Natal: A brindle warmblood!

Skip to Resources on the brindle coloring

Several years ago I saw this ad for a brindle warmblood stallion. He looked absolutely gorgeous. In my experience, horses that are a great color are very seldom great horses -- no doubt it happens, occasionally, but it's a lot to ask for. But I was intrigued, in no small part because I'd only recently learned there was such a thing as a brindle horse. I'd finished the novel Riding Lessons, a pretty fun read about a brindle-colored show jumper, only a few months before.

The original ad listed the contact information in Brazil, and there was no Web site. I kept that Chronicle issue just because of that ad, but ultimately forgot about it -- for awhile. Then, maybe two years ago, I ran across an article in Sidelines News about the same horse -- the stallion was now in the U.S. and being ridden by a talented teen, Renick Townsend. I had assumed she owned him, but he was actually on loan to her to show in Florida in Children's jumper division.

Natal is a spectacular jumper and you if you haven't seen him in action, click the video below. You'll be equally impressed with his young rider, who just turned 16 in February. I corresponded with Renick's mother Jill via email; Renick is a busy young woman who catch rides and competes extensively. I suspect we'll see more of her. The family's Winter Heaven Farm Web site has lots of pictures and more video of Natal.

This Youtube footage was posted by someone claiming to be Renick--it is not! A little odd that the video is posted under a false identity, but the video is nice. You can see more videos at the Winter Heaven web site. Renick has since moved up to junior jumpers. Natal went back to his owner in Kentucky for awhile, but the Townsends believe he might be back down in Florida again with a BNT.

I'll let the experts explain what causes brindling, while it seems to be passed along genetically in some horses, in otheres it not a directly inheritable trait. It is caused by a rare genetic occurence called chimerism. A chimeric horse develops when two non-identical twins fuse into one embryo in utero.


More about Brindles

Equine Color web site
Recommended by Cornell University

Equine Color Genetics by Dan Phillip Sponenberg, Blackwell Publishers, 2003
Excerpt on the brindle color in horses

Brindle horses: A rare equine color
Clearly a home grown site with lots of pictures and descriptions of brindle horses, breeders, and reports.


Breed profile: Brindle horse from Equisearch
Very nice overview of the history, appearance, and genetics

Miscellaneous modifiers
Discussion of rare types of coloration, including brindle.

Bridlepath blog on brindle horses

Brindle and Striped Equine International