Do You Know These 5 Things About Palomino Horses?

A Palomino Horse is among some of the most beautiful horses you can find. With shiny coats and striking features, they are what most horse lovers’ dreams are made of. Don’t let their appearance fool you though, there is much more behind that infamous glow than just their looks. 

1. They can change color and come in a variety of different shades

A Palomino’s actual color can change based on many things in its environment, such as diet and weather conditions. Some owners feel this may have to do with the amount of protein in their diet. Having a higher protein diet resulted in a darker color whereas a lower protein diet gave off a lighter color. In the summer as they lose their thick winter coat, they also can tend to appear paler in color. 

2. In some cultures, they are considered royalty

In the past, some cultures believed only royalty were allowed to ride a Palomino horse. This is believed to have been established by Queen Isabella of Spain back in the 1500s as she owned over a hundred palominos herself and felt that they should be kept for only royalty to own and enjoy and not commoners. 

3. Palomino doesn’t always happen by fate, you can breed specifically for the color

If a breeder was to match up a cremello with a chestnut, then there is a 100% chance of a pretty Palomino foal. This successful statistic was determined due to needing a base chestnut color and a cream dilution gene to guarantee the results. The odds are not nearly as high if breeding one palomino to another.  

4. The color is most commonly seen in Quarter Horses

Many commonly known breeds can carry this color, but most commonly the breed is found in Quarter Horses, over 50%. But, the PHA (Palomino Horse Association) takes any Palomino as long as they have the color requirements regardless of breed or bloodlines. 

5. The full history of the Palomino remains unknown

The history behind the color was not recorded for many many years. The first actual records of Palomino horses date back to around the 15th century. In 1935 owner Diclk Halliday of California was very passionate about the bright bold look, and had a stallion that he felt fit the perfect representative of the color. His name was “El Rey de los Reyes.” He spent his time writing and submitting articles about the color, hoping to raise more awareness of it.