PALOMINO HORSE

Palomino Horse
North America

Breed Organization Information

Palomino Horse Breeders of America
15253 E. Skelly Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74116-2637
Telephone (918) 438-1234
Fax: (918) 438-1232
[email protected]
http://www.palominohba.com

About the Breed

Palomino horses possess a golden coat color, dark skin and eyes, and a white main and tail. The Palomino did not originate in the United States,yet the United States is were the registry associations for the palomino originated. The exact origin of the golden color is unknown, it is believed to be a descendant of Arabian color patterns. The biblical book, Zechariah, written in 519 B.C., mentions horses possessing bay, sorrel, black, grey, and white coat colors. Because of the variety of color crosses that produce the Palomino color, it is assumed the color is as old as the animal. Palomino horses have filtered their way through history, and are mentioned and seen in a variety of literary and artistic works, including Botticelli?s 1481 painting “The Adoration of the Magi”, which hangs in the National Gallery in Washington D.C. Today Palomino horses may be seen in every aspect of the horse industry from working on ranches, to being displayed in the show ring, as well as running on the racetrack. A favorite to a variety of clubs and organizations, the Palomino has been seen as a parade horse, in rodeos, and as a trail and endurance horses. Though many types of horses may bear the gold coloring, the Palomino Horse Breeders of America represent only Quarter Horses, Tennessee Walking Horses, Morgans, Arabians, and American Saddlebreds in the PHBA registry.

Breed Characteristics
Palomino is a horse color not a breed. The characteristic palomino color is that of a newly minted fourteen-karat gold coin with variations from light to dark. The skin is usually gray, black, brown or motley without underlying pink skin or spots, except on the face or legs. The eyes are usually black, hazel, or brown. The mane and tail must be white with not more than fifteen percent dark, sorrel, or chestnut hairs. Conformation depends on the breed represented but most stand between 14 and 17 hands.

Technically, the palomino is not so much a color as it is a lack of color due to the dilution gene. The best cross for obtaining palomino is to breed a cremello to a chestnut. This will give you a palomino 100% of the time. Crossing palomino to palomino will give you palomino 50% of the time, cremello 25% of the time and chestnut the remaining 25% of the time. In the past, crossing palomino to palomino was avoided because of cremellos being wrongly thought to be albinos. Now that nearly all breed registries accept and register cremellos, this aversion is reduced and there are many cremellos being produced and being used in breeding programs around the world.

Famous Palomino Horses

Plaudit
Bred by Tom Mills of Meeker, CO, this foundation Palomino stallion was sired by the Thoroughbred stallion, King Plaudit, and was out of the mare, Colorado Queen. The ownership of Plaudit changed hands many times throughout his life, but for ten years he was used for breeding on Waite Philips?s Philmont Ranch at Cimarron, NM, where he sired the great racing, show, and producing horse, Question Mark. Plaudit sired superior running horses like Hank Wiescamp?s World Champion running horse, Scooter W, as well as many good ranch horses possessing inherited speed, in addition to many notable show and performance horses like Skippers Lad, Phillips 66, and Boyar De Ro. Plaudit died in 1957 at the age of 20, and was buried behind the home of his final owners, Leon and Pauline Harms, in Albuquerque, NM. His owners all agreed Plaudit was an exceptional horse who sired exceptional offspring.

Buzzie Bars
Buzzie Bars continues his legacy in PHBA history as the all-time leading sire of point earners, with 96 of his foals earning 7,383 show points. Bred and owned by G.F “Jack” Anderson of Broken Arrow, OK, the Palomino Stallion was sired by Sugar Bars, an own son of Three Bars, and out of Becky Lee, a granddaughter of Question Mark by Plaudit, and Little Joe Jr. by Joe Bailey P-4. During his show career, Buzzie Bars earned 55 halter points, 21 performance points, was Grand Champion 50 times, and Reserve Grand Champion five times. He sired numerous PHBA World Champions and Palomino producers including Paul F Bars, Fast Break, Jump Bid, Maple Honey Bars, and The Hot Canary. Buzzie