Facts about Appaloosa
- 09
Recognized worldwide, Appaloosa horses frequently exhibit a visible white coat pattern called the blanket, which appears over the hindquarters and may contain darker spots within it.
- 08
Striped hooves, a hallmark trait of many Appaloosas, develop vertical light and dark bands that grow continuously throughout the horse's life unlike solid-colored hooves in other breeds.
- 07
A single Appaloosa can cost between 1,000 and 10,000 dollars depending on bloodline quality and competition record, making them more expensive than many other horse breeds.
- 06
Modern Appaloosa registries require at least one distinctive characteristic such as spotted coat, striped hooves, or white sclera to qualify a horse for breed registration.
- 05
In 1938, the Appaloosa Horse Club was officially established in Moscow, Idaho, to preserve and register the breed after it had nearly become extinct.
- 04
Appaloosa horses can jump heights of 5 to 6 feet and were historically used by the Nez Perce for hunting, warfare, and long-distance travel across mountainous terrain.
- 03
Appaloosa horses typically display white sclera around their eyes and mottled pink-and-dark skin on their muzzles and genitals, distinctive features absent in most other horse breeds.
- 02
The Nez Perce tribe selectively bred Appaloosas for over 1,000 years in the Wallowa Valley of northeastern Oregon before the breed nearly disappeared following the 1877 war.
- 01
Spotted coat patterns in Appaloosas are controlled by the PATN1 gene, which researchers identified in 2007 through genetic mapping studies.