Appaloosa - the breed with a colour preference.
Australian Breed Standard as written in the Australian Appaloosa Association Rule Book.
Desirable Characteristics :
HEAD - Short and Wide with a narrow muzzle, thin walled nostrils combined with wide jowls. Sound lips and teeth which mesh firmly together. Ears are medium size, alert and should be widely set apart on a wide forehead. Eyes are set wide apart adding distictiveness to head appearance and reflecting intelligence. Jowls to be well defined. The head should join the neck at an angle of 45 degrees.
NECK - Good length of rein with clean cut throat latch. The neck blends into sloping shoulders and must be in proportion to the head and body.
SHOULDER - Well developed, muscular and symmetrical and to be at a 45 degree angle. The slope of the shoulder should blend into the withers.
WITHERS - Should be of prominent height and well-defined, set back from the shoulder.
CHEST - Is deep with definite muscle giving the inverted V section a strong definition. Forearm is well muscled, long, wide and tapering to a flat knee.
FORELEGS - Viewed in front, a perpendicular line from the point of the shoulder should fall upon the centre of the knee and pastern joints and back of foot. Pasterns should be on a 45 degree angle.
BARREL - Is short and the loin is strong and well coupled. Underline is long and tapers to the flank and the girth should be deep with well sprung ribs.
REAR LEGS - Viewed from behind, a perpendicular line from the hindquarter should fall upon the centre f the hock, cannon, pastern and foot; from the side, a perpendicular line from the hip joint should fall upon the centre of the foot and divide the gaskin in the middle and a perpendicular line from the point of the quarter should run parallel with the line of the cannon.
WEIGHT AND HEIGHT - Weight usually ranges from 430 to 566 kg. Height from 14 to 16 hands, minimum height for a mature Appaloosa (5 years and older) is 14 hands, with no maximum height. Height and weight should be proportional.
TEMPERAMENT - The outstanding temperament of the Appaloosa is easy going, quiet and intelligent. The Appaloosa is extremely versatile, and capable of all sports such as jumping, western, games through to endurance and pleasure riding.
COLOUR - The colour patterns and markings are extremely varied and found in many combinations with great variation. It should be noted that some Appaloosas are born solid or marginal colour with the characteristics. Appaloosas can be born with no colour and no characteristics even when both parents are Appaloosas.
So - confused now? What makes an Appaloosa really an Appaloosa?
CHARACTERISTICS!!!!!
These are :
1.Coat Pattern
2. Mottled Skin
3. White Sclera
4. Striped Hooves
Let's look at colours and coat patterns first.
All Appaloosas have a BASE COLOUR. This is the dominant colour of the horse, determined from the head and neck area. It may then have one of these coat patterns : Blanket, Roan, Leopard, Snowflake, or it may remain solid. Examples of coat pattern are given on the next page. There are an infinite number of variations of each coat pattern type.
