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The Colorado Ranger is also known as the
Rangerbred Horse. This breed has a well-documented, interesting past, dating
back to 1878, when General Grant made a visit to Turkey. He was given two
first-class stallions: an Arabian named Leopard and a Barb called Linden Tree.
They were shipped to the state of Virginia, where Grant lent them to one of
the greatest horsemen of the times, Randolph Huntingdon. This man had
developed a type of light harness trotting horse and believed the stallions
would improve his stock. Huntingdon used Leopard and Linden Tree for
fourteen long years, creating the Americo-Arab breed at one point. Sadly,
however, in 1906 his stock was broken up and sold due to financial problems.
Linden Tree and Leopard began a new chapter
of life when they went to General Colby's ranch in Nebraska. Here, the two
elderly stallions stood at stud for only one season. This was, though, enough
to give rise to a crop of foals with distinct characteristics. The stallions
were used on various local mares, and the offspring proved is worth in ranch
and cow-working areas. The newly produced breed became known as the Colorado
Ranger. In the year 1918, a spotted Barb stallion named Spotte was introduced
to the breed. Many of today's Colorado Ranger horses can be traced back to
him. Another important early stallion was Max, another spotted horse that left
his mark on all his progeny.
There are many different coat colors
exhibited within the breed today, many of which are spotted, although coat
coloring is not restricted by the breed associated. To be registered, the
horse must meet specific conformation and pedigree requirements, and the only
outside blood that is allowed to be infused is Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse,
Arabian, Appaloosa, and Lusitano. Typically, The Colorado Ranger has a
wonderful temperament and disposition, and, as well as being very good cow
horses, make incredible riding horses.
These horses have attractive heads with
alert, mobile ears. They have good length in the neck and are very muscular,
have deep, wide chests, rounded barrels, and compact backs. Their hindquarters
are extremely powerful, and the overall impression of the breed is a solid,
muscular, small, power-house type of horse. They stand usually between 14.2
and 16 hands high.
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