ezzy333 wrote:Appaloosas are part of many breeds just like palaminos or pinto and paints. Thats what happens when you have a registry for a color or pattern. Not sure if it is a smart thing to do or not.
Ezzy
Just to preface this and get Jason (Aylaschamp) off the hook... This is his girlfriend Laurie. I am an avid not only horse lover but Appy lover, this is a breed of horse that has proven to have unique markings but also unparallelled versatility. Your comment about them being a color or pattern rather than a breed seems a bit uninformed to me. Appys were first recognized in the 1700's and cultivated as a breed by the Nez Perce Indiana in North America which is why the Appys are so widely recognized with the North American Indian culture. The American Quarter Horse was not a recognized breed until the 1800's. Perhaps the Appy markings were selected to not be an accepted part of the AQHA lines???
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, elegantly [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.
Oh and Denise, thank you very much. Topper really was quite special, we had many great times I quite often fondly look back at good times and that big grin comes back to me. He was truly as unique as his markings. I will always love the rat tailed, fuzzy forelocked, pig eyed and mohawked appys because they remind me of my childhood. This boy we are all talking about is jawdropping! Not only does he have unique coloring but he is near perfect in looks. I have to admit I am thrilled to see appys whooping up on QH's so many times Topper and I were over looked because of his appy traits. Feels like a little bit of justice to see appys taking their rightful place on top again!
They look like drunk clowns. (Or maybe he took it all in stride....)