Belted Galloways have been bred in Scotland for hundreds of years and have the same general characteristics as the solid coloured and white Galloways, but are noted for their iconic broad belt of white hair that encircles the body between the shoulders and hips.
Belted Galloways are regarded as having a superior milking quality. This milking ability may be the clue to the origin of the Belted Galloway. In the northern areas of Holland, noble families bred a fine milking cow, the Lakenvelder. This has a broad white belt similar to the Belted Galloway. When William of Orange from Holland took up the English throne in 1689 some Lakenvelder milking cows were imported and it is not inconceivable that at some time a crossing with solid coloured Galloways provided the genetic basis for Belted Galloways.
The white belt is inherited as a dominant trait. The belt can be expressed over all solid colours, black, dun, red and even silver dun where the belt can usually only be distinguished by the pigment variant of the skin. The most popular Belted Galloway, however, is the black where the contrast of black and white is so distinctive and attractive.
Apart from the unique attractiveness derived from the coat colours, the Belted Galloway has the valuable qualities of carcass type, hardiness, longevity, fertility, mothering abilities and being non-selective grazers for which Galloways are renowned.
