Horse Breeds: Appaloosa

The Spanish first brought spotted horses to what we now call Mexico in the early 1500s, but there are cave paintings in Europe, Asia, and norther Africa depicting spotted horses that are thousands of years old. But even though these horses existed, it wasn't until the 1700s, when the strange spotted horse first arrived in Northwest America, that the spotted horse gained any kind of recognition. This was mostly due to the Nez Perce tribe of aborginal people. They were originally a fishing people, but the spotted horse gave them mobility. Suddenly they were renowned for their hunting and craftsmanship as they rode astride their spotted horses. Nearby settlers began referring to these horses by names that were associated with the River Palouse: "a Polouse Horse," "Palousey," and "Appalousey" were all common names. Eventually, the name Appaloosa stuck.

During the Nez Perce war of 1877, the herds of Appaloosa were scattered and may have been lost if they hadn't been striking enough to attract the attention of the public. They were popular enough with the settlers of the west that they eventually spread out east as well. The Appaloosa Horse Club was created in 1938 to preserve, protect, and improve these magnificent beasts. In 1975, the Appaloosa was named the official state horse of Idaho. This breed is popular at gaming events, horse shows, and as a trail horse.

You can't talk about the Appaloosa without addressing their most unique physical charactersists. The coat is attractive and can be found in a variety of colors. Base colors include bay, brown, buckskin, black, dun, grulla, palaoino, cremello, chestnut, bay roan, blue roan, and red roan. The pattern on the coat varies among five popular patterns: frost, leopard, snowflake, blanket, and marbelized. And let's not forget the trademark white sclera and striped hooves. The typical Appaloosa stands from 14.2 to 16 hands high and is a beauty to behold.