Ranger Horse
This article is about the horse breed. For the law enforcement agency, see Colorado Rangers. For the hockey team, see Denver Rangers. For the 1950 film, see Colorado Ranger (film).
The Colorado Ranger is a horse breed from the Colorado High Plains in the United States. The breed is descended from two stallions imported from Turkey to the US state of Virginia in the late 1800s. These stallions were then bred to ranch horses in Nebraska and Colorado, and in the early 1900s the two stallions who every registered Colorado Ranger traces to, Patches #1 and Max #2, were foaled. The breed was championed by rancher Mike Ruby, who founded the Colorado Ranger Horse Association in 1935. Original registry membership limits resulted in many Colorado Ranger horses being registered instead as Appaloosas, but pedigree research is ongoing to discover additional horses who trace their ancestry back to the original stallions.
| Other names | Colorado Rangerbred |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Traits | |
| Distinguishing features | Endurance, 'cow sense' and athletic ability, some horses have spotted coats |
| Breed standards | |
By 2005, more than 6,000 Colorado Ranger horses had been registered. Colorado Rangers may be any solid color or carry leopard spotting patterns. Pintocoloration and American Paint Horse breeding are not allowed, nor are draft horse and pony breeding. Colorado Ranger horses may be dual registered with the Appaloosa Horse Club, and approximately 90 percent are.
