Appaloosa History (from ApHC):
The Spanish introduced horses to Mexico in the 1500s. Following the Pueblo Revolt, horses rapidly spread throughout North America, reaching the Northwest around 1700. The Nez Perce tribe became excellent horsemen and breeders, creating large herds renowned for their strength, intelligence and beauty.
Prior to the introduction of the horse, the Nez Perce were sedentary fishers. Horses gave the tribes greater mobility and power, altering their culture forever. Soon, the Nez Perce were famous throughout the Northwest for their hunting skills and craftsmanship. These skills allowed the Nez Perce to trade for necessary goods and services.
With their superior horses they had little difficulty killing what buffalo they needed. Soon they began to use the Plains-type tipi in place of their old community houses…Heavy stone mortars and similar burdensome possessions were either discarded entirely, or left at the fishing spots for occasional use.
Famous explorer Meriwether Lewis was appropriately impressed with the breeding accomplishments of the Nez Perce, as noted in his diary entry from February 15, 1806.
Their horses appear to be of an excellent race; they are lofty, eligantly [sic] formed, active and durable…some of these horses are pided with large spots of white irregularly scattered and intermixed with black, brown, bey [sic] or some other dark color.
It is unknown how many of the Nez Perce’s horses were spotted, but a possible estimate is ten percent. Settlers coming into the area began to refer to these spotted horses as “A Palouse Horse”, as a reference to the Palouse River, which runs through Northern Idaho. Over time, the name evolved into “Palousey,” “Appalousey,” and finally “Appaloosa.”
In the mid-1800s, settlers flooded onto the Nez Perce reservation, and conflicts soon ensued. The Nez Perce War of 1877 resulted in their herds being dispersed.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, interest in the breed gradually began to grow as Appaloosas began appearing in Western roundups and rodeos.
The Appaloosa’s flashy coat patterns caught the eye of the public, and in 1937 an article in Western Horseman entitled “The Appaloosa, or Palouse Horse” revealed a widespread interest in the breed.
With the goal of preserving and improving the Appaloosa breed, the Appaloosa Horse Club was chartered in 1938. From those first few enthusiasts, the Club has grown into one of the leading equine breed registries in the world.
On March 25, 1975 Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus signed a bill naming the Appaloosa as the state horse. This is a deserving honor for a horse that has been an integral part of Idaho history.
Today, the beautiful spotted horse is one of the most beloved of American horse breeds and can be found throughout the world, excelling in disciplines including western pleasure, games, working cow horse and dressage. Appaloosas are prized for their easy-going dispositions and their reliability as family horses.
Prior to the introduction of the horse, the Nez Perce were sedentary fishers. Horses gave the tribes greater mobility and power, altering their culture forever. Soon, the Nez Perce were famous throughout the Northwest for their hunting skills and craftsmanship. These skills allowed the Nez Perce to trade for necessary goods and services.
With their superior horses they had little difficulty killing what buffalo they needed. Soon they began to use the Plains-type tipi in place of their old community houses…Heavy stone mortars and similar burdensome possessions were either discarded entirely, or left at the fishing spots for occasional use.
Famous explorer Meriwether Lewis was appropriately impressed with the breeding accomplishments of the Nez Perce, as noted in his diary entry from February 15, 1806.
Their horses appear to be of an excellent race; they are lofty, eligantly [sic] formed, active and durable…some of these horses are pided with large spots of white irregularly scattered and intermixed with black, brown, bey [sic] or some other dark color.
It is unknown how many of the Nez Perce’s horses were spotted, but a possible estimate is ten percent. Settlers coming into the area began to refer to these spotted horses as “A Palouse Horse”, as a reference to the Palouse River, which runs through Northern Idaho. Over time, the name evolved into “Palousey,” “Appalousey,” and finally “Appaloosa.”
In the mid-1800s, settlers flooded onto the Nez Perce reservation, and conflicts soon ensued. The Nez Perce War of 1877 resulted in their herds being dispersed.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, interest in the breed gradually began to grow as Appaloosas began appearing in Western roundups and rodeos.
The Appaloosa’s flashy coat patterns caught the eye of the public, and in 1937 an article in Western Horseman entitled “The Appaloosa, or Palouse Horse” revealed a widespread interest in the breed.
With the goal of preserving and improving the Appaloosa breed, the Appaloosa Horse Club was chartered in 1938. From those first few enthusiasts, the Club has grown into one of the leading equine breed registries in the world.
On March 25, 1975 Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus signed a bill naming the Appaloosa as the state horse. This is a deserving honor for a horse that has been an integral part of Idaho history.
Today, the beautiful spotted horse is one of the most beloved of American horse breeds and can be found throughout the world, excelling in disciplines including western pleasure, games, working cow horse and dressage. Appaloosas are prized for their easy-going dispositions and their reliability as family horses.
Appaloosa Characteristics:
Mottled or Parti-Colored Skin
This characteristic is unique to the Appaloosa horse. Therefore, mottled skin is a basic and decisive indicator of an Appaloosa. Mottled skin is different from commonly found pink (flesh-colored or non-pigmented) skin in that it normally contains dark areas of pigmented skin within its area. The result is a speckled or blotchy pattern of pigmented and non-pigmented skin. When identifying mottled skin, it is important to not confuse it with simple differences in pigmentation, patches of light and dark skin,and pumpkin skin.
This characteristic is unique to the Appaloosa horse. Therefore, mottled skin is a basic and decisive indicator of an Appaloosa. Mottled skin is different from commonly found pink (flesh-colored or non-pigmented) skin in that it normally contains dark areas of pigmented skin within its area. The result is a speckled or blotchy pattern of pigmented and non-pigmented skin. When identifying mottled skin, it is important to not confuse it with simple differences in pigmentation, patches of light and dark skin,and pumpkin skin.
White Sclera The sclera is the area of the eye which encircles the iris - the colored or pigmented portion. The white of the human eye is an example. All horses have sclera but the Appaloosa's is white and usually more readily visible than other breeds. All horses can show white around the eye if it is rolled back, up or down or if the eyelid is lifted. Readily visible white sclera is a distinctive Appaloosa characteristic provided it is not in combination with a large white face marking,such as a bald face.
Striped Hooves
Many Appaloosas will have bold and clearly defined vertically light or dark striped hooves. Vertical stripes may result from a injury to the coronet or a white marking on the leg. Also light colored horses tend to have thin stripes in their hooves. As a result, all striped hooves do not necessarily distinguish Appaloosas from non-Appaloosas. Look for other Appaloosa characteristics if any of these situations apply to your horse.
Many Appaloosas will have bold and clearly defined vertically light or dark striped hooves. Vertical stripes may result from a injury to the coronet or a white marking on the leg. Also light colored horses tend to have thin stripes in their hooves. As a result, all striped hooves do not necessarily distinguish Appaloosas from non-Appaloosas. Look for other Appaloosa characteristics if any of these situations apply to your horse.
Base Coat Color
Bay
Dark Bay/Brown
Black
Buckskin
Grulla
Dun
Palomino
Cremello/Perlino
Chestnut/Sorrel
Gray
Bay Roan
Blue Roan
Red Roan
White
Dark Bay/Brown
Black
Buckskin
Grulla
Dun
Palomino
Cremello/Perlino
Chestnut/Sorrel
Gray
Bay Roan
Blue Roan
Red Roan
White
It is not always easy to predict the color a grown horse will be from the shade it appears to have as a foal. Most foals are born with lighter colored coats than they will have when they shed their baby hair, with the exception of gray horses, which are born dark and progressively become lighter. Most foals will start to lose fuzzy baby hair around their eyes, nostrils and at the base of the tail fist, followed by the legs. Look for smooth hair in these areas - the color of this hair will usually indicate the foal's permanent color. If the foal coat on the legs is replaced by chestnut hair and the mane and tail are not black, the foal will most likely be a chestnut. If the foal coat is replaced by black hair on the legs, expect a bay. Most often, a black horse is born mousy gray.
Coat Patterns
A remarkable aspect of the Appaloosa is the myriad of color and pattern combinations he can exhibit. The following are seven common terms used to describe Appaloosa patterns. The description used by the Registration Department differs slightly. Appaloosa patterns are highly variable and there are many which may not fit into specific categories easily. Snowflake, Snowcap and other patterns will be discussed below in the genetics section.
Roan - A horse exhibiting the Appaloosa roan pattern develops a lighter colored area on the forehead, jowls and frontal bones of the face, over the back, loin and hips. Darker areas may appear along the frontal bones of the face as well and also on the legs, stifle, above the eye, point of the hip and behind the elbow. Without an apparent Appaloosa blanket or spots, a horse with only the above-listed characteristics will also need mottled skin and one other characteristic to qualify for regular registration.
Genetics
Spotting only shows in horses with at least one copy of the dominant Appaloosa spotting allele LpLp, although it is then influenced by several other genes. Horses with this gene but no other spotting genes show at least one of the three minimal appaloosa characteristics. These are mottled skin pigment on the face and/or genitals, hooves striped with narrow vertical bands and white sclera of the eye. The skin pigmentation may not be present at birth, but the other two characteristics are. Pink and black mottled skin is one of the most indicative characteristics. It is always evident in the genital region and may also occur around the lips, muzzle, nostrils and/or eyes. An appaloosas eye is sometimes called the "human eye" due to the white sclera encircling the eye. Most other horses have a dark sclera.
Horses showing all three traits are said to be mottled. The expression of appaloosa characteristics is thought to be influenced by sex, possibly through an hormonal effect. There is some evidence that stallions show more patterning than mares. Jeanette Gower (1999) suggests the following phenotypes for horses with no other spotting genes:
Spotted horses come in an enormous variety of patterns. There are many names for the different patterns observed and some patterns are known by more than one name depending on the breed and the local customs. From a genetic perspective Jeanette Gower (1999) proposed a model based on four genetically distinct patterns, some of the genes involved are now being studied. The presence of one or more of these patterns in various combinations provides for the array of patterns actually observed. I will follow this model, and apply what has been found out since, as it seems to me the best available based on current understanding.
Horses showing all three traits are said to be mottled. The expression of appaloosa characteristics is thought to be influenced by sex, possibly through an hormonal effect. There is some evidence that stallions show more patterning than mares. Jeanette Gower (1999) suggests the following phenotypes for horses with no other spotting genes:
Spotted horses come in an enormous variety of patterns. There are many names for the different patterns observed and some patterns are known by more than one name depending on the breed and the local customs. From a genetic perspective Jeanette Gower (1999) proposed a model based on four genetically distinct patterns, some of the genes involved are now being studied. The presence of one or more of these patterns in various combinations provides for the array of patterns actually observed. I will follow this model, and apply what has been found out since, as it seems to me the best available based on current understanding.
Snowcap aka White Blanket
White patterning (often termed snowcap or white blanket) in Appaloosas appears to also be a polygenic, and the generic name “PATN” (for “pattern”) has been given to these genes. Horses inheriting both LP and one or more of these PATN genes it will have white appaloosa-type patterns, the extent of white varying according to which and how many PATN genes it has. Minimal white patterning can be just a sprinkling of white over the hips. Extensive white can cover most of the body, although usually some colour is retained just above the hooves, on the knees and hocks, stifles and elbows, hips, points of shoulder, mane and tail, and the bony parts of the face.
A solid horse may have PATN, with no effect in the absence of LP. If bred to a horse with LP allele the foal might inherit both LP and PATN, and display coat patterns not seen in either parent. A solid horse can thus potentially contribute patterns to its foal. This explains why a solid horse and a minimally marked Appaloosa can together produce a loudly marked foal.
A gene causing high white patterns (PATN-1) is thought to be on chromosome 3. Researchers intend to try and identify the gene and produce a test for it. PATN-1 may cause common-size "blankets" in heterozygotes and extensive "blankets" in homozygotes.
In the most extreme form of snowcap the white may cover the whole body with perhaps just dark “flash” markings on legs. This form is called few spot. According to Gower (2000) this type is true-breeding, and therefore homozygous (possibly for PATN-1, but time will tell). When crossed to non snowcap appaloosas the offspring show a white blanket (snowcap), providing they also least one copy of LP.
A solid horse may have PATN, with no effect in the absence of LP. If bred to a horse with LP allele the foal might inherit both LP and PATN, and display coat patterns not seen in either parent. A solid horse can thus potentially contribute patterns to its foal. This explains why a solid horse and a minimally marked Appaloosa can together produce a loudly marked foal.
A gene causing high white patterns (PATN-1) is thought to be on chromosome 3. Researchers intend to try and identify the gene and produce a test for it. PATN-1 may cause common-size "blankets" in heterozygotes and extensive "blankets" in homozygotes.
In the most extreme form of snowcap the white may cover the whole body with perhaps just dark “flash” markings on legs. This form is called few spot. According to Gower (2000) this type is true-breeding, and therefore homozygous (possibly for PATN-1, but time will tell). When crossed to non snowcap appaloosas the offspring show a white blanket (snowcap), providing they also least one copy of LP.
Dark Spots vs White Spots
Appaloosa dark spots – which of course only show up against a lighter background – are caused by the dominant SdS allele. Sometimes the spots are the same shade as the coat color, sometimes they are a little darker, but they are not lighter. So on a standard chestnut the spots may be chestnut or liver chestnut, but not light chestnut (sorrel). Dark spots often occur with snowcap to form a spotted blanket and leopard spot patterns.
The spots themselves can be quite large - as big as a fist – with the larger spots tending to be oval rather than round, often with roan edges. They follow the direction of the hair, for example, being more horizontal over the quarters and more vertical over the flanks. The pattern of spotting on any particular horse can vary over time, with spots appearing, disappearing and migrating.
The spots themselves can be quite large - as big as a fist – with the larger spots tending to be oval rather than round, often with roan edges. They follow the direction of the hair, for example, being more horizontal over the quarters and more vertical over the flanks. The pattern of spotting on any particular horse can vary over time, with spots appearing, disappearing and migrating.
Appaloosa white spots – which only show up against a darker background – may be caused by the dominant SnS allele. It is, however, also possible that they are due to an alternative allele of the Ap gene.
The white spots are small and roundish, and may merge together in some areas to create a lacy pattern. When the pattern covers the hips it may be referred to as a lace blanket or frosted hips.
Extensive white spotting is called snowflake and may look like roan. Unlike roan the white spots may occur on the head and legs as well as on the body. The pattern of spotting on any particular horse can vary over time, with spots appearing, disappearing and migrating.
The white spots are small and roundish, and may merge together in some areas to create a lacy pattern. When the pattern covers the hips it may be referred to as a lace blanket or frosted hips.
Extensive white spotting is called snowflake and may look like roan. Unlike roan the white spots may occur on the head and legs as well as on the body. The pattern of spotting on any particular horse can vary over time, with spots appearing, disappearing and migrating.
Marble Roan
Appaloosa varnish is a progressive silvering effect that leaves colour (called varnish marks) on the bony prominences of the face, lower neck, forearm, knees, hips and stifle. It is caused by the SvS allele. This is probably semi-dominant: it’s thought that horses homozygous for the allele become lighter than heterozygotes.
The pattern is sometimes called marble, marble roan or varnish roan. However the pattern is not roan and, much like with gray horses varnish horses are born another color (often with another appaloosa pattern), with just some varnish on the head, and the silvering develops with age. Unlike with gray other appaloosa spots usually retain pigment. The silvering can occur over the entire body or just over the rumps, when it may be mistaken for frost, though it is actually a varnish blanket.
The pattern is sometimes called marble, marble roan or varnish roan. However the pattern is not roan and, much like with gray horses varnish horses are born another color (often with another appaloosa pattern), with just some varnish on the head, and the silvering develops with age. Unlike with gray other appaloosa spots usually retain pigment. The silvering can occur over the entire body or just over the rumps, when it may be mistaken for frost, though it is actually a varnish blanket.
To be eligible for registration with the Appaloosa Association, horses must be:
Pure breed Appaloosas or crossed with an acceptable breed.
Acceptable Breeds - Quarter Horse, Appendix Quarter Horse,Thoroughbred, & Arabians.
Example:
Appaloosa x Quarter Horse = Appaloosa
Appaloosa x Appendix Quarter Horse = Appaloosa
Appaloosa x Thoroughbred = Appaloosa
Appaloosa x Arabian = AraAppaloosa (Still considered acceptable)
Unacceptable Breeds - Any breed that is not listed above.
Example:
Appaloosa x Paint = Crossbred
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