Can color be a hindrance in the show ring?

[EquestraDreams]

I'll be showing a really funky colored yearling appaloosa colt for the first time this coming weekend. He's a dark brown with white snowflakes all over this neck and body and lots of mottling around his eyes and muzzle. Do you think that his unusual coloring will hinder him in the show ring or make him stand out? Have you ever had a judge say something similar to "if your horse was a different color I would have placed him better"? Just curious!

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I am interested in the replies to this topic, will be watching.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Yes color can certaintly come into play. There are judges out there who do not like appaloosas, or cremellos, or perlinos, and certain pintos, its all like judges taste. Thats why some people just stick with the solid colors when it comes to showing in halter.

 

[Miniv]

Yes, I do believe it does come into play...........and it can work for OR against you depending on the judge and his/her color preferences. (That's why I don't like the color halter classes much.)

No, it shouldn't make a difference, but judges are human.

 

[River Wood]

My opinion....I think it is possible....anything is possible.

Pintos for example....I have seen lovely pintos that have a beautiful neck and shoulder but the dark area stops half way down the neck making it look as tho it has a very short neck.....

I have a mare that has very nice legs but her sorrel does stop right at the knees and at first glance it looks as tho she has very short legs....

I could go on, but I think that color patterns can make a horses confirmation look a way that it really is not, thus throwing that "first impression" off a bit.

First Impression...well.....that is important I think.

A person needs to learn to look closely, I can look beyond the shaggy hair, the dirt and the color patterns etc.. you just have to hope that others do too.

 

[[email protected]]

Definitely!

Judges are humans! They're suppose to put the color aside in a halter class, but it's hard if you personal dislike x color or favor another - I would imagine.

I have a friend that hates blue eyes/bald faces and another that loves them. One hates roans, one loves them. Another you couldn't give an appy to.

As for pinto's and appy's their color - the pattern can be a make or break on how they look. The wrong white on the butt can make them look slumpy, on the neck make it look chopped off or thick, etc. White on legs can make them short or hit the knee and look like the knees are knobby.

One of my stallions has a bloody white ring around his neck - it looks awful and choppy viewed from the left side.

 

[kaykay]

When I very first started showing I was always told never show a perlino, appy, bald faced overo, or a pinto with too much white. I am happy to say things are changing. I have seen many appys win now in halter along with perlinos and overos. Yeahhhh that!!

But I will say especially with pinto a marking in the wrong spot can spell doom for a show career. Years ago I showed a very small one with a totally black head and neck and all white body. People thought she had a hoodie on!!! I had her in the ring and someone whispered over the rail that I forgot to take her hoodie off. True story!! Basically it made her head and neck look small and her body look too big.

The good thing is people kept showing for example appys and eventually the judges get used to seeing them and start placing them in halter. I have seen many perlino's winning at halter this year.

 

[Leeana]

I prefer dark solid colors or palominos with dark skin because you can still razor and oil them and it look nice. With the "white" or pink or light skin horses you really cannot razor or have it look good. So i like dark skin ...atleast around the muzzle and eyes or face area.

....just some more food for thought..i always try to picture the horse razored with a facial if im looking at a show horse....

 

[Maxi'sMinis]

Oh that sounds awesome Kay. I have a perlino I was going to give a shot at showing.

 

[Maxi'sMinis]

Oops sorry double dilute post. I'm still gona try showing even if there are nay sayers. Maybe I will do something other than just halter. What ever will show my boy at his best, pink skin and all. He's a lovely horse, the best temperment, fast learner.

 

[Minimor]

There are probably more judges now that will accept the "wrong" colors--appy and double dilutes for example--but there are still judges who are down on certain colors and probably won't use horses of those colors if they don't have to.

I know one judge that simply does not like the double dilutes, and I know very well that this judge isn't likely to use a double dilute in his placings if he has enough others to pick from. There are still judges that do not like the appaloosa coloring, and won't even LOOK at a horse that has appy color. There will probably always be such judges, but hopefully fewer and fewer as time goes on.

 

[Chazzy]

I'm sure it does have an effect on some judges, but I wouldn't worry about it much if you think you have a nice looking horse that is worth showing. In some instances color doesn't matter, it is just an opinion of that one judge. Others judges might like it. I have seen some colors though that do throw the conformation off a bit. For example, If a mare is mostly white with a bay colored head, this makes her neck look shorter than it really is. I'd say, try showing it under different judges and see what happens.

Chasta

 

[Keri]

I show an appy. Some shows we do awesome, others we don't. And I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the spots (he's put together really nice!). But I love him anyways!

 

[JWC sr.]

Yes it does make a major difference under the majority of the judges we see year in and year out. This last year I went against the adtage of not showing a cremello with a filly out of "Cherryville's Rio de Oro" our main stallion. She was very very good as far as conformation is concerned. Long neck, great head, straight legs and a great topline.

We had two fillies in her class and the other filly was a buckskin. Under a total of eight judges the buckskin which was not a better filly, won every time. I finally gave up and retired her to the breeding pen and No she is not for sale. LOL

We have a bunch of pinto horses in our herd and each year one of the things we pay close attention to is what Connie mentioned, where is the white and does it create an optical illusion of a short neck, short or long back, turned legs etc. etc. And yes we have had a colt that had a swirl of white on his legs in a place right above his hoof that when you looked at him made his very straight legs to appear to be turned. Needless to say he did not work in the show ring.

As far as app's are concerned, I also agree it is really hard to compete when you get the mottling around the mouth etc. You can overcome it some of the time, but it does make it harder. OH!

Bottom line color does matter in some cases. But with all that said I still love to look at our pinto's and other colored horses. My indian horses as I call them. Who cares what the judges like, untill we are in the show ring. LOL

 

[Lost Spoke Ranch]

It can be, depending upon the judge.

My husband and I are relatively new to the show ring (4 years) and in that time we haven’t really noticed a blatant bias against the appaloosa coat pattern we love so well. However, there have been a few shows where a judge wouldn’t even look at our spotted horses, but were consistent across the board and discriminated against all the color horses. I’m happy to say this has been far and few between. I do think the good spotted horses that can consistently compete well among the very best solid horses HAVE to be great!

Don’t be afraid to show your color horses there are way more skilled judges that can judge good conformation than those unable to see through color.

Dawn

 

[Latika]

It happens here too, my mare has an all white body, brown/black head, and 2 blue eyes...she is well put together, but just doesnt do that well against solid coloured horses. alot of judges think blue eyes are a fault, but its simply part of the overo/tovero gene that she carries.

Good luck with your appy colt, if the markings are even over his body then you might find it doesnt throw off his conformation as much

 

[Chazzy]

Even so if you decide not to show the horse, you can use it for breeding purposes and may get a better color later on to show with the same great conformation.

Chasta

 

[tagalong]

What about the colour issues that we create? Like the results after clipping a silver bay - who then becomes the exact same colour as the dirt in the arena and seems to disappear??!!

Fortunately the judges seemed to squint enough that they could see her...

 

[kaykay]

LMBO tagalong. I have heard many people say that about silver bays.

I was hoping getitia or christine would come and post their filly vanilla reign. I have watched her show for 2 years and none of the judges seem to mind that shes double dilute as they sure do place her!

Kay

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

What about the colour issues that we create? Like the results after clipping a silver bay - who then becomes the exact same colour as the dirt in the arena and seems to disappear??!!

Fortunately the judges seemed to squint enough that they could see her...

My silver bay gelding completely disappeared against the wall at Nationals....

maybe that's why the blacks win alot!!

He's in there somewhere!!

Lucy