Colorado Ranger

The Colorado Ranger, often called the Colorado Rangerbred, is an American stock horse breed developed in the Rocky Mountain and High Plains ranching country during the early twentieth century. Its foundation history is tied to two stallions, commonly remembered as Max and Patches, with Arabian, Barb, Thoroughbred, and western ranch-horse influences carried forward through practical using horses. The breed is closely associated with Appaloosa-type spotting, but a Colorado Ranger may be solid colored as well as blanket, leopard, roan, bay, chestnut, black, or other accepted colors. Good individuals are athletic, sensible, and built for cattle work, trail miles, and all-around western use.

Management is much like that of other active stock horses: regular turnout, sound hoof care, conditioning for ranch or arena work, and training that channels a forward, responsive mind. Color should not be the only buying point, since the registry identity rests on accepted ancestry and the horse's usable quality. Many Colorado Rangers also overlap with Appaloosa breeding, so owners may encounter dual registration or pedigree questions. For breeding, sound legs, trainable temperament, and a functional back and hip are more important than producing a particular spotted pattern.

Colors: Amber Champagne, Appaloosa Patterns, Bay, Bay Dun, Bay Roan, Black, Blanket Appaloosa, Blue Roan, Brown, Buckskin, Champagne, Chestnut, Classic Champagne, Cremello, Dun, Dun Roan, Fewspot Appaloosa, Flaxen Chestnut, Frame Overo, Gold Champagne, Gray, Grullo, Leopard Appaloosa, Liver Chestnut, Overo, Palomino, Perlino, Piebald, Pinto, Rabicano, Red Dun, Red Roan, Roan, Sabino, Seal Bay, Silver Dapple, Skewbald, Smoky Black, Smoky Cream, Snowcap Appaloosa, Sorrel, Splash White, Tobiano, Tovero, Varnish Roan, White