# Do you know anything about Medicine Hat (paint horse)???



## LauraB

Please correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe there was ever a famous paint named "Medicine Hat". Medicine hat in paints and pintos refers to a type of marking where the horse has a mostly white head and neck but has coloring over his ears and forehead.

My mini below displays medicine hat markings









This is also a good example


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## imaREINER

^^ this, i believe youre correct!

I know they made a breyer years ago named after the markings from the paint horse of a medicine hat, but i dont think there was ever a famous one.


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## sensationalreflection

I heard a couple people say that there was one indian paint horse that because of his markings (the patch on only his ears and top of the head) they named him Medicine Hat and that he was the only one that had been seen with those markings, and from there they bred him for it and it passed on to his offspring. I am not sure that it is true because I can never find that story or any pics online no matter where I look so I am beginning to agree with both of you. There are not any pedigree's that has that name on it anywhere. But I was just curious to see if there really was anything about him. Thanks!?


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## Dumas'_Grrrl

To the best of my knowledge, it's just a marking that some paints/pintos end up with. 

I DO know that there have been Medicine Hat movies... I believe there was one with Leif Garret in it.


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## LauraB

Yes, I believe that is a native american legend.


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## Twilight Arabians

ill ask my mom about the story, she used to tell it to me when i was little but i cant remeber it now.


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## wakiya

The medicine hat and war bonnet horses were valued by native americans because they had a shield on their chest that ws supposed to protect them and their rider in battle. Also they were indian ponies, not the modern "paint" breed.


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## Sara

Heh, I remember reading the M. Henry book when I was a kid.
Amazon.com: San Domingo : The Medicine Hat Stallion: Marguerite Henry, Robert Lougbeed: Books


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## I Love Lane

This pretty much sums it up on the origin of the word "medicine Hat" hope it is useful to your purpose 

Written by Rena Sherwood

A "Medicine Hat" horse is not a horse of a particular breed, but of a particular color. This is an unusual pinto pattern where the base of the horse is white, but the ears and around the entire top of the head is brown, black or roan. The horse looks like he has a tight cap on. Legend has it that Native American tribes, especially Plains tribes, called the spot a "Medicine Hat" or "war bonnet".
The important distinguishing characteristic of a Medicine Hat is the head. The rest of the body can be of any other pattern. But in order to get a white head and colored ears and cap, most Medicine Hats or Wart Bonnets are mostly white in color with very few other colored patches. They very often have pink muzzles.
What's The Big Deal?
The Medicine Hat marking denoted a horse of superior ability in some way. Some tribes had legends where a rider of a Medicine Hat horse would never be hurt on the back on the horse. Some were said to be able to warn his or her master of danger, or to be able to find game in the most barren of landscapes.
A blue eyed Medicine Hat was especially prized for his or her unusual beauty. The blue eyes of the horse (known often as "sky eyes") made the horse seem otherworldly or ghostly. However, many white faced horses tend to have blue or odd-colored eyes. Because of their mostly white hides, magic or power symbols were often added to him.
Medicine Hats were also considered incredibly lucky. In wearing a magic symbol, the horse personified the magical qualities of a tribe. If your tribe lost its Medicine Hat, misfortune was soon to come, because all of the good magic was gone. Please keep in mind that his is a very simplified explanation for a very complex belief system.
Medicine Hats Today
Modern culture probably wouldn't know much about Medicine Hats if it wasn't for a book entitled "San Domingo: The Medicine Hat Stallion" by famous children's author Marguerite Henry (who also wrote "Misty of Chincoteague"). That book probably would have faded into obscurity if it were not for the fame of the author and a popular Breyer model horse made of the main character, San Domingo.
The Medicine Hat coat variation still exists today and is considered just as valuable now as in the Old West. They can be found in several breeds, including the Paint Horse, Spanish Barb, Mustang, Appaloosa and crossbreeds (called a "grade" horse). Sometimes the coat pattern pops up in ponies as well as horses.


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## ilovestitch

here's some pics i found 
but it is very hard to find those exact horses

*Medicine Hat Paints are very particular in the marking. They have the "war bonnet" *(which if only the war bonnet it would be even rarer) *on the head with a break of white between it and any coloring on the face. In addition a shield on the chest and color on the back with no break in color on the back, color on the flanks and the tail has color. * Medicine Hat Paint Horse markings had once been highly-prized by certain Native American cultures. These horses were believed to possess certain powers that would render their riders invincible in battle. Because of Ed's own Native American heritage God's answer to a prayer through Iron Eyes brought even more of a significant meaning to him.


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## firebird96ta

While you guys are cruising medicine hat stuff on the web, keep an eye out for Max, a medicine hat gelding stolen from IL last year...

















More pics/info can be found on NetPosse or at www.searchingformax.com
Sorry for the interruption!


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## close2prfct

Here's a pic of my boy as a yearling


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## ilovemyPhillip

Wow, hes beautiful!


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## mybabysewanka

Let us not forget Sacred Indian he was a very well known medicine hat.


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## bama20a

Here is some reading you may enjoy,THE MUSTANG HORSE


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