THE APPALOOSA
The Spanish discovered the Americas in 1492 and introduced the first horses to the
southwest of the North American continent in the earlier part of the 16th Century, travelling
and settling the trade route from Mexico City northwards to the Rio Grande Valley, and on to
Taos Pueblo (northern New Mexico*).
The Haca from the Andalusia region was the purebred horse of Spain in those times, bred
from imported smooth-gaited English Hackneys, and serving as a highly regarded agile prearmour warhorse and farm animal. In the stud book of 1765 the Haca exhibited all coat
colours, with bay the most common. More than half showed ‘piebald’ coat markings. The
Haca was the basis of the early American breeds - notably the Quarter Horse, the Paint
Horse and the Pasos.
In addition to the Haca, some of the ‘common’ horses of Spain also went to the New World.
These would have been horses of Moor influence – the North African Muslims who had
occupied Spain for 700 years but were driven out just prior to the voyages of discovery. No
doubt some of these horses had or were able to produce the spotted coats, even when
inevitably crossed with the Hacas, that were to become known as the
tigre/leopard/appaloosa white spotting pattern.
Spain’s Philip II created a sub-strain of Haca in 1567, specifically for the Spanish nobility,
favouring blacks and chestnuts. In a peace era, doctors felt that the nobility needed an
activity to replace their warrior days to ensure good health. Horse disciplines were
encouraged and Philip indulged his love of horses by selecting those inclined to dressagetype abilities. These horses were conscientiously bred at the Royal Stud in Cordoba with
periodic imports to maintain quality, their high price prohibiting ownership other than to those
of advantage. They were considered the exclusive property of the Crown and were not to
become accessible to ordinary people until a century later. With various breeding practices,
including the suppression of white markings and the encouragement of grey, the Pura Raza
Espanola (PRE) was evolved – the Purebred Spanish Horse. (The original Haca
disappeared from Spain due to crossbreeding with fashionable breeds such as the Arab and
Thoroughbred of the late 1700s/early 1800s, and an eventual ban on foreign imports.)
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In 1680 the horse started to spread further into the North American interior following the
successful Native American Pueblo slave revolt against the Spanish in Taos. The Spaniards
were driven back south to El Paso (Texas*), their cattle and sheep kept by the Pueblos, and
the unneeded horses traded off to the Plains tribes.
The early 1700s saw the Nez Perce people of the Palouse River area (Idaho* and
Washington*) obtaining horses from the Shoshone to their south. A tool to greatly improve
their way of life in the far Northwest, the Nez Perce appreciated that, by selective breeding of
the horse, they could tailor-make a breed that would be able to live off their own lands with
ease, have speed and stamina for the hunt and war, and be a notable signature of their own
existence. Their elegant breed of horse soon numbered in the thousands and proved
superior to other horses, thereby giving the Nez Perce a high standing amongst the tribes.
Present-day Nez Perce claim their horse of yesteryear was founded on the Spanish Cordoba
strain - blacks and reds, some with spots. Dispute aside, the horse offered them a more
varied way of life that was not so reliant on the rivers. A minority of Nez Perce, however,
chose not to embrace the horse and remained traditional in lifestyle.
In 1855 all Nez Perce entered into a treaty with the government to be contained in seven
million acres of their homeland, but the discovery of gold on the reservation in 1860 resulted
in the invasion of thousands of prospectors. Conflict escalated and a new treaty reducing
the reservation by 90% was enforced, but some Nez Perce chiefs resisted. Further friction
was to result in the Nez Perce War of 1877 - the non-treaty men, women and children, plus
some 3,000 of their horses, fleeing from the US Cavalry (into Montana*) to seek refuge with
the Crow.
Their journey across 1,300 miles of gruelling terrain, keeping the Cavalry at bay through
several battles and skirmishes, was achieved in just three and a half months. The Crow
proved not to support their cause and, with the Cavalry still pursuing, the Nez Perce swung
north to Canada to join the exiled Sioux, Sitting Bull. Shy of the border by some 40 miles
they stopped to hunt buffalo, knowing their pursuers were far behind, but not realising that
another troop was bearing down on them from a different direction. The final battle, in the
cold of winter and lasting several days, began to decimate the Nez Perce, many of which
were already wounded. Chief Joseph surrendered on the condition the People would be
returned to the home reservation in the Spring.
General Sherman reneged the agreement and the Nez Perce were sent to Oklahoma* with
their approximate 1,000 surviving horses (including the spotted horse herds) confiscated and
sold to settlers and cattlemen who crossbred them with their existing horses, many of which
were drafts. Those horses that were not captured or killed during the conflicts were left to
roam, and for anyone to claim. The night before Joseph’s surrender, about 200 Nez Perce
and their horses moved on to Canada under Chief White Bird but some of them were killed
en route by enemy tribes. White Bird’s survivors remained in Canada but some filtered
unknown back into the US, whilst those sent to Oklahoma were eventually moved back to
Idaho and Washington reservations.
Over the next 60 years, the Nez Perce Horse almost sank into oblivion until those dedicated
to resurrecting it in its spotted (only) glory formally named it ‘Appaloosa,’ derived from the
local names of “A Palouse horse” and “Apalousie,” by way of the Appaloosa Registry of
1938. The Appaloosa was recognised as a breed in 1950 by the US National Stallion Board,
and was made the state horse of Idaho in 1975.
* Texas was official established as a State in 1845, Idaho in 1890, Montana and Washington
in 1889, Oklahoma in 1907 and New Mexico in 1912.
BREED STANDARD (FAHR)
“Height varies from 14.2 to 16.0 hands tall, and weight varies from 950 to 1250 pounds. The
minimum height for a mature Appaloosa is 14.0 hands. There is no maximum height, and
17.0 hands is sometimes seen. Weight is to be in proportion to the size and frame of the
horse. Registered Appaloosas should not carry pony, draft, Pinto/Paint or Albino breeding.
The Nez Perce spotted horses were reputedly a speedy, handsome animal with great
endurance and athletic build. Today, the ideal Appaloosa TYPE would be described as a
well balanced "middle-of-the-road" horse. The general appearance of the Appaloosa should
be well muscled, symmetrical and smooth, with a clean throat latch, prominent and well
defined withers, short appearing back and sloping croup, a long sloping hip, deep heart girth
and long underline, long sloping shoulders with a deep chest (not excessively wide), short
and flat cannon bones, medium long and sloping pasterns. Their way-of-going is ground
covering (not choppy), smooth and easy. Because the breed is versatile, one sees many
variations of type to fit the uses.
Genetically, Appaloosas come by their characteristics the same way as any other horse
breed. As in most breeding, Appaloosas of good type and known breeding are in demand as
breeding stock. However, Appaloosas have an added dimension not considered in most
horse breeds: coat color, mottled skin, white sclera and striped hooves.”
© Lynn Harrison October 2005
UPDATE
A Portugese mitochondrial DNA Study to establish the origins of the New World horse was
published in February 2006. 90 samples were examined, representing three Iberian
Portugese/Spanish), four North American, and 12 South American breeds. The Iberian
breeds were PRE, Lusitano and Garrano, the North American breeds were Spanish
Mustang, Sulphur Mustang, Kiger Mustang and Florida Cracker, and the South American
breeds included Paso Fino, Brazilian Creollo, Campolino and Panteneiro.
It was concluded that results were supportive of Iberian origins. (A separately conducted
Spanish mtDNA Study concluded that American native cattle were also of Iberian origins.)
This genetic study tends to disprove one theory that Appaloosas originated from the Far
East via Russian seafarers on the west coast of America.
In 2004, a Spanish historical report stated that stock bred mainly in the Guadalquivir River
(Andalusia) region of Spain were those sent to the New World. The cities of Seville and
Cordoba are situated on this River.
In 1994 an English historical report stated that the Spanish had introduced horses to
Dominican Republic and Haiti by 1503, Panama in 1514, Mexico in 1524, Brazil in 1531,
Peru in 1532, Argentina in 1535 and Florida in 1538. Some 10,000 free-roaming horses
were believed to be in Mexico by 1553.
© Lynn Harrison September 2007