Along with its companions, the Quarter Horse and the Paint Horse, the Appaloosa is one of the breeds of horses dedicated to western riding. Extremely versatile, the Appaloosa is also very efficient in other equestrian disciplines such as Hunter, Eventing or TREC. Discover this horse with an atypical dress.
Breed History
Like the Paint Horse or the Quarter Horse, the Appaloosa comes from horses that were introduced to the American continent by the Spanish Conquistadors.
Indeed, in the early 1700s, horses arrived in North America on the territory of the Nez-Percé Indians who selected and raised the first Appaloosa horses. The qualities sought were then power, endurance and speed. The Indians also appreciated horses with colorful coats, with few hairs. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the name Appaloosa made its appearance, in reference to the Palouse River.
In 1877, the Indian leader Chief Joseph lost a war resulting in the capture of the herd of horses from the Nez-Percé tribe, which were then left in the wild or sold.
At the beginning of the 20th century, enthusiasts of the breed began looking for the descendants of horses selected by the Nez-Percés who had similar characteristics in terms of coat color, bone structure, hardiness and horsehair.
The breed’s Stud-Book and the Appaloosa Horse Club (organization responsible for managing the breed) were founded in 1938 in Idaho. New blood contributions are made to improve the Appaloosa thanks to the Quarter Horse, Morgan, Thoroughbred English and Purebred Arabian.
Physical peculiarities
His head: the head is small and fine with quite significant ganaches. The white of the eye is very visible in the Appaloosa.
Its neckline: the neckline is rather long.
His body: the Appaloosa is a muscular horse with lots of bones. His back is wide and short with a well-defined withers. Just like the Quarter Horse, its hindquarters are powerful.
Its members: the members are strong and powerful. The Appaloosa’s hooves are ridged.
Her dress: the Appalossa’s dress is very colorful with a large number of spots which makes the uniqueness of the breed. The Appaloosa’s dress can be of different types (capped, leopard, snowflakes, etc.), often dotted with small white or colored spots. Nevertheless, about 1/4 of Appaloosa foals are born with a totally plain coat. It is also noted that the skin of this horse is marbled at the level of the mouth, the nostrils and the genitals.
His hair: the Appaloosa has very little hair.
There are two types of Appaloosa: the modern model and the foundation model. If the physique of the first is closer to the Quarter Horse, the second is very similar to the horses that the Indians had. Strong bones, compact body, endurance and hardiness characterize this little horse.
Famous Appaloosa Horses
When we talk about Appaloosa, we quickly think of the Far West period, Indians and cowboys. The Appaloosa is often featured in Western movies. It is Appaloosa who are the stars of comic books such as Yakari and Luky Luke (Joly Jumper).
Breeding
In France, the Appaloosa breed was recognized by the Haras Nationaux in 1997. For a horse to be recognized as an Appaloosa, one of its two parents must itself be an Appaloosa.
In order not to lose the breed, crossings with other horses other than the Quarter Horse, the English Thoroughbred or the Arabian Thoroughbred are prohibited. Likewise, solid colors are not recognized by the Appaloosa Stud Book.
