Appaloosa Thoughts...

     For as long as I can remember, I've always had a slight obsession with horses. Just the thought of that wind blowing through your hair, that perfect moment where you almost feel as one with the horse...it's all magic! Though I haven't been riding since my accident in 1999, I still love these free spirits that we call "horses". My most favorite of all is the Native American Appaloosa.

     Cave drawings from overseas support the idea that spotted horses have been around for centuries. The horses in the drawings have multi-colored coats. However, it is believed that the first spotted horses were brought to the "New World" by the Spanish. Some of the horses were left behind and Native Americans quickly realized their value. The Nez Perce and Palouse tribes of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho were the first recorded breeders of Appaloosa horses. They valued these spotted horses for their athleticism, good temperament, and interesting coat patterns. The name of "Appaloosa" is believed to have originated from white settlers who came upon the horses and called them "Palouse Horses". Over time, the name was slurred to "Palousey", "Appaloosey", then finally to today's version of Appaloosa. The near extinction of the breed made some horsemen in the 1930's realize that the beauty and athleticism of the Appaloosa was worth saving and the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was born.

     Appaloosas come in many colors and coat patterns. Below, is a list of the main colors and patterns. Appaloosas may be a combination of one or more of the mentioned coat patterns and might have a change in color or pattern as a natural result of aging. Appaloosas are known by their striped hooves, mottled skin, and white sclera around the eye. They are seen as a stock horse and stand between 14.2 and 16 hands. They should have strong, short backs, rounded, well muscled hind quarters, a well proportioned head and neck that ties into a long sloping shoulder. Their legs should be straight and strong with well formed hooves.

Blanket: a solid white area normally over the hip area on a horse with a contrasting base color
Blanket With Spots: a white area normally over the hips with dark spots located within the white. The spots are usually the same color as the base color of the horse. However, a horse may also have more than one color of spots.
Leopard: a white horse having dark spots over the entire body.
Roan: An Appaloosa roan pattern is a mixture of white and dark hairs.
Roan Blanket: a mixture of white and dark hairs usually over the hip area.
Roan Blanket With Spots: a mixture of white and dark hairs over a portion of the body with white and/or dark spots within the roan area.
Spots: a horse with white or dark spots over a portion of its body or over the entire body.
Solid: a horse that has a base color with no contrasting color.