Various Types of Coloured Horses and Ponies
Written by Jayne Purcell-White – November 2007
Coloured horses and ponies are a huge growth industry and are probably the most popular types of horses in the equine world as we know it with a fanatical following which is steam rolling ahead at pace. Gone are they days when coloured horses/ponies were considered and frowned upon as being ‘lower class’. Quite the reverse has happened – they are horses for all equine disciplines. Today, through selective breeding programs, we are finding more and more different types of coloured horses and ponies – some even have purebred status in some breed types - something that we never have imagined a few years ago.
We now see coloured horses going around Burghley, Badminton and even on the racetrack. There is a huge warmblood influence and the Europeans have been breeding coloured dressage/sport horses for some time. Much of this breeding has been used on stock here in the UK. Coloured dressage are making their mark worldwide, whilst the American breeds (quarter horse and saddlebred) are becoming increasingly popular outside the USA as people are using them for a large range of equestrian pursuits due to their versatility. John Whittaker (British Showjumper) is currently riding a coloured stallion – Utah van Erpekom on the national showjumping circuit.
Riding ponies and show horses are becoming more refined in movement and quality - they now compete at County Level amongst their solid counterparts, and win. We even have coloured horses winning hack classes at county level – something that had never happened before. It was a coloured heavyweight show cob – So Smart, that won the Overall Supreme at the Horse of the Year Show 2006 – a real coup for coloured horses. Professionals who said ‘they would never ride a coloured’ find themselves with not just one, but two, three and more on their yards – and they are on the lookout for more!
Traditional cobs are more popular than ever – their presence in the USA and Europe has a fanatical following. With many traditional cobs pedigrees starting to be recorded and DNA’d and we now have verified parentage of many gypsy cobs, and in some cases serious breeders can now produce four or five generations of verified and DNA’d parentage.
Modern communications (i.e. the internet) allows us to become knowledgeable about different types of coloureds and breeds worldwide. A few clicks on the internet and all sorts of information on coloured horses and ponies will be thrown up on a search engine. Some breeds we had never heard of until recently – ie. The Kerry Bog Pony – a rare breed native of Ireland and often found in coloured form. The National Show Horse is the only recognised breed of the USA - more often than not, coloured. These communications have also allowed us to use stallions worldwide via frozen semen worldwide – therefore spreading bloodlines and gene pools, and giving us a diverse range or types and breeds, we see today.
We have set out below various examples of types of coloured horses and ponies we see today. Coloured Contacts would like to that everyone that submitted photos to use for this article.
Traditional Cob Pony
McCartney’s Highland Prince
This Stallion has profuse quality feathering – 14 inches of feather from the front of the knee and no foreign/native blood. Most of the traditional cobs we see today are between 13.2 – 14.3hh.
Traditional Cob Horse
Domino Flashy Lad
Full luxurious mane, tail and feather – the feather is silky, abundant and covers the hoof. This cob is a good example of what often termed by a traditional being ‘sat back in their joints’ – this means not having upright pasterns but a sloping pastern which not only shows off the much desired feather, but prevents jarring/concussion when cobs are at work. Must be deep bodied and muscular and can be well in excess of 15hh
Working Traditional
The Lion King
Photo by kind permission of Black Forest Shires & Gypsy Horses for use of the photo
Generally more upright in their shoulder and most usually with a shorter neck ‘ to enable the horse to get into his collar and work’. These cobs are not usually extravagant movers and are more designed for pulling wagons or trolleys and drays.
Vanner Horse
The Mighty Samson
Usually more ‘leggy’ than their traditional counterparts, with a little feathering. These horses have more ‘draught’ type blood in them rather than ‘native’ blood.(i.e Shire, Clydesdale) They are work animals, strong over their loins, shorter in the neck and usually over 15.2hh.
Native x Traditional
Lady of the Dawn
This mare is half Dales and half Traditional
Small Native
Harlequin V – Minature Shetland Pony
Hunter Pony
The Hunter Pony should possess a good, honest head with a bold, intelligent eye, well set on head and neck from the shoulder, with a good prominent riding wither. It should have a flat, sloping shoulder with good length of rein, deep heart room and well sprung ribs. There should be sufficient depth through the loin with enough scope to carry a saddle. The quarters should have sufficient length with a well set on tail, with the hind leg correctly put on from the loin, giving a strong second thigh and a good strong, clean hock.
The limbs should have good bone with sufficient substance to carry a deep and compact body A hunter pony should have correct type with bone, substance and true action. The movement should be athletic with good engagement of the hind quarters but without the extravagance of the show pony.
Working Hunter Pony
Heidi Boo La
Show Hunter Pony
Millpond Look at Me
Photo Courtest of Colin Nichols – Equinational Photography
Riding Pony
The Riding Pony should possess a good, honest, attractive head with a bold, intelligent eye, well set on head and neck from the shoulder, with a good prominent riding wither. It should have a flat, sloping shoulder with good length of rein, deep heart room and well sprung ribs. There should be sufficient depth through the loin with enough scope to carry a saddle. The quarters should have sufficient length with a well set on tail, with the hind leg correctly put on from the loin, giving a strong second thigh and a good strong, clean hock.
The limbs should have sufficient quality bone to carry the body, with good broad knees, short flat canon bone and the fetlock joints should be large enough to stand hard work. Also, there should be a good open shape to the foot, the pasterns being the correct length and angled at roughly 45 degrees to the ground. A show pony should have elegance combined with movement, with pony type, quality bone and sufficient substance. The action should be true, straight and floating, covering the ground with effortless ease.
Show Cobs
The Show Cob is a type rather than a breed. A short-legged animal exceeding 148cms with a maximum height of 155cms, it has bone and substance with quality and is capable of carrying a substantial weight. The Show Cob should be well mannered and ideal for nervous or elderly riders. Show Cobs should have sensible heads, (sometimes roman nosed), a full generous eye, shapely neck crested on the top, with a hogged mane and well defined wither. The Show Cob should also have clean, strong hocks and all the attributes of a good hunter; low movement and a comfortable ride.
Show Cobs must be registered as lightweight (minimum of 8½” bone), heavyweight (minimum of 9” bone) or Maxi Cob exceeding 155 cms and are defined as follows:
Working Cob
Fingerprint
Working Cob
Same criteria as for a show cob – between 14.3 – 15.1hh – can be either a lightweight or heavyweight to compete in this class.
Lightweight Show Cob
The Lightweight Cob should be exceeding 148cm, but not exceeding 155cm and have a minimum of 8 1/2 inches of bone and be capable of carrying 14 stone.
Malachi
Heavyweight Show Cob
So Smart
Heavyweight Cob:
The Heavyweight Cob should be exceeding 148cm, but not exceeding 155cm and have a minimum of 9 inches bone and be capable of carrying more than 14 stone.
Maxi Show Cob
Eirins Clover – photo courtesy of Paul Saville, Pleasure Prints
Maxi Cob
A Cob Exceeding 155cm. No upper height limit but cob must be short legged animals of cob type.
American Apache – as a Lightweight Show Cob
Image supplied courtesy of The Event Photographer
Some cobs can be trimmed to be a Show Cob – This photo shows a photo of a horse as a show cob. The photo below shows the same horse as a Native Type.
American Apache – left natural as a Large Native
photo courtesy of Paul Saville LBIPP - Pleasure Prints
Sport Pony
Showtime II
Purpose bred to be just that – dual purpose - to compete eventing, showjumping and dressage
Sport Horse
Must exceed 148cm and are judged as a ‘type’. You could find a lightweight hunter or riding horse in this class, as long as they are suitable to be a competition horse. They are judged on their potential to be competition horses of the future. More often than not, they do a two or three minute show , then jumping phase consisting of coloured and natural obstacles. On occasions, they are judged on a pure flat class with no jumping.
Pferde Stud Picasso
Photo courtesy of Colin Nichols – Equinational Photography
Hunter
A horse capable or likely to be capable of carrying its designated weight regularly for a full day's hunting. It should have substance, quality and a calm, bold temperament. It should have the conformation to produce high performance with sustained soundness. It should be alert, and when ridden have four athletic natural paces.
Small Hunter
148 cm (14.2hh approx) but not exceeding 158 cm (15.2hh approx)
Lightweight Show Hunter
Tempest Dream
Lightweight Hunter – Capable of carrying up to 79.5kgs (12 stone 7lbs).
Middleweight Hunter
Capable of carrying over 89kgs (14 stone).
Riding Horses
A Riding Horse is between a Hack and a Hunter. It should have quality, substance, good bone, correct conformation, presence and true action.
Riding Horses can be:
Large Riding Horse – mare or gelding four years old and over, exceeding 158cms
Small Riding Horse
Five Alive
Small Riding Horse exceeding 148cms and not exceeding 158cms.
Large Riding Horse
Merrigan
Large Riding Horse – exceeding 158cms
Our thanks to all who allowed us to use their photos:
Julie Marchant
Gilly Chippendale
Mr and Mrs S. McCartney
Lyn Wiseman
Lacey Smith
Graham Phillips
Equinational Photography www.equinational.co.uk
The Event Photographer
Black Forest Shires & Gypsy Horses
Pferde Stud
Pleasure Prints
Charlotte Hall
Kathryn Hamman
Sheila Harvey
Mr and Mrs G.Martin
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