The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-06-25
The COIOrs of Horses.

The Pail Mall Gazette says How
much or little climate has to do with
the colors of horses 1t is very difficult to
| predicate at this age of the world, for,
| though we may be told that white or
gray and chestnut predominant in Ara
bia, that black is most common in Rus
sia, and that in England, France and
Germany bay is found to greatly out
number any other, there is no telling
how far fashion and consequent high
prices may have spurred on enterprising
breeders to tho accomplishment OF n
triumph over the primordial tendencies
of climate. We should be inclined to
cOnfine the colors of horses in this coun-
try to black, bay, hI own and chestnut
1t is true that there are plenty of grays,
but gray really belongs to composite
celors an l it is stated by an authority
that "all gray horses come into the
world chestnut, or more generally
black" Grays, notwithstanding Gray
Momus, are comparatively seldom seen,
and more seldom still to advantage, on
the race course, to which all questions
relating to the excellence of horses must
ultimately be referred. As for the
white horses, which are such "pretty
III bllo NNCD Va AAAV h'An'A.s
governess and her young charges, it
may be interesting to their admirers to
learn that they are said to be, for the
most part, gray horses whose hair IS
white with age. A white horse, born
white, with the pink nose and the piDky
eyes, is said to be as great rarity IN
Europe as an albino and there seems
to be no good reason why art should be
employed to make it increase and multi
ply. Though it might not be impossible
to give a list of black horses which have
distinguished themselves in England
and won undying fame in the Racing
Calendar, that color is most associated
in ones min | with the heavy household
cavalry and the undertaken. Roam, a
composite color, is the name given to
the appearance created by an intermix- |
ture of white, black, and bay or chest |
nut hairs, mingled in such different |
proportions that the coat may vary in |
shade from the darkness Of Erebus TO |
the liphtness of what is commonly called |
stra " berry. There lived good roam |
horses before Rapid Rhone, who ran |
third to Macaroni and Lord Clifden for
the Derby, and how likely the color is
to be reproduced is shown by his own
but there appears to be no
great reason for encouraging the multi
plication of what was, no doubt, origin
ally as much an accident or freak OF
nature as the piebald. OF your pie
balds, skewbalds, and the like it is
scarcely desirable to maintain the breed,
if they be capable of being reproduced
at will beyond the number sufficient for
The parade, the esplanade and the cir
Gus. 1t is desirable, however, to be
clear as to what constitutes piebald.
5appers of reputation, to whom nothing
is sacred, have gone so far as TO accuse
such great creatures as a Stockwell or
4 Blair Athol of piebaldness because
IF certain "blszes" on the face,
,r patches on the legs, or a
couple of white stockings. Be it known
o all such hereiics that a chestnut,
1ay, or a black must have the white
over parts of the body before
he charge Of piebaldness can be sus-
aimed.