How to Breed a Palomino Horse

In order for a horse to be registered with the Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA) the owner must be able to prove that the horse demonstrates the type of palomino coloring that the registry is trying to promote. Horses that are accepted into the registry are horses that stand between 14 and 17 hands tall, have a coat that can be compared to various shades of 14 karat gold, and have a white mane and tail. The problem is that getting a palomino foal requires a great deal of thought about genetics, careful breeding, and some luck.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

How to Breed a Palomino Horse

1. The best way to get a palomino foal is to breed to a horse that has been tested as a homozygous palomino. A breeding horse that tests positive as a homozygous palomino will only throw foals that are either palomino or buckskin in color when they are bred to a horse that is chestnut, bay, or sorrel.

2. Color should not be the only reason you pick a stallion to breed your mare to. The whole point of breeding your mare is to have a foal that is even nicer then the mare and the stallion. The last thing you want to do is to breed your mare to a stallion that has poor conformation. You need to analyze your mare’s good points and the stallion's and make sure that they complement one another.

3. Do not breed your mare simply because you want a foal. Even if your mare has perfect conformation, ad you have found a homozygous stallion to breed her to that is equally flawless, you still have to consider your mare’s personality. More often then not the foal learn from their mother, and a mare who is bad tempered or spooky will often have a foal that is equally difficult to get along with.

4. The age of your mare has to be taken into consideration when you are trying to breed for a palomino foal. Many veterinarians caution against breeding a mare that is less then 4 years old because she is still growing and developing, at the same time you need to think twice before breeding an older mare. Mares over the age of 20 that has never foaled before, often have a hard time during labor and there is an increased chance that you will loose not just the foal but also your mare.