Can you judge a horse by its color?

Across centuries and cultures, certain horse colorings and markings have come to be associated with particular traits or omens. Here are a few interesting myths we found:

Native American culture considered pinto and spotted horses to be lucky, asserting that a spotted horse was less likely to be hit in battle. Calm, docile temperaments are also associated with horses with patched skin pigment.

Some people believe that striped hooves are tougher than plain ones and less likely to need shoes. Dark hooves are also said to be stronger than light hooves.

The implications of a white and gray horses vary greatly from  to culture to culture. A British superstition denotes that gray horses mean death, and that dreaming of a white horse means that somebody is going to die. There is an Irish superstition that a pure white horse, when ridden by the owner, confers upon him the special gift of advising how to cure physical ailments. Gray horses and horses with four white feet are considered unlucky in racing. In medieval days, a white horse signified conquest and victory. Grey horses are thought to bring luck to a bride and groom if seen on the way to their wedding. A horse shoe from the hind leg of a gray mare is supposed to be particularly lucky.

In Hungary and Spain, black horses are believed to be unlucky. The French, on the other hand, think the reverse.

There is an old wives tale about leg markings: One sock buy ’em/ Two socks try ’em/ Three socks be on the sly/ Four socks pass ’em by

“Chestnut mare, beware” is another common saying.

What horse color/marking myths have you heard, and do you think there’s any truth to them?