Palominos and temperament

[Ashlea]

Hi all!
I really, really love the palomino colouring - I think its so beautiful and striking...however, alot of the palominos I know, and have come accross have been highly strung....I was wondering if this is just coincidence, or if there is some "stroppy gene" associated with the palomino colouring (I know you can have almost any breed in a palomino colour, so its not NECESSARILY linked to the breed).

My trail of thought was just; as blue-eyed white cats are more likely to be deaf as a result of a "fault" in certain genes causing that particular colouring, so the palomino colouring is associated with a gene that causes a predisposed tendency towards a certain temperament?

Also, just as the blue-eyes and white coat of a cat can be produced by a couple of genes, so can a palomino's? Furthermore, there are a couple of genes responsible for the blue-eyes and white coat in a cat, but only one of them is linked with deafness...is such the same for palomino horses and temperament? i.e. just as a blue-eyed white cat is more likely to be deaf than another coloured cat, and yet not all blue-eyed white cats are deaf, is there also such a correlation in horses with the palomino coat, and certain temperaments?

Im not saying ALL palominos are bad tempered (just as not all blue eyed white cats are deaf), but I did wonder from what Ive seen and heard if there was a link between the genes that cause that colour, and temperament?

Is there anyone out there who has experienced a similar thing? or is there anyone out there who has just so happened to have studied the genes and alleles of horses and their colourings and could fill me in?

[Denbenj]

This is my chap
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/lenny007xx/12092008001.jpg

hes a 15hh Palamino Cob X ( suspected welshD)

He is about as laid back as they come! with a stubborn streak! ... I could never imagine him to bolt of or through a total paddy fit under saddle.

I guess its like the old ' chestnut mare' tale to! I must admit tho, every other Palamino I have come across has been quite a fizzball !! :D

[Jessica23]

Weird, all the palominos i've ever met have had lovely laid back temperments :D

I've only owned one, and she was pretty excitable in the SJ ring (started cantering at the bell, pretty cool unless you weren't expecting it lol!) but to hack and at home she was a little sweetheart :D

It depends on the individual horse, not the colour :)

No idea about genes at all. I think Chev is the expect on all that!! Maybe send a PM?? :D

[Ashlea]

aaw, hes beautiful! hehe...I wonder if he'd be the blue-eyed white cat thats not deaf, lol!

is there anyone else out there with a laid back or particularly fizzy palomino - if theres no one out there who knows about the genes, then maybe we can figure this old wives tale out by poll....count the laid back ones up against the scatty ones!

Is there anyone else out there who could shed any light on this??? I do understand that horses have their own personalities regardless of breed/colour etc... but thats not quite what im interested in at the mo....im specifically interested in if there really is a link between the palomino colour and a fizzy temperament - I use the blue-eyed white cat example above to try and explain what I mean...

[Jorel S]

I know two palominos, one belongs to my instructor and is a laid back welsh section D, the other belongs to an 8/9 year old girl at the stables, this one is welsh section summat (shes 12.2hh) and is a grumpy old hag to put it really nicely, she bucks all the time, and tries to kick you when you go to get her out the field, so mix there really lol

[Stassy]

I don't think there is a link between temperament and the palomino colouring that's like saying all chestnut mares have the 'firey' gene.

I think it is down to the individual horse their 'upbringing/training/handling' breeding, whether it is a trait of the breed or something they inherited from their sire or dam.

The blue eyed white trait of a cat or dog that is born deaf is a sensory fault which has nothing to do with temperament.

For the record most palomino's I have come across have had lovely temperaments.

[EmilyShowjumper]

my palomino roan blanket spot appy is quite fizzy :)

but i have always put it down to the appaloosa in him as every appaloosa i know is a bit mad lol

[solomansbandit]

Palominos come from chestNUT lines lol but like any horse it really depends on education:D Mines very scared of new things but hes not aggresive in anyway and is pretty relaxed under saddle.xx

[vikkig]

mines very playful not naughty in anyway, she sometimes broncs around you but she is playing, she will also sit on your knee and roll on your legs if you lie in her stable :D

[Kit&Holly]

My friends little mare is very forward going but she is also very safe and perfect to handle :)

[sheryl]

I've had 2 palominos.

My first was a 12.3 pony. He was a proper character. Was good to be handled by adults, but he was very naughty with kids. He used to chase them out of his field! He was a monkey!

My horse I have now is palomino. He has been very difficult. He's been bad tempered and aggressive. Extra sensitive, very sharp, and generally a real pain, but I love him to bits!:p. God knows why!
These days, he is a lot better in all respects, but I could never trust him with anyone inexperienced. Definately a tricky one!

[laceyfreckle]

mines very playful not naughty in anyway, she sometimes broncs around you but she is playing, she will also sit on your knee and roll on your legs if you lie in her stable :D

whats my one's excuse she's black:p

i have met some lovely palomino's and a couple of fizzy ones but will say they're one of my favourite colours:)

[eml]

My old instructor gave me a real lecture when I bought a palomino mare, mind you he didn't like chestnut ones either :D

To be serious I think the only problem comes if they have been bred specifically for colour without regard to the temperement of the parents, but that applies to everything.

[sabreig]

I've owned a pally and also had one on long term loan. My one on long term loan was for prince philip cup when I outgrew my own pony. He was very forward and whizzy, but no more than any other games pony and was the only palomino on the team, rest were the usual bay, chestnut etc. Had him until he was 39, was one of the best equines I've had the pleasure of riding. My own palomino was laid back but went asked went up a gear, fast but safe, lovely mare who would plod along all day if you didn't want to do anything more.
Just as said before, it's like chestnut mare syndrome. I've met and worked with just as many bay, grey, black etc moody mares as I have chestnut. Infact I've probably met a few more moody bays than chestnut. I still have a t - shirt that I kept, really don't know why from when one bay mare lunged at me over her stable door for no reason, was just walking past. She bit through my body warmer, thick fleece, work jumper, and finally t-shirt, managed to lift me off the ground.

[Ashlea]

oooh, sounds nasty!
hehe, my grey can be a rather grumpy boy - I just stick him in a small schooling pen until he approaches me with his ears forward, and his head lowered...then we have lots of fun! He loves to lie down next to me and sunbathe...he also likes to wallow in the mud pool created after ive just shampooed him!

Well, I think that settles it then! theres not a moody gene attached to the palomino colour...kinda makes sense when I think about it...

Thanks for all your comments

[s4sugar]

My mare is in foal to a palomino stallion.

I looked at lots of prospective sires and narrowed the list down to half a dozen based on bloodlines, conformation and progeny.
Jed was the most laid back of the ones I visited and what sold him to me (as I'm breeding a foal to keep) was the way I could just walk into his box with him and feel safe.
He was the only palomino on my list;-
http://www.cotesbachquarterhorses.com/stallions/stallions.html


There have been horses bred for colour regardless of temperament and some years ago I did know a pally PBA stallion that was a succesful sire of show ponies but had to have a handle left on his headcollar so you could grab him over the gate/door as he wasn't safe to be on the ground with if you were alone.

Often repeated but "a good horse is never a bad colour" but that doesn't mean a bad horse can't be a pretty colour.

[Rowerss]

I know the most lazy docile palomino pony eveer, [in general] and shes sooper lovely and sweet.. unless theres music when she goes utterly mad and does her best to throw the rider. And she does have her moments occasionally but Im not surprised when I see some little kids whacking her butt, Its like 'Heey! dont do that'

[Amy+rollie]

i have a palomino. only 4
and i must say hes amazing.
hes only a baby so has a bit of a character and likes to have his own way as hes very very spoilt.
lves him 2 bits tho.
all palominos that i no seem to be very good and geniun as mine was broken at 3 and just befor he turned 4 i was doin up to 2ft 9 courses on him he trully is FAB x

[chev]

Our stallion was palomino. The vet who licenced him said he was the most laid back, polite stallion he'd ever done. I could trust him to behave with my kids, even in the presence of mares (pony that is not vet).

Definitely don't think colour is related to temperament, whether it's palominos, or chestnut mares, or whatever.

[LokiSofi]

agree with Chev. I don't think colour has anything to do with temperament.

But on the Palomino front the only pally I've properly known was a 17.2hh horse of my mums who was evil and used to pick me up as a kid by my shoulders and take me off the ground and shake me:o he used to bite,kick you name it he did it.

I think palominos are gorgeous

[magicalmac]

I dont think colouring has anything to do with temperament. Ive known some very quiet chestnut mares and if you believe the old sayings they are suppost to all be fiery.
My palomino is the most laid back horse you could ever wish to meet.

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/magicalmac2007/207-2.jpg

[Fabio's Filly!]

Mines a big 16.2 palomino gelding and as a rule is the biggest softest gentleman!!! In the stable he's an angel. He won't move an inch if your grooming underneath him, and even tolerates our 2 dogs going in and out of his legs (i've tried stopping them, but they take no notice of me!)

Riding - he's normally very laid back, to the point of lazy in the school. But hacking he does tend to tank off if he's a bit over excited!!!

My RI has also commented on his 'schizophrenic' episodes. In one lesson i was too hot so stopped to take my coat off, it literally brushed soooooo slightly on his side and he galloped round the arena like a lunatic for a few minutes, then stopped and ambled on again like nothing had happened!!!

So, can be a bit nutty but certainly no nasty, stroppy like the palomino's you've encountered!!!

[Kat Doodson]

i've got 2 palominos

Vanilla a 15hh Welsh x Thoroughbred 14yr old Gelding (had him nearly 9 years)

Charlie a 16.3hh Warmblood x Thoroughbred 8yr old Gelding (had him nearly 3 years)

They are both mega "fizzy" tending to buck and leap quite often but it's always because they are enjoying themselves never in a malicious manner. This is only with a confident rider, put a child or novice rider on them and suprisingly they really look after their rider! Think their fizzy but caring nature is part of th reason i go for them!!

They are both quite flighty, will drop a shoulder or shy at th tiniest thing. However if Vanilla see's something he doesn't like it's virtually impossible to get him anywhere near it, he's really stubborn (maybe due to his welsh). But if Charlie see's something he doesn't like he will look at it, snort, back off, but then with a bit of encouragement eventually go past it (and is very proud of himself once he's tackled something scary!)

Every palomino i've come across has tended to be a little loopy but they've all had really good friendly natures! x x

[LindaAd]

I've only met a couple (other people's!), and they were both laid back to the point of laziness. One was called Rebel, which couldn't have suited him less ...

As the owner of three chestnut mares (not all at once!) I'm very doubtful about associations of colour with temperament. Although I suppose it is possible that if people expect a horse of certain colour to be difficult, they'll could provoke it to be difficult by the way they handle it ...

[Ryder]

I agree with Eml - if horses are bred because they're a good colour /shape, irrespective of temperament, then you could get a whole dynasty of bad-tempered beauties! This is a human factor, not a colour factor.Tho' sensitive ,highly strung or naturally bossy horses are more likely to 'go bad' through being spoilt (with hand feeding especially) or impatiently handled.

My last palo (3/4 arab show horse) was not an easy horse & very short-tempered by nature, didn't like multi-handling on livery yards. My new one ,also 3/4 arab showhorse, is a sweet-natured horse, but certainly sensitive.

[Denbenj]

I dont think colouring has anything to do with temperament. Ive known some very quiet chestnut mares and if you believe the old sayings they are suppost to all be fiery.
My palomino is the most laid back horse you could ever wish to meet.

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/magicalmac2007/207-2.jpg

awe what a lovely picture !