- Colorado Ranger -

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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