Palomino Horses For Sale

The Palomino Horse: History, Uses, and Description

"Palomino" is the term used to describe a genetic coat coloring, widely acknowledged to be one of the most enchanting and beautiful colors that horses can come in. Continue reading for more information about Palomino horses.

Description of the Palomino Horse

Palomino horses are a striking gold color all throughout the body, with a white or cream-colored mane and tail. Palominos can come in all ranges of gold, from light to dark. The darkness or lightness, as well as the intensity of the gold color, all depends on the horse's genetic makeup. As more is learned about genetic properties and their effect on a horse's color, horse breeders are discovering just what color horses need to be crossed in order to create a palomino. Palomino is simply the name of a coat coloring, otherwise known as a "color breed", and because of this, horses of all breeds can be recognized as Palomino, though there are some breeds in which the chance of breeding a Palomino is very thin, such as Friesians or Appaloosas.

History of the Palomino Horse

Since the very first successful breeding of a Palomino, which is unfortunately undocumented, Palomino horses have been widely admired due to their beautiful and iconic coat coloring. While the exact origination of the breed can not be traced back, there is evidence of Palomino horses being used in the Crusades as war horses. Most Palomino enthusiasts and specialists will agree that Palomino horses are descendants of the Arabian and Barb horse. In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s film industry, Palomino horses were heavily favored for the use in television programs and movies alike. Two examples of Palomino horses who claimed their ticket to fame were Trigger and Mister Ed; Trigger was well-known for starring alongside Roy Rogers in classic Western films. Mister Ed was a "talking" Palomino horse who had his very own comedy show in the 1960s and was beloved by both the adults and the children who watched the program. In 1936, the Palomino Horse Association (PHA) was founded in order to create a documented registry for Palomino horses. Later that decade, the Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA) was founded as well. The PHBA developed a more strict set of requirements for registration than the PHA, as the foundation was created to promote "purity" in the breeding of Palominos, and to improve the color breed over time.

Uses

As horses of a wide variety of breeds can be considered Palomino, Palomino horses are used in a myriad of events, competitions, and disciplines. Palominos can serve for jumping, racing, ranching, dressage, barrel racing, and much more. Due to their beautiful coloring, they are favored for parades, parties, and celebrations. As previously stated, their coloring earned them a spot in classic Hollywood, and Palomino horses are continuously used in television and film today as well. While the word "Palomino" can not be used to describe an actual recognizable breed of horse, there is still plenty of history and regulation behind horses who are recognized to be true Palominos.