Does Color Influence A Horses Character
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One old adage says you don’t ride a horse’s color. But, maybe that’s one old adage that is not quite true. Does color influence a horse’s character? Some people think so.
Perhaps the horse color with the worst reputation is chestnut. Chestnut colors can range from very deep reddish brown, to a bright coppery red. Many people believe that a red chestnut will be very temperamental. Saying the words ‘chestnut mare’ to some riders is enough to send a chill down their spines as these are said to be the most sensitive and temperamental and difficult of all. Is it true? I’m not sure.
I’ve met my share of temperamental chestnut mares. I owned a grey OTTB for a time. She was lovely to ride when she had a foal by her side, but once the foal had weaned and the mommy hormones subsided, she turned into a witch. It wasn’t until after I sold her that someone told me she had been chesnut at birth. That explains it, I thought. She was a chestnut mare, disguised as a grey.
Related: A Horse of a Different Color - Tutorial
Related: A Horse of a Different Color – Unusual Horse Colors
Related: Color Breed Confusion Resolved
I do have a soft spot for greys. But of all the horse’s I’ve had, the greys have been the most troublesome. Perhaps because they were closet chestnuts. You always have to convince them they had to mind their manners. I found that I was constantly drawing the line, only to have them at some point step over it. So while greys may be willing workers, you had to remind them they must.
My favorite color is bay. Is it any wonder that I think my bay horses have been wonderful? There’s nothing like a good honest bay. Yes, my current horses has her moments. Perhaps if she were chestnut, I’d blame her color. If she were a buckskin, I’d probably blame her color when she gets a bit stubborn. That’s a characteristic I assign to buckskins - pig headedness.
I’ve only known one white horse that wasn’t technically a grey, perhaps a very pale cremello. The horse was bad news. This could easily be a result of handling, and not color. Black horses I’ve had no experience with, so I don’t know about any color bias with blacks. Pintos however, seem a hard working lot, if a little dishonest. Most of the pintos I’ve known have been ponies however, and dishonesty is just part of their life strategy.
I’m not the only horse owner with color biases. The equine world is full of lore about fiery chestnuts, honest bays and hard working greys. And, it’s possible there’s a little fact behind the fiction. Apparently there is some correlation between pigment production, hormones, and neurochemistry in other animals like Norway rats, foxes, domestic cats and fallow deer. But because there are some many factors that influence a domestic horse’s behavior, it would be hard to disprove or prove any popular color theories of the horse world. Until someone does though, no chestnut mares for me. I like a nice honest bay. |
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