APPALOOSA

Breed of horse with a distinctive spotted coat, developed by the people of northeast Oregon in the 18th century. The Appaloosa was named by French trappers for the Palouse River in neighboring southeast Washington. Although many Native Americans became fine horsemen, the Nez Percé were unique for their tightly controlled breeding programs. The Appaloosa was developed of necessity as a hardy, all-purpose horse. It was an excellent hunting mount, responding to leg and weight signals while the rider used both hands for the bow and arrow. The Nez Percé trained the Appaloosa to single out buffalo for the kill amid the confusion of a stampeding herd. The Appaloosa stands about 142 to 157.5 cm (about 56 to 62 in, or about 14 to 15.2 hands) high at the withers. (the sides of the ridge between the shoulder bones). The body is strong and compact, but not heavy. The Appaloosa has been crossed with the quarter horse, and has acquired the exaggerated hind quarters of that breed. A refined head gives this horse a distinct appearance. The edge of the eyeballs are white, adding to the Appaloosa's expressive look. The skin around the muzzle, eyes, and genitals is spotted or mottled. The firm hooves have vertical dark and light stripes. The toes may turn in slightly, adding to this horse's ability to navigate mountain ridges. The Appaloosa has a fine, soft coat similar to that of the Andalusian horse. The mane and tail are silky but sparse, which makes them less likely to snag on brush. There are five Appaloosa coat patterns: leopard (white with dark, egg-shaped spots over the loins and hips); snowflake (spots all over the body with spotting dominant over the hips); blanket (white without dark spots over the hips); marble (spots of similar size all over the body); and frost (white specks with a dark background). The Appaloosa breed was revived from the few remaining horses still exhibiting the breed's original characteristics by the Appaloosa Horse Club, which was organized in 1938. It is now the third largest breed registry in the world, with a population exceeding 65,000 animals. The Appaloosa also has been crossed with the Shetland pony to produce the Pony of the Americas, a smaller version of the Appaloosa with its own registry.} The Appaloosa is a popular saddle horse, particularly when sure-footedness and endurance are needed. It is a natural at cutting cattle, and sometimes performs this task without a rider. It is also used widely in rodeo barrel racing, western-riding-club drills, dressage (precision movements in response to a trainer), and jumping.

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