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HI Spy: Are You Color Blind?

There’s an old horseman’s saying that, “a good horse is a good color,” meaning that qualities like a horse’s work ethic, athletic talent and disposition are what matter most, not the color of its coat. But let’s be honest. Most of us have a favorite color and if we can find a suitable horse that happens to be that special hue then it’s even more desirable.



There’s nothing wrong with favoring a certain color of horse. Entire registries owe their existence to the allure of remarkably marked or colored horses. Without breeders and riders who passionately prefer certain colors, the world of horses would be a nearly monochromatic scene of solid bay and chestnut… not that there’s anything wrong with a horse in a plain brown wrapper. They have their fans, too!



Fortunately, horses come in a palette of colors. What is your favorite? Did you always dream of owning or riding a horse of a certain color? If you own a horse now, was coat color a deciding factor in your purchase? Or if you’re in the process of horse shopping, where does coat color rank on your list of priorities? Don’t be bashful about revealing your penchant for golden palominos, steel blue grullas, flashy pintos, dotted Appaloosas, tawny buckskins, striking dapple grays or any other distinctive color. And if you are indeed a lover of the classic brown bay or regal red chestnut, share your feelings as well.

Finally, if you bonded with a horse of a different color, one that you never thought would appeal to your sense of style, but you ended up believing it was the most beautiful color in the horse world, let your fellow horse lovers know about your experience. Who knows? You may convince them to appreciate even more shades of the horse color spectrum.

Just click on Submit a Comment below and write away. Some of the responses may appear in Horse Illustrated.

New: Top HI Spy answers may be eligible for a prize! If you’d like your response to be considered for the top answer, please include your email address in the email field of the comment form (your email address will not be publicly displayed.)

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Horse Illustrated

Horse Illustrated is the magazine for people who are passionate about horses. Each issue offers advice on horse health and care, plus user-friendly training tips for both English and western riders and engaging lifestyle features for horse lovers.

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  • All colors are beautiful because all horses are beautiful, but if I could have my choice I'd love a shiny black with two white socks and a heart-shaped star. I would also be satisfied with a tri-colored paint or a leopard appaloosa.

  • I think all horses are beautiful in some unique way, but if i could pick one horse of color to match the discipline that i ride it would have to be a gorgeously marked black and white tobiano or a tri-color paint.

  • Anything but a grey horse, I remind myself whenever I go horse shopping. They never look clean outside the wash rack and I don't need the grief of melanomas that seem to come part and parcel of owning a grey. Of course anytime you make a blanket statement, circumstances will conspire against you. So when that adorable, well-mannered foal with a great personality that a family member is selling, that also happens to be grey, comes along at just the right time- what can you do? So now I own a grey and she's one of the best horses I have ever had. And I still mutter under my breath every time she comes in with those funny shades of yellow, green or brown, "I can't believe I bought a grey horse".

  • I'd like to put a "hoof" in for bays!! If color were the only thing that mattered when purchasing a horse, then in my opinion a bay with no white would be the perfect color/horse! However, color is in-fact not all that counts. Example, my parents bought an all black horse (a color i have no interest in) and needed help riding some horses and I kind of adopted him for the summer and he turned out to be one of my favorite horses I have ever ridden. Also, my retired barrel horse is a sorrel. (another color i have no interest in, because there seems to be so many) I have a special bond with him now, I have had him for probably fifteen years now and there is no way i would get rid of him though just because of his color. I think it's the horse's ability and temperment is what should be focused on when purchasing, also health and age!

  • Color does not matter to me. It doesn't make a horse who he is, I think disposition/personality is most important. I have to admit, I have a soft spot for Paints, but that's a breed. So if the horse is a Paint AND he/she has a good personality then it's love :)

  • i think anyone thats been in the horse world for lond wont judge a good horse by color. Yes color can be a factor in horse but if the horse has a great dispostion and really good conformation then it dont matter if its rainbow. Never jugde a book by its cover or a horse by its color. dont pass up a horse cause its not a color you want ,you may fall in love with the horse and its color later.

  • I've only leased horses, but color isn't a "make it or break it" when deciding which to purchase. But color can help when deciding between two that you like and it fits all your requirements. I lease a liver chestnut horse that turns a beautiful golden chestnut in the summer. But if I could have a horse of any color, I would love to have a blue roan pintaloosa, or a dark brown with blond mane and tail.

  • Okay I'll admit it...my favorite color is a very dark bay. Shine it up and it gleams like a dark chocolate candy bar. My eye is always drawn to dark bays and I don't know why. I don't care for white or dapple grey or blankets or spots, sorry folks. I know the day will come when this will change for me but for now this is how it stands. But still, since I still consider myself a beginner of sorts, I will always pick the safe horse with superb ground manners who's a good listener over color any day!

  • I totaly agree. Dark bays are very attractive, I ride one, and she is a little mirical. I also think that blue roans and solid blacks are stunning also, though if i could choose, I would easily go with the dark bay.

  • Everyone in our group rode a bay and they were everywhere I looked. I said I would never own a bay. There were just too many of them. I found myself in the market for a dead broke horse and the best one was a 16 hand bay, 18 yr old so the other horses beat him up pretty bad, he looked rough. But he was the best one, so I took him home to find him to be the best best horse ever. I regreted my words of I would never have a dumb old bay.

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