You start every winter with the best of intentions. This year, I’m going to keep riding all winter, no matter how bad the weather gets!

You’re a tough equestrian, right? You’re not going to let a little snow (wind/sleet/ice) stop you from spending time in the saddle.

But then deep winter sets in, and you struggle to simply keep up with the regular daily barn chores, along with the myriad of winter-centric tasks (shoveling, de-icing, shoveling, then some more shoveling). Throw in some winter weather advisories and what seems like two hours of daylight per day, and it’s no wonder that you ultimately decide that spending some downtime indoors sounds like a pretty good idea.

Winter downtime is one thing, but you also don’t want to go stir crazy. And horses are your thing—you want to learn, grow, explore—without freezing for hours on end outdoors.

The good news is there’s so much more to the equestrian lifestyle than time in the saddle, and winter is a great time to invest your energy into activities that will make a positive impact on your involvement with horses.

The following are a few ideas to get you started.

Read Horse-Related Books

We always tell ourselves we’re going to make time to read … and then we don’t.

This winter, make it happen. Set aside some of your downtime to explore an assortment of horse-related books, both fiction and nonfiction. Revisit childhood favorites and enjoy them with a new perspective. Explore new subjects that interest you—maybe training young horses, equine nutrition, or the history of your favorite breed.

Check out vintage horse books. Try some biographies of pillars of the industry. Read old breed association yearbooks. Catch up on your pile of magazines.

You’ll learn a lot, and you’ll have the satisfaction of making a dent in your TBR (to be read) pile. If you don’t have a TBR pile, get in the habit of keeping a list during the fair-weather months on your phone’s notepad app. When a book strikes your fancy but you don’t have time to read it, just jot down the title.

Explore New Skills

Quiet winter weekends are a great time to explore new skills. Have you always loved taking photos but wish you understood the nuances of equine photography? Do you wish your horse show videos weren’t so shaky and choppy? Maybe you daydream about creating beautiful artwork or sculptures of your horse.

Daydreaming is great, but you can take action by pursuing your ambitions: sign up for some art or photography classes, find a mentor who can give you some guidance, and practice, practice, practice! You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can make progress when you carve out regular time to pursue your passions.

Learn More About Your Horse

You love your horse and all of his endearing habits and mannerisms—but this winter, why not learn as much as you can about him?

Start with his pedigree, if available, and begin researching his ancestors. Look for photos, gather info, and find out more about your horse’s background.

Learn the basics of equine coat color genetics and discover how your horse came to be the color he is, as well as how and why he inherited his white markings (or lack thereof).

You can also explore breed registry resources to learn all you can about the history of your horse’s breed, or send off a DNA test if your horse’s ancestry is unknown.

Study for Certification

Do you have long-held ambitions that you’ve always wanted to pursue? Winter is the perfect time to take the first steps.

Check out educational courses and programs, then find out what it takes to become certified in the field you’re interested in, whether it’s judging, training, instructing, horsemanship, equine appraisal, massage, or another related area.

Fulfilling all of the requirements for certification can take a long time (in some cases years), but you can take advantage of the winter months to get the ball rolling. The time will pass either way, so you might as well be making progress toward your goal!

Stay in Shape

When it’s cold, chances are you’re craving comfort foods. Of course, comfort foods get most of their comfort from the gazillion calories they contain. And when you combine that with decreased activity levels during the winter, the result leaves you in something less than tip-top physical shape.

But it doesn’t have to be that way—staying in shape during the winter not only feels great, but it also gives you an advantage when the weather improves and you can get back in the saddle on a regular basis.

Your specific method of staying in shape will depend on your individual circumstances, but might include walking, swimming, yoga, visits to the gym, et cetera.

Make Plans for Warmer Months

There’s no better time to make plans than during the winter. Evaluate the upcoming year and begin to set goals and plans.

Which horse shows will you attend? Can you pencil in some weekends for trail rides? Add in dates of clinics, horse expos, breed association meetings, and local club events so it’s all on the calendar from the start of the year.

Then determine the training goals you want to accomplish with your horse this year. What farm improvements would you like to make? Are there any important purchases you need to consider this year? Start tackling the logistics now, while things are quieter and less chaotic than in the summer.

Get Organized

Wintertime is the ideal season to work on getting organized. Who wants to deep-clean a tack trunk in the middle of a crazy show season? Or sort a box with 43 nylon halters when it’s 98 degrees?

Use the quiet time and the cooler working conditions to make some cleaning headway in your tack collection, show clothes, and trailer. You can get organized slowly, at your own pace, without the rush-rush-rush of the summer schedule on your mind.

Set a Budget

Just kidding. Budgets are for New Year’s resolutions!

Tackle Repairs & DIY Projects

Feeling handy? It’s time to work on some of those long-overdue repair projects you’ve been avoiding.

From little things like repairing tack, fixing buttons on shirts, and replacing laces in paddock boots—all the way up to bigger DIY projects like repainting jump standards, building window boxes, replacing the flooring in the bathroom at the barn—you can tackle these projects during the winter months and feel relaxed and ready to roll when spring arrives.

Go Horse Shopping

Buying a new horse is a surefire way to have fun this winter and make the most of the seasonal downtime, right? Of course, even if you’re not in the market for a new horse, it never hurts to browse some listings or watch a few YouTube videos of horses for sale.

Window shopping can be almost as much fun as actual shopping, plus it’s a lot less expensive.

Get Crafty

Why not put your crafting skills to good use? Maybe you’ve always wanted to make a ribbon quilt with your keepsake show ribbons.

Or maybe you love to crochet—why not start making crocheted ponies for the kids in your life or to give as prizes at next summer’s horse shows?

Volunteer Your Time

Breed associations and local horse clubs are almost always in need of volunteers to help with events, to serve on committees, and to handle the details of various programs. Your assistance will be gratefully received, and you’ll have the satisfaction of being a vital asset to these organizations.

Perks of Trying Winter Equestrian Activities

After you’ve put the winter months to good use, you’ll be more than ready to greet the coming spring from the vantage point of the saddle. But you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you put your time to good use even on the coldest, windiest, and snowiest of winter days.

This article about winter equestrian activities with less time for riding appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Winter Equestrian Activities: How to Spend Your Time with Less Riding appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

There’s something magical about naming a horse. We start off as children with little plastic equines that we stable on our bookcases. We give those horses names like Star or Jet. Then we move up to digital models that we pilot through the pixelated worlds of our computer games. We give those horses names like Bramble or Lucky. But when it actually comes down to naming a real live horse, you’ll have to give it a little more thought.

While there may be 101 things that are far more important to consider when bringing home a new horse, somehow choosing the perfect name skyrockets to the top of the priority list. What’s more fun that carefully pondering all of the choices and ultimately selecting the best and most wonderful name? But with limitless possibilities, how do you narrow down the options and make your choice? You know only one name is going to be the right one. So how do you decide?

When naming a horse, you want to choose a name that will be the perfect fit. Maybe the name will reference the horse’s color in some way, or its personality, or its breed or bloodlines. Below, we’ve compiled several different lists, each distinctly suited to different types of horses (and ponies!). We’ve tried not to be too obvious, but if you truly feel that “The Black” is the best name for your ebony-coated equine, you can certainly feel free to go ahead and use it. But for the purposes of these lists, we have tried to move further away from clichés and find creative names that will capture your horse’s qualities and make you smile.

Coat Color Names

Horses are often given names that refer in some way to their coat color or pattern. For example, chestnuts get “red” names like Garnet, Ginger, or Flame. A horse’s coat color is a distinctive part of who he is, so it’s natural to want to incorporate that characteristic into a name. Here are lists of color names that are a bit off the beaten path.

Black Horse Names

• Enigma
• Midnight
• Storm
• Dahlia
• Raven
• Cherry
• Velvet
• Domino (for a black horse with white markings)
• Jaguar
• Ebony
• Onyx
• Noir
• Belle
• Flicka
• Jet
• Echo
• Angus
• Shadow
• Pirate
• Blackjack
• Harley
• Phantom
• Bandit

Bay and Brown Horse Names

• Clay
• Cleveland
• Adobe
• Mocha
• Teddy
• Chewbacca
• Bear
• Rusty
• Kit Kat
• Brandy
• Briar
• Dusty
• Snickers

Chestnut Horse Names

• Toffee
• Cappuccino
• Brownie
• Copper
• Swiss
• Nutmeg
• Penny
• Ginger
• Brick
• Fawn
• Cinnamon
• Autumn
• Sable
• Sandy
• Sienna
• Maple
• Hazel
• Nutella
• Cocoa
• Opie
• Whiskey
• Amber
• Red
• Marigold
• Tawny
• Hazelnut
• Russell
• Grizzly
• Rose

Palomino and Buckskin Horse Names

• Eclipse
• Platinum
• Bambi
• Glimmer
• Sundrop
• Aurora
• Aurelia
• Biscotti
• Nugget
• Sunburst
• Clementine
• Paloma
• Zelda
• Epona
• Lux
• Blondie
• Rapunzel
• Spirit
• Trapper
• Ed
• Barbie
• Sunny
• Daisy

Gray Horse Names

• Snowball
• Napoleon
• Pepper
• Lacey
• Traveller
• Greg
• Coal
• Hugo
• Picasso
• Crystal
• Moonlight
• Frosty
• Alaska
• Jasper
• Snowden
• Silver
• Sterling
• Pegasus
• Blizzard
• Pearl
• Cloud
• Casper
• Diamond
• Starlight

Pinto Horse Names

• Scout
• Little Joe
• Jigsaw
• Rain
• Hidalgo
• Patch
• Pirate
• Marble
• Sparkle
• Bean
• Paint
• Picasso
• Splash
• Flash
• Fancy

Type-of-Horse Names

Many horsey people like to name their horses something that relates to their breed. Most breeds have a specific ‘style’ of name; for example, Arabians are often given Egyptian-inspired names, while Welsh Ponies often sport Welsh-inspired names and spellings. Here, however, we’re going to take a look at wider categories of horse types instead of individual breeds.

Draft Horse Names

• Monte
• Baymax
• Goliath
• Giant
• Thor
• Banner
• Hercules
• Maximus
• Denali
• Tank
• Bruno
• Jupiter

Sport Horse Names

• Challenger
• Jet
• Power
• Victory
• Fargo
• Bolt
• Billie Jean
• Brady
• Jordan
• Simone
• Phelps
• Serena
• Messi
• LeBron
• Kobe
• Montana
• Gretzky
• Bo
• Pharaoh (or use the infamous misspelling “Pharoah” if you’re a racing fan!)

Western Horse Names

• Bonney
• Trigger
• Champ
• Oakley
• Billy
• Cisco
• Rio
• Dale
• Gene
• Cash
• Chisholm
• Augustus
• Cochise
• Hank
• Ranger
• Whiskey
• Gunner
• Maverick
• Bronco
• Chico
• Champion
• Bonanza
• Calamity Jane
• Reeves
• Sundance
• Davy
• Cassidy
• Sheriff
• Oakley
• Jesse
• Stetson

Pony Names

• Buttons
• Misty
• Dolly
• Cookie
• Charlie Brown
• Olaf
• Sebastian
• Jake
• Leo
• Lotto
• Polo
• Tinkerbell
• Marshmallow
• Pixie

Personality Names

You can go a few different routes with this kind of name. You can go by what your horse is—a bit of an alpha mare, a rather quiet gelding—and choose a name that reflects that, or you can give your horse a name that denotes a quality you would like him to have. These lists are just the beginning—use them as inspiration!

Elegant Horse Names

• Isabelle
• Debutante (Choose this for her registered name, and “Debbie” can be her barn name)
• Marquis
• Juliet
• Henrietta
• Vanderbilt
• Versailles

Bossy Horse Names

• El Jefe (You can’t get much more literal than this; it means “The Boss” in Spanish, and is pronounced El HEH-fay. Use LA JEFA for a mare. )
• Queen
• Boots
• Major
• Barkley
• King
• Chief
• Captain

Silly Horse Names

• Barnaby
• Whiskers
• Tigger
• Buster
• Goofy
• Scooby
• Bugs
• Daffy
• Mickey
• Mopsy
• Flopsy

Names Tied to Inspiration

Perhaps you want to take inspiration from some of your other favorite things in life, like places you’ve been or dreamed of, or maybe art and music that makes you feel inspired. Naming a horse is a great opportunity to combine these passions with your greatest passion: your horse.

Names Inspired by Places

• Paris
• Sicily
• Vancouver
• Utah
• Sydney
• Berlin
• Carolina
• London
• Georgia
• Odessa
• Athens
• Vienna
• Adelaide
• Florence
• Austin
• Savannah
• Phoenix
• Cheyenne
• Havana
• Vegas
• Geneva
• Boston
• Laredo
• Venice
• Cairo

Names Inspired by History and Culture

• Mozart
• Jackson
• Beethoven
• Mona
• Dickinson
• Bard
• Da Vinci
• Sullivan
• Chopin
• Michelangelo
• Banksy
• Monet
• Frida

Names Inspired by Pop Culture

• Taylor
• Beyoncé
• Ringo
• Harry
• Clooney
• Jackson
• Shakira
• Marilyn
• Cruise
• Miley
• Elvis
• Sinatra
• Oprah
• Madonna
• Marvel
• Ariana
• Stevie
• Adele
• Elton
• Whitney
• Prince
• Mariah
• Bowie
• Axl
• Freddie

Names for Horse Pairs

In the special case in which you have not one, but two equines to name (you lucky duck!), the process becomes even more complex because it’s multiplied. Double the trouble, if you will. And if you want to choose names that go well together . . . that’s enough to make even the most expert “namer” throw up their hands in defeat.

So if you’re trying to select two perfect names that sound like they belong in adjacent stalls, what better way than to pick a duo that is already famous? Check out this list for ideas!

• Bonnie and Clyde
• Fortune and Cookie
• Romeo and Juliet
• Venus and Serena
• Yin and Yang
• Jack and Diane
• Garfield and Odie
• Sonny and Cher
• Fred and Barney
• Rhett and Scarlett
• Laverne and Shirley
• Tom and Jerry
• Buzz and Woody
• Rick and Morty
• Bert and Ernie
• Batman and Robin
• Mac and Cheese
• Mario and Luigi
• Jim and Pam
• Kirk and Spock
• Timon and Pumbaa

Best Horse Names by Gender

If you’re looking for a name as unique as your horse, consider one of these remarkable choices for male or female horses.

Unique Male Horse Names

Do you need help naming a colt or gelding? Check out these male horse names ideas.

• Ace
• Milo
• Cody
• Atlas
• Enzo
• Percy
• Hudson
• Beau
• Benjamin
• Brooks
• Wyatt
• Charlie
• Albert
• Diego
• Eli
• Bentley
• Finn
• Henry
• Bart
• Timmy
• Luca
• Max
• Apollo
• Ollie
• Linus
• Blaze
• Sheldon
• Theo
• Levi
• Buddy
• Wes
• Koda
• Oscar
• Jax
• Huey

Female Horse Names

If you’re looking for the perfect name for your mare, here are some good female horse names ideas to consider.

• Cadence
• Bella
• Annie
• Betsy
• Carly
• Caroline
• Ladybird
• Luna
• Martha
• Sassy
• Shania
• Wanda
• Willow
• Dottie
• Queenie
• Dove
• Athena
• Sadie
• Molly
• Rosie
• Ava
• Charlotte
• Emma
• Mia
• Harper
• Chloe
• Ella
• Lucy
• Delilah
• Amelia
• Zoe
• Elsie
• Phoebe
• Aspen
• Haven

Tips for Naming Your Horse

When naming your horse, it can be helpful to take inspiration from traits of your horse or other meaningful aspects of your life. Some names are inspired by coat color or personality, while others can reflect pop culture or history. You can always try on a name to see if it fits before determining which moniker best represents your horse, but eventually, the right one will make itself known.

How about you? What are some of your favorite horse names? Leave a comment below and share your favorites!

The post 400+of The Best Horse Names appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

There’s just something majestic about black horses. Maybe it’s the fame of The Black Stallion or the beauty and elegance of these dark-colored equines that delights us. In celebration of our love for them, here are 12 facts that you might not know:

◆ There are only two base colors in equines: black and red (chestnut). Every other color is a modified version of one of these two colors.

◆ Black is dominant over chestnut. If a black horse carries two copies of the black gene, the horse is said to be homozygous black; if a black horse carries one copy of the black gene and one copy of the red gene, the horse is heterozygous black.

◆ Two black horses can produce a black foal. Or a chestnut. That’s because if each of the them carries a copy of the recessive chestnut gene, the foal could conceivably receive a copy from each parent and—voila!—a chestnut foal arrives.

◆ Two black horses cannot produce a bay foal, but two bays can (theoretically) produce a black foal. It’s complicated but true.

◆ Black horses are born. . . gray? While this isn’t always the case, many are a unique shade of mouse-gray at birth. The true black coat is revealed after the mousey-colored baby coat sheds out.

◆ The classic children’s novel, Black Beauty, is said to have sold over 50 million copies since its publication in 1877.

◆ A black mare named Burmese was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II in 1969 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Queen rode Burmese during the Trooping the Color ceremonies for nearly twenty years.

◆ Friesians are well-known for their black coloring and minimal white markings.

◆ Some black horses “fade” in the summer sun, and these are known as (you guessed it) “fading blacks.” Those that retain their ink-black coloring are known as (here comes another shocker) “non-fading blacks.”

◆ The “most famous fictional horse of the century” (according to The New York Times) is Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion. At the time of Mr. Farley’s death in 1989, his books were said to have sold more than 12 million copies.

◆ A black Thoroughbred named Black Gold was the winner of the 1924 Kentucky Derby and a Hall of Fame entrant. Black Gold was also the focus of Marguerite Henry’s 1957 book of the same name.

◆ Aside from Black Gold, only three other black horses have won the Kentucky Derby: Halma in 1895, George Smith in 1916, and Flying Ebony in 1925.

Has a beautiful ebony horse been an important part of your life? Share your stories in the comments!

The post 12 Fun Facts About Black Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Buckskin Color

The first unique horse coat color is buckskin. If you’ve ever seen the animated movie “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” or the Netflix original series “Spirit Riding Free,” then you’re already familiar with the most famous buckskin horses of recent history. Spirit’s color is one of the things that makes him so distinctive and able to stand out from the herd.

Buckskin horses are striking with the combination of a light coat and dark mane, tail, ears and legs. Many buckskins are cream-colored, but some are more golden or tan—it’s the dark points that count. Genetically speaking, a buckskin is a bay horse that has a cream gene, which lightens its base coat to that creamy buckskin shade.

It’s easy to get confused by the terms “dun” and “buckskin,” but duns often have additional dark markings called “primitive” markings. These can include a dorsal stripe along the backbone and stripes above the black points on their legs.

Buckskins can be found in many different breeds, but they can also be registered with the American Buckskin Registry Association, Inc. (ABRA) or the International Buckskin Horse Association (IBHA). Duns and grullas are also included. Grulla (pronounced “grew-yah”) is a mousy grayish-brown shade of dun.

Palomino Color

Our second unique horse coat color is palomino. The golden stars of the horse world, palominos always manage to catch your eye with their flashy coats and flaxen manes. It seems as if they were made for the spotlight. After all, palominos have long been a top choice for TV stardom: Trigger was cowboy Roy Rogers’ constant companion, and kids in the 1960s loved to tune in to watch the lovable Mister Ed.

Like buckskin, palomino is not actually a breed but a color, and palomino horses that meet the requirements can be registered with the Palomino Horse Breeders Association (PHBA).

In the olden days, breeders wanted to develop a breed of horse that was always born with a palomino coat, but they discovered that color genes just didn’t work that way. Remember how we said that a buckskin is essentially a bay horse with a cream gene? Well, a palomino is a chestnut horse with a cream gene.

Palomino coats can range in color from light buttery cream to a darker golden yellow. In fact, the PHBA says that “the ideal body coat color is approximately the color of a United States gold coin.” But I think we can all agree that any shade of palomino is a good shade!

Pinto & Paint Coat Color Patterns

Finally, our third unique horse coat color or pattern is pinto and paint. Be careful not to use these words interchangeably—even though pinto and Paint Horse markings look similar, there’s actually a distinction when it comes to bloodlines and registration. The American Paint Horse is a breed of horses known for their striking patterns of white markings that have Quarter Horse breeding, while the word “pinto” can refer to horses of many breeds (including Paints) that display patterns of white markings.

Like palominos and buckskins, pinto horses have their own registry, the Pinto Horse Association of America, Inc. (PtHA).

Pintos and Paint Horses display a variety of beautiful, colored coat patterns, but two of the most well-known are tobiano and overo. A tobiano can usually be identified by minimal white markings on the face, four white legs, and white markings on the body. Overos, on the other hand, often have a lot of white on their faces, sometimes even possessing completely “bald” (white) faces.

The PtHA registers horses and ponies in five different size classifications and six different type classifications, so there’s truly a pinto horse to suit anyone’s fancy!

Learn More About Unique Horse Colors!

Check out the groups that register, show and promote these colorful horses.

◆ American Paint Horse Association
◆ American Buckskin Registry Association, Inc.
◆ International Buckskin Horse Association
◆ Palomino Horse Breeders Association
◆ Pinto Horse Association of America

This article about unique horse coat colors originally appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Horses of Many Unique Colors appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

For the most part, horse breeds share common coat colors, like chestnut, bay, gray, and black. Likewise, most horses share the same type of white markings, such as star, blaze, socks and stockings. But one group of coat patterns—splashy spots, varnish roan, snowflakes and more—are made famous by the beautiful and instantly recognizable Appaloosa horse. Let’s take a closer look at this popular breed.

The Appaloosa Horse: An American Original

Spanish explorers and colonists brought horses to North America on ships about 500 years ago. Within a century or two, the descendants of those horses were widespread across the continent. It didn’t take long for innovative Native American tribes, including the Nez Perce, to put horses to good use.

The name “Appaloosa” is a fun example of the way words and language change over time. Originally, Appaloosas were known as “Palouse horses,” named after the Palouse River in the northwestern U.S. where the Nez Perce developed the breed in the 1700s. Eventually, Palouse horse became “a Palouse horse,” and then “Appaloosa.”

American explorer Meriwether Lewis (of the Lewis and Clark expedition) noted the spotted coat patterns of these horses when he visited the Northwest basin region of Washington as early as 1806:

“Some of these horses are pided with large spots of white irregularly scattered and intermixed with black, brown, bey [sic] or some other dark color.”

He also described the horses as “active,” “durable, “elegant,” and “excellent.” Sounds a lot like the Appaloosa today!

A Western Horse

Other horse breeds have influenced the Appaloosa, including American Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds and Arabians. In fact, the American Quarter Horse influence in the Appaloosa helps give some of the horses a decidedly “stock horse” appearance, and it is popular among western riders.

Appaloosas excel in western pleasure classes as well as other events like reining, cutting, roping and barrel racing. They’re also fine ranch horses. And of course, the Appaloosa wouldn’t be a true western breed unless it made a great trail horse—which it does! In fact, the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) even offers sanctioned trail rides.

Thanks to their natural athleticism and talent, Appaloosas can also shine in English disciplines, including hunter/jumpers, dressage and eventing. And you’ll even find some Appaloosas at work as driving horses, pulling carts for show or pleasure.

One Colorful Breed

The first pattern that might come to mind when thinking about Appaloosa horse colors is the spotted blanket, but there are other coat patterns, too. In fact, the ApHC recognizes several different coat patterns, along with 13 base coat colors. But some horses seem to defy the boundaries and display multiple patterns, which adds to the fun!

Some of the Appaloosa coat patterns you might find include:

◆ Blanket: This popular pattern involves a solid coat with a spotted blanket of white on the hindquarters.

◆ Snowcap: This pattern is much like the spotted blanket, but without the spots. It looks like the horse received a dab of frosting on his back!

◆ Frost/Varnish: These are two separate patterns that look similar; they feature white hairs scattered throughout the horse’s coat, presenting an appearance similar to roan.

◆ Marble: Imagine a spotted blanket that kept going and covered the horse’s whole body, along with a dash of roan, and you’ll have the marble pattern.

◆ Leopard: A striking color pattern that features a white base coat covered in dark spots—think the horsey version of a Dalmatian.

◆ Snowflake: This is basically the reverse version of a leopard pattern. This time it’s the base color that is dark and the spots that are light. There also may be fewer spots.

◆ Solid: It’s also possible for an Appy to simply be a solid color without spots. But many of these horses retain the Appaloosa characteristics of striped hooves, mottled skin around the face, or white sclera around the eye—all of which go along with the breed’s unique coat patterns.

Spotted and Smaller

Do you love the Appaloosa’s eye-catching coat patterns but want something a little smaller? You’re in luck, because the Pony of the Americas (POA) brings the flashy Appaloosa coloring in a smaller package. POAs were developed through a combination of Appaloosa, Shetland Pony, Welsh Pony, Arabian and other breeds.

Purebred Registry for the Appaloosa Horse

Because the ApHC allows outcrosses to Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and Arabians for registration, the International Colored Appaloosa Association (ICAA) was formed to preserve the breed and its heritage, to promote these versatile and athletic horses throughout the world, and to develop the purebred Appaloosa.

Using the accepted method of breeding strictly registered Appaloosa to registered Appaloosa with no outcrossing for eight generations, the ICAA’s goal is to one day achieve purebred Appaloosa horses.

Did You Know? ◆ The Appaloosa is the official State Horse of Idaho. ◆ Appaloosas generally stand 14 to 16 hands high. ◆ The Appaloosa Horse Club was established in 1938, and over 700,000 Appaloosas have been registered. ◆ John Wayne rode an Appaloosa named Zip Cochise in the 1966 film El Dorado.

This article about the Appaloosa horse appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The Appaloosa Horse Breed appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

We’ve talked about the allure of palomino horses and explored facts about chestnuts, but today let’s turn our attention to horses of yet another delightful color: gray. With their stunning beauty and fascinating genetics, gray horses have delighted equine enthusiasts for centuries. Let’s take a closer look.

1. Gray horses have one or two copies of the gray gene. A horse with one copy of the gray gene is said to be heterozygous for gray and can potentially produce gray OR non-gray offspring, depending on whether or not the gene is passed on. An equine with two copies of the gray gene is said to be homozygous for gray and all of the horse’s offspring will turn gray, without exception. This is because the horse does not possess a non-gray gene and therefore can only pass gray.

2. Gray can be spelled g-r-e-y- or g-r-a-y. Some breed associations prefer grey, others prefer gray. The University of California-Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory uses gray.

3. They can be born any color. There’s a common misconception that all grays are born black. Not so! They could conceivably be born ANY color. (It’s interesting to note, however, that when a black foal is going to go gray, it is usually born a deep, jet-black. Black foals that do not carry the gray gene are often born a mousy-gray color, which is why people sometimes joke that “black horses are born gray, gray horses are born black.”)

4. Gray is a modifier. Gray modifies the base coat color, transforming it to gray. Genetically, the horse is the color it appeared at birth, but the presence of the gray gene modifies the coat color to gray.

5. They must have at least one gray parent. The gray gene is a dominant gene and cannot “show up” later on, as recessive genes are wont to do. So if your horse is gray, you know without question that one or both of its parents were gray.

6. They keep life interesting thanks to the myriad shades of this color from “rose gray” and “dappled” to “flea-bitten” and “pure white.” It’s a transformative process that can take many years.

7. Grays are found in many breeds. The color is commonly associated with the Lipizzan breed, but it is also very common in Andalusians, Arabians, Welsh Ponies, and is accepted as a color by most breed registries.

8. Gray horses have won the Kentucky Derby on eight occasions. These famous gray Thoroughbreds include: Determine, Decidedly, Spectacular Bi, Gato Del Sol, Winning Colors (a filly), Silver Charm, Monarchos, and—most recently—Giacamo in 2005.

9. The only Kentucky Derby winner to be disqualified was a gray. Dancer’s Image, initial winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, was later disqualified after a drug test showed the presence of phenylbutazone. The disqualification remains a topic of controversy even today.

10. The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, the 1968 Disney comedy starring Dean Jones and Kurt Russell, features a gray horse named Aspercel.

Has your life been influenced by the companionship of a gray horse? Share your stories in the comments!

This article is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine, originally published September 2016. Click here to subscribe!

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Envision this scene: a glorious black Arabian stallion swims powerfully through the ocean in the aftermath of a shipwreck, pulling you to the safety of a deserted island where you later learn to ride him.

That might happen if you’re Alec Ramsey in The Black Stallion movie and book, but even if you’re not shipwrecked on an island with a wild stallion, you’ve probably seen Arabian horses at the stable or at horse shows. The Arabian is a beautiful breed capable of many different jobs.

What Are Arabian Horses Known For?

A light horse breed that stands between 14.1 and 15.3 hands (although 15.1 is more common on the tall end), Arabian horses have been prized for centuries for their stamina and versatility. But Arabians are also famous for their distinctive beauty and presence. What is it about the Arabian’s appearance that sets it apart from other breeds?

Part of the reason is surely the Arabian’s sculpted head, which sports a heavily dished face and large eyes that are prominently set on the sides of the face. The Arabian’s muzzle is small, but the nostrils are flared, which also adds to this breed’s dramatic look. There is an unmistakable elegance about the Arabian that contributes to its distinctive type, stemming from its arched neck and graceful body.

You’ll find Arabians in four different coat colors: bay, black, chestnut and gray, sometimes with occasional roaning caused by coat patterns like rabicano. Gray is something of a classic Arabian color, and many foundation stallions were gray, including the imported Raffles and Skowronek.

How is an Arabian’s Skeleton Different?

If you study the conformation of many horse breeds, you might notice that the Arabian tends to have a shorter back than other breeds, as well as a high-set tail and a level croup. There is a good reason for this: most Arabians actually have a slightly different skeletal structure than other horse breeds.

In addition to having a higher bone density than other breeds, Arabians usually have one less rib and only have five lumbar vertebrae in their backs instead of six, which results in a shorter back. Additionally, their tails are missing two vertebrae, which might contribute to the Arabian’s tendency to lift their tails high when excited.

How Versatile is an Arabian Horse?

The spirited Arabian has no shortage of talent when it comes to competing or performing. Arabians are used in racing, and also compete in endurance riding, where horse and rider complete long-distance rides of 50 or 100 miles.

And whether it’s a local open show or an Arabian breed show, you’ll find Arabians competing in hunters, western pleasure, English pleasure, dressage, jumping, saddle seat, reining, cutting, and many other disciplines, in addition to in-hand conformation and showmanship classes. Even though you might first think of Arabians as riding horses, you’ll also find some that compete in pleasure driving.

Arabians excel outside of competition too, whether it’s a quiet ride down a trail or a low-key ride around the outdoor arena.

Are Arabian Horses Good for Beginners?

If you’re interested in Arabian horses and would like to learn more about them, you might be interested in the Arabian Horse Association’s Discovery Farm program. This program is an opportunity for beginning riders to meet Arabian horses and learn from informative farm owners who are willing to share their knowledge of Arabians.

For thousands of years, people have cherished their alliance with the Arabian horse. And when you ride or watch an Arabian, remember that you’re participating in that connection and helping to write the latest chapter in the Arabian’s story.

This article about the Arabian horse breed appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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1. Horses have large hearts.

A horse’s heart weighs about 10 pounds (in comparison to the human heart, which weighs less than a pound). But in an amazing coincidence, two Thoroughbred racehorses who competed in 1973’s Triple Crown series possessed extra-large hearts: 22 pounds for the amazing Secretariat and 18 pounds for his rival, Sham!

2. Horses are incredibly intelligent.

If you’ve spent much time around horses, this probably comes as no surprise, but horses are incredibly intelligent. In fact, studies have shown that horses understand variances in human facial expressions, are capable of indicating preferences, and can exhibit at least some degree of empathy.

3. Horses have exceptionally large eyes.

Horses have exceptionally large eyes (some of the largest eyes of any mammal), and the prominent placement of the eyes on the sides of a horse’s face results in vision that is known as monocular. Humans have binocular vision, meaning that the eyes work together to view the same scene. With monocular vision, horses see two different scenes independently.

4. The average gestation period of equines is approximately 340 days.

This is similar to the gestation periods of llamas, alpacas, and seals. Variations can and do occur, but most mares typically carry their foals in the range of 320 to 370 days. Situations beyond either extreme aren’t unheard of, but they aren’t common, either. Mares carrying colts (male foals) tend to have slightly longer gestation periods than mares carrying fillies (female foals), and foals born in January tend to have shorter gestations than foals born later in the season.

5. Horses come in a variety of different colors.

Bay, black, buckskin, cremello, chestnut, champagne—the genetics behind equine coat colors can be complicated! Thankfully, some of the rules are easy, so here are a couple to keep in mind:

◆ A gray horse must have at least one gray parent.
◆ Two chestnut horses will always produce a chestnut foal.

6. Horses have 205 bones.

Envision the skeletal system of the human body, and then mentally compare it to the skeletal system of a horse. Which one do you think has the higher number of bones? The answer: they’re virtually identical! Adult humans have 206 bones, while most adult horses have 205 bones.

7. Arabian horses specifically have a unique skeleton.

And speaking of bones, here’s a quick shout-out to the amazing Arabian’s special skeleton. With only five lumbar vertebrae in their backs (most horses have six) and one less rib, Arabians tend to have shorter backs than other horse breeds.

8. Some horse breeds have amazing speed.

As anyone who has ever watched a horse race can attest, horses are capable of achieving impressive rates of speed. Although the Thoroughbred is the breed that comes to mind when talking about speedy horses, Thoroughbreds generally excel at carrying their speed over long distances of ¾ of a mile to 1½ miles or more. For short distances, the American Quarter Horse is actually the fastest breed, capable of sustaining 45 mph for ¼ mile.

9. You can tell a horse’s age by its teeth.

Don’t look that gift horse in the mouth, because you may just discover that he’s a bit older than you expected! Quaint proverbs aside, it’s possible to determine a horse’s age with a fair degree of accuracy simply by examining his teeth. The presence or absence of certain deciduous teeth, the particular markings on the teeth, and the angle of the upper and lower incisors can all be used to help estimate the age of a horse.

10. Horses played a role in ancient Egypt.

Horses were an important part of ancient Egyptian history, but only after their introduction to the country in about 1600 BC. The famous pharaoh Ramses the Great (Ramses III) even recorded the names of his two chariot horses; they were “Victory in Thebes” and “Mut is Contented.”

11. Horses also have an important role in American history.

Think of all the iconic scenes from history: hardworking horses on cattle drives, farm horses plowing fields, carriage horses in cities, Pony Express riders galloping across the West. But all of this is fairly recent history, as horses have only been present in North America for about 500 years. Columbus—and shortly after, Spanish explorers—brought the first horses across the Atlantic.

12. The most popular breed in the U.S. is the American Quarter Horse.

And for our final of 12 facts about horses: While the world is populated with hundreds of different horse and pony breeds, the most popular breed in the United States is the American Quarter Horse. The American Quarter Horse Association has registered nearly 6 million horses worldwide since 1940.

After these 12 fun facts about horses, what do you find fascinating about our equine companions? Share your stories in the comments!

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With an enthusiastic cheer from the grandstand, the horses head for the far turn and into the homestretch. Trotting at full speed, one of them puts a head in front as he and his driver cross the wire—the winners! But wait a minute—trotting at full speed? A driver? That’s right, because this isn’t a Thoroughbred horse race, it’s a harness race, and this is a Standardbred.

A Different Kind of Racehorse

In harness races, Standardbreds pull very lightweight, speedy two-wheeled carts called sulkies. And unlike Thoroughbred races such as the Kentucky Derby, no cantering or galloping is allowed in harness racing. Instead, Standardbreds race using one of two gaits:

TROTTING: The same gait that you use in an English riding lesson, the highly skilled Standardbreds can trot at a speed far faster than you’ve ever attempted on horseback—more than 30 miles per hour! Most horses only trot at around 8 to 10 miles per hour. The trot is a two-beat gait; it’s also a diagonal gait, meaning that when a left front hoof is in the air, its diagonal right hind hoof is also. Likewise, when the right front hoof is in the air, the diagonal left hind hoof is moving the same way.

PACING: A pace is a specialty gait that some Standardbreds can perform. Like the trot, it’s also a two-beat gait, but this time the legs on each side work together, known as moving laterally. When a horse paces, his left front hoof is in the air at the same time as his left hind (see photo above). The same is true on the right side of the horse. Generally, a pace has the potential to be a bit faster than a trot, and more Standardbreds race at a pace than a trot.

Because some Standardbreds excel at trotting and others at pacing, Standardbred races are divided into specific races just for trotters and others just for pacers.

A Horse with History

You might wonder what the word Standardbred means—where did it come from? Back in the 1870s, horses weren’t permitted to be registered in the breed’s stud book unless they could travel specific distances in specific “standard” times, like a mile in 2 minutes 30 seconds.

While harness racing has a long history in the United States, it wasn’t until about the 1850s that the Standardbred breed as we know it today began to form, combining a mixture of various horse breeds to produce a talented trotting machine, including Thoroughbreds, Hackneys, Morgans, Narragansett Pacers and others.

Similar to the Morgan, one particular foundation sire is greatly responsible for making the breed what it is today. The Standardbred breed was impacted quite a bit by a stallion named Hambletonian 10; in fact, the annual Hambletonian Stake harness race is named after him.

Standardbreds are generally a bit shorter than Thoroughbreds, with the average height of about 15.2 hands. The overall body type of the Standardbred is usually a bit longer than the Thoroughbred, and Standardbreds tend to exhibit a sturdy, solid build.

Beyond the Track

But wait a minute—don’t assume that Standardbreds are only for racing. Because Standardbreds are often docile and enjoy the company of people, many excel in jobs other than racing.

Standardbreds are also used for riding and compete successfully in shows under saddle, over fences, and in dressage and western pleasure. They’ve been used for endurance races and also for just taking a quiet ride down the trail. They can be taught to canter instead of trotting fast with a little bit of retraining. You never know, a Standardbred might be just the horse you’re looking for!

This article about the Standardbred appeared in the January/February 2020 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The Welsh breed is divided into four sections based on size and type: Section A, the Welsh Mountain Pony; Section B, the Welsh Pony; Section C, the Welsh Pony of Cob Type; and Section D, the Welsh Cob. If you’ve ever heard that Welsh Ponies can do it all, here’s the proof: meet Loafers Lodge Superman.

This 13.2-hand Section B Welsh has packed a lot into his 13 years. He’s earned a Legion of Merit, a lifetime achievement award given by the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America (WPCSA) based on points earned at WPCSA-sanctioned shows, excelling in everything from walk-trot to hunter classes, and he’s qualified for the United States Pony Club Championships and the American Eventing Championships. Oh, yes, and in Superman’s spare time, he’s also a TV and film star.

It’s not every pony that can claim to have worked with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, but Superman can due to his appearance in the 2017 film “The Nice Guys.” In the movie, Superman had to do a complicated series of actions, says owner Carol Tresan, who added that he lived up to his name. Ponies like Superman make it easy to see why Welshes are beloved all over the world.

A World of Welsh

Considered as a group, Welshes range in size from under 11 hands to over 16 hands. Size requirements for the sections differ by region of the world. All four sections possess characteristics that are inherently Welsh: kind, trainable, athletic, hardy and beautiful, with good movement.

The Welsh Mountain Pony

Section A—Up to 12.2 hands in the U.S.

Once upon a time, Welsh Mountain Ponies roamed the hills of Wales. The Welsh Pony and Cob Society (UK) was formed in 1901, and the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America was established in 1906.

Although some still inhabit the hills of Wales, today’s Welsh Mountain Ponies are more likely to be found navigating driving courses or sailing over hunter courses with a young child in the saddle. It has a complex personality that’s equal parts clever and kind, and while it has long been hailed as an ideal child’s pony, it is also extremely popular as a driving pony for adults.

The Welsh Pony

Section B—Up to 14.2 hands in the U.S.

Breeders in Wales recognized the need for a larger pony with the same qualities. During the first half of the 20th century, they developed the Welsh Pony, Section B of the stud book.

Early breeders carefully made selective crosses of registered Welsh Mountain Ponies with Arabians, Thoroughbreds and Welsh Cobs to introduce additional height while retaining the character and type for which the Welsh are revered. (All four sections of the stud book have been closed to outside blood for generations.)

With its additional height, it is often viewed as the perfect “next pony” for a child who has outgrown a Welsh Mountain Pony.

Today’s Section B ponies are well-known as outstanding performance ponies, and their versatility allows them to be competitive in a wide range of disciplines, making them the most popular section in the United States at this time.

The Welsh Pony of Cob Type

Section C—Up to 13.2 hands in the U.S.

The Welsh Pony of Cob Type, or Section C, is smaller than the Welsh Cob yet retains the same characteristics of substance and strength. But the Section C also exhibits a great deal of pony quality, especially in the face, which reflects the influence of the Section As.

Section Cs, while still somewhat rare in the United States (less than 20 Section C foals are registered in the United States each year), are well-suited to driving, jumping and a host of other disciplines. And even though Section Cs are similar in height to many Section Bs, they are quite different in type; Section Cs actually share more characteristics with Section As in terms of type.

The Welsh Cob

Section D—Over 13.2 hands in the U.S.

Section D Welsh Cobs are massive, powerful animals with the skill and stamina to excel in many pursuits, coupled with impressive beauty and athleticism.

One glimpse of the Welsh Cob in action easily demonstrates why it is such a popular choice for dressage, and its movement, strength and temperament make it an ideal choice for driving as well. But it’s the unique temperament of the Welsh Cob—curious, kind and trainable—that attracts some of its most devoted enthusiasts.

Not every Welsh stars in movies or spends life as a child’s best friend. But these ponies do bring endless joy and delight to those equestrians they impact.

For more information, visit the Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America, Inc. at www.wpcsa.org.

This article on the Welsh Pony, Welsh Mountain Pony, Welsh Pony of Cob Type, and Welsh Cob appeared in the February 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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