I guess what I was trying to get at is, could it be an albino?

Not sure about it being albino, but there is something going on with the eye. I can't tell if the lashes are white or if the eye is injured on my pc.

She looks like a Curlie to me. Especially her coat and coloring lends to a light eye. Maybe has some Appy in her. I don't think she's an albino.

Sorry to say she has some kind of eye thing going on. I would not want a light-eyed horse, they have lots of problems.

She also is in winter hair, I would not think she is curly in summer hair. Wet horses often appear curly with winter hair lengths. Real Curly horses are not that common in the BLM animals that I ever heard of. They also are not real cute if they are the ones who shed manes and tails in the spring, along with their winter hair. Less common, but tail shedding does happen.

If you should choose the BLM route to obtain an equine, they can be difficult. Don't think or react the way domesticated horses do. There are success stories, but it doesn't happen with every adopted BLM animal. When they fight, they are totally serious, willing to do just about ANYTHING to win. You can easily be a casualty. Think long and hard, you or family members could be hurt in the training process. Fiction horse stories are great reading, but seldom are a good basis to choose your horse with, and expect the same happy ending as a result of that choice.

As always, the purchase price of BLM horse or pony, will be the cheapest part of having it.

I agree that wild horses are not for just anyone. Most of them go through trainers to socialize them to human handling. I am involved with such an organization.

On a recent round up they discovered classic Curlys and proved it through genetic testing.

On January 8th 2009, wild horses were gathered by the BLM from the Simpson Park/Bates Mount area in Lander County Nevada near the town of Austin. This is adjacent to the Dry Creek Ranch formally owned by Benny Damele.

Out of the horses gathered, there were 5 horses that were classic curly horses and had a striking resemblance to horses bred by Mr. Damele, three stallions(C-1, C-3, C-4) and two mares(C-2, C-6). One foal and one adult mare had some curly characteristics and would be considered minimal curlies (C-7, C-5).

These seven horses have now been genetically tested at Texas A&M University. The results as reported by Gus Cothran, PhD are as follows:

1. With the exception of C-7 whose blood sample was lost and could not be tested, there were no parent/offspring genetic matches among the horses tested. There was no evidence of inbreeding among the horses tested. Breeding pairs could be adopted from these horses without fear of inbreeding.
2. One blood sample provided by Diane Mitchell of a direct descendant of Copper D was tested against the horses listed. No definite conclusions could be made from only one Copper D linage sample, but one horse, C-6, shared more genetic markers with the Copper D linage horse, Copper Son, than would be expected by chance.
3. Further genetic studies will be done and the results made available on the ICHO web site.

On January 9th 2009, the Rocky Hills Herd Management area was gathered. This was near the 3 bars Ranch of John Damele about 25 miles North of Dry Creek Ranch. In this gather, two curly stallions were caught and released. One was a relocated stallion originally from the Fish Creek area who has become known as Fishy Boy. This stallion was caught with a non-curly, black mare and a curly colt(C-9). The curly, black colt was genetically tested and found to be the offspring of the stallion from Fish Creek.
The other stallion, a red roan that was released did not have curly offspring that were gathered.
During the Rocky Hills gather, a gray appaloosa colored filly was caught that had some curly characteristics (#5157). This filly was not genetically tested.

By special arrangement with the BLM, stallions were not gelded due to the rare genetic heritage that they carried. All horses are capable of breeding and would be a rare addition to any curly breeding program.

It's true that most horses have dark colored eyes (usually brown). Some people believe that blue eyes are inferior. However, there is no scientific evidence that this is true. Blue eyes are the result from lack of pigment in the iris. This does not affect the horseÂs vision.

It's all very interesting.

With regards to the eye thing, they describe it only as having blue eyes.

Many albino animals can be described as having blue eyes, and the reason I brought it up is that they look sort of pink to me in the photo, and maybe it's just me.

I don't believe that anything is wrong with it's eyes, and the BLM describes the eyes only as blue.

Thank you for the precise Curly information. Very interesting to hear of the BLM folks working to propagate certain traits.

Too often folks looking at a horse, give it many characteristics that simply are not true. I hear often, about how some unregistered, unknown breeding horse, is a Curly, a Mustang, TB or various other SPECIAL things, because it "looks" like a photo of that kind of horse from the owner's viewpoint.

Checking the photo again, that eye looks VERY peculiar. Not like anything I have seen outside movie makeup! Not normal, even for a light-eyed horse. A pet should be fun, not starting right off with problems to deal with.

I do not have numbers, but we have known quite a number of light-eyed horses who start healthy, then develop problems with their eyes as time passes. Light skin around these eyes can be a problem too, sunburns easily. Often blue eyes are very sun-sensitive, squinting, eyes watering when left out in strong summer sunshine. Happens in light-eyed people too! I am extremely sun-sensitive, wear the darkest sunglasses I can get when outside, big hat brims for shade all the time. Trying to prevent problems later.

Unscientific evidence, but problems are common enough to prevent my buying a blue-eyed horse. Not worth the grief, expenses. Still often have a blind horse at the finish of doctoring, after you get real attached to them. Does not happen to every one, but the chances of eye problems in the light-eye colors, are much higher in our experience. More eye trouble with the Appy horses, with their white around the darker color eye. I love Apps, would like another, so just don't want to hear that kind of stuff!!

Problems with certain eye colors could be more marked, information better exchanged now, with horses living so much longer than in the past. 20 years is nothing now, when before 15 years was "getting on in years". Eye problems may not have shown, in those younger animals of the past.

Single biggest help for longer life, was effective wormers starting in the 1970s. Kept the worm damage down, that was the cause of so much colic that killed horses then. Worm damage and Colic still kills, but numbers are not what they were.

Horses left wild, do not live to the great ages of domestic animals now. Not treated with regular worm meds, chances of little or no water in cold winter, make various colics, still a big problem with them.

In all probably, the horse is most likely just your basic cremello with some red background item reflecting off it's eyes.

Also, at the top I mentioned to say that the BLM was offering curlies, Sulphurs, and a couple appaloosas.

Also, I'm surprised at how few bids the Sulphurs are getting. They usually get the higher bids for being descended from the Conquistador's Spanish-Iberian horses.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sulphur Springs Mustangs. - equiworld.net.uk

I think that is very interesting too goodhors.

I think the photo is absolutely horrendous - I imagine the poor girl is terrified in the photo too. Not to mention she is covered in dust or mud. Hard to say Her coloring definitely lends to the light eyes. I know of some Appy's having eye trouble.

I have never been attracted to a horse having blue eyes. My friend has a Morgan mare with a blue eye and a brown eye and it gives me the creeps! Funny because I love Siamese cats!

Thanks for the link marbree. Those are some really gorgeous Mustangs aren't they?

that is a pretty scary looking horse

Horse? Are you sure? Must be a mistake, I think it should have been on the scarecrow thread.

She is scary looking because she is no doubt scared and majorly stressed. You would be scared too if you were rounded up(for God knows how many miles ) by vehicles and helicopters and humans that you have never been around and fear.

Have some compassion. When some adopts her they will clean her up and make her pretty.

Imagine her running across a dark field, those eyes wide open with a scarecrow on her back. Spooky.
Come on I was just teasing. I understand she is a wild animal and must be terrified of the situation she has found herself. I hate she has to have her freedom taken away. I hope she gets a good home and can learn to live with humans.

Sorry, I am really sensitive about these things! Truly my heart breaks for their situation. Thanks for sharing. The good news is that most learn to live/trust humans with the right person at the helm.

I am proud to know there are people willing to stand up and speak for the wild horses.

As someone who owns 5 mustangs and has trained 3 for other adopters I would like to let everyone that these are incredible animals. They are smart, sturdy and very sure footed. The horses I have worked with have been relativly easy to train all things considered. In a month of working with them after my paying job they were gentled. Meaning you can handle them like any domestic horse. The three I have that are old enough to be ridden, were saddle broke without much fuss. I got them as yearlings or two year olds and gave them time to gain my trust and they accepted the saddle easily. But they are not the kind of animal you can not force or bully into anything. That it what I admire most about them. I like things that have a spirit and a definate personality. Think about it this way if you grew up a servant you would'nt question it, if you grew up free you might have something to say about be told your now going to be a servant. So ask with kindness and patience and you will gain a lifetime friend. Not all the horses I have worked have been that easy. Sometimes your personality just don't jive. I gentled a mare for an adoption that just would not drop her guard with me but I was able to walk her and work her in a round. The woman that adopted her fell in love her a felt a real connection to her. After a month with the horse she was riding her and so was her ten year old daughter. I really want people to see them as an option. They are great animals. If you want to know about any of the horses often you can call the holding facility they are at and ask questions about their temperment. They may even be able to put you in touch with a volunteer in your area who could act as a mentor to help you with gentling.

Tiffany