I've read your blog for years, so I must agree with your points of view for the most part!
My point was that a REALLY nice plain bay or sorrel can make my heart beat faster, just the same as a REALLY nice palomino or buckskin. A nicely built, healthy horse is nice no matter the color. That's all - no ulterior motive at all - no hidden message in my comment - nothing negative meant towards you personally. Maybe it was a stupid comment...but I felt the need to comment for some reason, so there you go.
Back to my corner now.