Horse Colors

The Akhal Teke: Desert Horse To Olympic Champion and Back Again

History, Horse Colors, Horses & People, , , , , ,

by Kristin Berkery

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Horse and rider in native Turkoman costume, date and photographer unknown

Horse and rider in native Turkoman costume, date and photographer unknown

Absent, foaled in 1952 and winner of three Olympic medals. Photographer unknown

Excerpt: This summer marks 52 years since one of the most unusual horses first competed at the Summer Olympics in Rome. Absent, a striking black Akhal Teke stallion with four white socks and a star, introduced the world to a little-known ancient breed when he won a gold medal in dressage for the Soviet Union. He returned to the Olympics two more times for an individual bronze medal in 1964 and a team gold medal in 1968, both in dressage.
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What is tölting?

History, Horse Colors, What is..., , ,

by Kristin Berkery

Iceland and its horses seem like a world apart from what we’re used to in the U.S., but surprisingly, Iceland is only about a six-hour flight from New York City — much less than the time it takes to fly from New York to London.

Icelandics are a tough breed that have survived inhospitable weather and famines for over 1,000 years. Photo by Sela Yair

What makes Iceland different? Most of the country’s native population is descended from Scandinavian settlers in the 9th century AD who had to survive on an isolated island with an inhospitable climate, volcanic eruptions that caused great famines, and multiple epidemics that wiped out large parts of the population.
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Basic Rules of Coat Color Genetics

Horse Colors, , , , ,

Horse colors and patterns can be confusing — here are some guidelines to get you started.

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Photo of overo Mustangs by Sandysphotos2009

by Kristin Berkery

orses come in all kinds of colors and patterns, and even the most experienced horse enthusiasts will occasionally come across something so unusual that it stumps them. (Thank goodness for DNA testing.) But there are some basic rules of coat color genetics that you can always count on. If you have additional ones to share, please comment at the bottom of the article.

*Aramus, Wayne Newton's homozygous grey Arabian stallion. Note the porcelain white color that's common to mature homozygous greys. Photo by Johnny Johnston

Grey: A dominant gene, grey will always express itself over other color genes if a horse inherits the grey gene. It’s not possible for a horse to carry a recessive (and therefore unexpressed) grey gene, so all grey horses have at least one grey parent.

Some horses are homozygous grey, meaning they carry two grey genes and can only pass grey on to their offspring. Since grey is dominant over other colors, a homozygous grey will always produce or sire grey offspring. Homozygous greys can be found in Lipizzans and Arabians, among other breeds.

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Budweiser Keeps Clydesdales in the Spotlight

History, Horse Colors, On Film, ,

Anheuser Busch maintains one of the largest herds of Clydesdales in the world with more than 200 individuals.

by Kristin Berkery

The Budweiser Clydesdales at an appearance in Boston. Photo by Paul Keleher

>> Download the complete 700-word article for Kindle

The Budweiser Clydesdales are one of those rare icons from the equine world that the non-horse public understands and appreciates. When Anheuser Busch‘s new corporate owner, InBev of Brazil and Belgium, decided not to run a half-time commercial featuring the Clydesdales in the 2010 SuperBowl, fans spoke out and the company changed its position, running a Clydesdale ad later in the game.

The Clydesdales became a part of Budweiser history when August Busch, Jr. gave…

>> Download the complete 700-word article for Kindle to learn more about how Budweiser has made the Clydesdale the most popular draft breed in the U.S. The Kindle ebook article includes 7 full color photos of Clydesdales, their homeland, and the Black Forest Draft breed, as well as links to resources and videos.

First Secretary, Secretariat's first foal

Secretariat’s First Foal Had Spots!

History, Horse Colors, , , ,
Secretariat statue at Kentucky Horse Park

The Secretariat statue at Kentucky Horse Park

An Appaloosa mare named Leola helped Secretariat launch his breeding career.

by Kristin Berkery

The legendary Secretariat brings to mind many things, but not necessarily spots. Still, an Appaloosa mare played an important role in Secretariat’s life.

First Secretary, Secretariat's first foal

First Secretary, Secretariat’s first foal. Photo from the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada

In early 1974 after the big red horse had made his mark in racing history, there was a question about his fertility. Several semen analyses revealed that his sperm appeared immature, so the next test was to breed him and see if a foal resulted. The Appaloosa mare Leola was chosen as Secretariat’s first lady-in-waiting, and in November 1974, she foaled a chestnut colt with a blanket pattern. He was named First Secretary.

Before First Secretary’s birth, there was a bidding war between Appaloosa enthusiasts who badly wanted Leola and the special foal she carried. Jack Nankivil of Minnesota prevailed after taking out a mortgage on his home. To recoup some of his investment, Nankivil immediately sold 15 lifetime breeding rights to the foal before anyone knew whether it was a colt or a filly.

Understandably, Nankivil was thrilled when Leola delivered a colt who looked like his sire, but with a blanket.

Leola delivered a colt who looked like his sire, but with a blanket.

First Secretary

First Secretary

Once the colt arrived though, the American Appaloosa registry refused to identify Secretariat as the sire because no breeding certificate had been issued for the cross. The Canadian Appaloosa registry had no problem with listing Secretariat as the sire, even without a breeding certificate, so Nankivil had First Secretary registered in Canada. When the Canadian and American registries later agreed to recognize each other’s stud books, First Secretary’s foals became eligible for American registration.

First Secretary sired 247 foals in his lifetime, of which many were successful in the show ring or the racetrack. He was not shown or raced himself. He died in 1993 after a bout with colic.