Horses I've known

This is Topper - I used to ride her through woods and over hills - steady and elderly - just a doll. She is about 24 and is a Tobiano paint: from Wikipedia explaining colour markings: Tobiano: The most common spotting pattern, characterized by rounded markings with white legs and white across the back between the withers and the dock of the tail, usually arranged in a roughly vertical pattern and more white than dark, with the head usually dark and with markings like that of a normal horse. i.e. star, snip, strip, or blaze.

This is Dune, who was about 5 or six in this photo a couple of years ago. She has her mane caught up in burrs because she like Topper lives in a comfortable herd of about ten horses outdoors. They have shelter in a huge arena and can come and go as wild as they wish or not. Dune is not so easy as Topper to ride, or wasn't when I knew her. She also is a paint, but an Overo: Overo: A group of spotting patterns characterized by sharp, irregular markings with a horizontal orientation, usually more dark than white, though the face is usually white, sometimes with blue eyes. The white rarely crosses the back, and the lower legs are normally dark. The APHA recognizes three overo patterns:

A dun, used in this family in Newfoundland for sulky racing - or "the Trots."  Most are standardbreds and are trained either to run as a trotter - alternate back and front feet moving forward together, or as pacers where they are trained to have the legs on one side back and front, move forward together. (I can't resist taking photographs of horses wherever I see them - hence this lovely animal taken on my visit to Newfoundland.)

Along one of our county roads up here there is a paint horse farm. As you can see there are a number of lovely paints (of which I'm very fond - can you tell?) These appear to be all Tobianos - black and white or brown and white. This breed is very popular, not only for show, but for all kinds of "rodeo" work such as barrel racing and ranching. As far as I know they are always Quarter Horses. From Wikipedia:Quarter Horses: a muscular animal that is heavy but not too tall, with a low center of gravity for maneuverability, and powerful hindquarters suitable for rapid acceleration and sprinting. I used to own a paint, or rather he owned me - Mr. B. One day I'll tell you his story. He was a real character.

For now I hope you enjoy a simply super day spending it doing something you really love to do.