Adam’s horse in the show was named Scout. But Scout was not the original horse selected for the role. In fact the first two horses, Candy and Beauty, both proved to be fractious in front of the cameras and had to be sent back to the stables as not right for the part. When Scout was brought in, he proved to be not only well behaved but a good match for actor Pernell Roberts. Scout was a gelded 7/8 thoroughbred who weighed in at 1100 pounds. Roberts rode Scout for three seasons. Near the close of that third season, Scout and Dan Blocker’s horse got mired in the mud during filming, causing an accident. Whether related to the accident or not, within a month Scout was acting up, tossing his head around and generally refusing to behave during filming as he had before. By the start of the fourth season, Scout had been sent back to the stables and replaced with a horse that was almost identical in appearance. The only difference was that the new horse had four white socks as opposed to the three sported by the original Scout."
Sport has been referred to as a Sorrel and a Chestnut referring the reddish coloring. Some feel that it’s the same thing and others think that there are genetic differences. I haven’t been able to find a definitive answer.
Pernell Roberts relationship with his horse on Bonanza has been in question many times over the years. Some felt that it was strictly utilitarian. This picture I think answers that question once and for all.
Sport Bio by nyspats