09/21/2025
Percherons of Color was created to give Percheron draft horses a platform to showcase what has always existed, and yet what is so widely treated as lies, deception, inaccurate records or breeding pairs. I've heard all kinds of accusations instead of simply admitting they didn't have all the facts. It is often insinuated that there must be Belgian involved, among other things. Belgians just love being dragged into everything.
These accusations come from people who may or may not have their hands into draft horses and it varies from absolutely no draft horse experience, or seeing the Budweiser Clydesdales on TV and thinking they completely know Clydes by it. For example: I read a whole bunch of eye opening comments on a short video of the BC and the arguments over docking and not docking, as well as everyone's opinions on why and why not. That alone just goes to show, people love to fight other people. Over things that have no bearing on their own lives. Over things that cannot be changed and are already done. Spit flying through written word against complete strangers with no regard to reality.
But back to examples of our types of people, to those actually owning a few draft horses or working with them in some capacity. They often do not have a firm grasp of equine color genetics and how inheritance works. Extremely often they either cherry pick material to believe in, or they have read cherry picked material and treat it as the gospel instead of thinking for themselves. Instead of thinking, hmmm, she said there's more, maybe I should look into that. The material is out there and has been, but it's not always free. So I try to share bits and pieces of it from time to time and I've leaned heavily into providing something that exists that always has.
I often don't blame "most" people for not knowing better, because honestly they truly don't know better. They've never been given the material TO KNOW BETTER. I swear most of us were tested on reading and comprehension in school. So.....
Yet any mention of Color in the Percheron breed, more than Black and Grey, where it is nothing more than a footnote slapped far and away down near the end of an article (I'm looking at you Wikipedia, a perfect example) should be an indication that the writer is either uneducated in such matters, and then you should maybe question how factual the rest of their material is. In my mind, I would, so I'm confused when other people do not. They just smile and nod in agreement and go, oh no, they do such a great job. Do they? Really? Did they do their research truly? Are they doing a service to the breed they claim to champion for?
If they're willing to practically throw that out, and yes, in the past, willingly exclude, what else are they willing to ignore in lieu of only stating their narrative is the only one people should also agree with. Short of abuse, and drugging, which I abhor, I try to be inclusive to all owners and breeders even if they do not use my stock, own my horses, ever want to breed to my horses, or ever like a single post I make. I have always believed that it takes many little cogs, which means Percherons of many types, to make up the whole. To see it survive comfortably as a breed to 2100.. if we don't nuke the place by then.
On random occasions there are those who just cannot stand the fact that they've been wrong, will not accept any material to prove otherwise, and they will fight me until the end, standing with 100% confidence that Percherons are and have always been nothing more than Black and Grey. Which is completely mind blowing, because some of these individuals I once thought of as very wise people and a wealth of knowledge. Time showing them to be... very human in their behaviors. We fear anything we don't understand, and instead of trying to understand it, we attack it with sometimes downright horrible things. Words. Behaviors. The things that have been said to me. 🤯
With all of that said. Education is the key that unlocks and frees the masses from ignorance. Something I'll likely be doing until my death.
Just did one yesterday on Bays and trying to teach that they exist. It progressed into the statement being made that Bays rarely come in pangare. Which right there isn't actually the truth. Not even close. Infact, finding Bay Percherons who don't show pangare in some form or another is much more rare. It's opposite to what was being shared, and that right there is a fine example of how one response sets off numerous people reading and believing incorrect information.
The point of this all is Percherons of Color exists for correct education. It isn't about singing my own praises, and lord knows I try to get people to share their own registered horses what fit that small group. This is not discrediting anyone who does. Think of it in the terms of advertisement. If you see something numerous times and it's well packaged, it'll be in the forefront of the consumers mind. Seeing a random colored Percheron once every few months... its not good enough. So yeah, you do see a lot of my horses on there, I need to keep it going and I happen to like taking photos, but it is meant for ALL who have Registered Percherons in Chestnut, Bay, Roan. Its a platform to showcase that which is so rarely seen, that the average public thinks it's a well fabricated lie. We need to get the world up to speed with reality. Each of you is a choice and a voice for facts and education.
Its 2025. The internet has been around for long enough. It's not witchcraft. The Percheron breed is quite fascinating, even if these colors are very basic.
