Breeds of Horses - The Appaloosa

About the Appaloosa - Identifying the Appaloosa
From the 1998 Cal-Western Appaloosa Directory

    The Appaloosa has a bold
and colorful heritage,
originating some 20,000
years ago. His appearance
and unique qualities
earned him special
recognition in the
drawings of cave
dwellers, and worship in ancient Asia and made him a prized mount of Spanish explorers, Indians and western settlers. Today, the Appaloosa's color, versatility, willing temperament and athletic ability make him a popular choice for a number of activities.

    Although Appaloosas are most commonly recognized by their colorful coat patterns, they also have other distinctive characteristics. The four identifiable characteristics are: coat pattern, mottled skin, white sclera and striped hooves. In order to receive regular registration, a horse must have a recognizable coat pattern or mottled skin and one other characteristic. Horses which receive regular registration are issued numbers (no letters precede the number). Those not displaying a coat pattern or mottled skin and one other characteristic will be classified as non-characteristic (N/C) and their registration numbers are preceded by the letter "N". Horses which complete the Certified Pedigree Option (CPO) program are issued numbers preceded by the letters "CN".

Coat Patterns
There are 7 common terms for the basic coat patterns the Appaloosa can exhibit:

* Blanket
* Spots - dark body with white spots or snowflake pattern; white body with dark spots or leopard pattern; white body with few dark spots which may not be noticeable when the horse has its winter hair or few spot leopard. Hearty is a leopard.
* Blanket with spots
* Roan
* Roan blanket
* Roan blanket with spots
* Solid
* Also - varnish marks - darker areas or hair usually on the legs, face,
hips.

    Appaloosa patterns are highly variable and there are many which
may not fit into specific categories easily. (The picture below is our
former P.O.A. Double Impact.)

Although he is not an Appaloosa, P.O.A.s demonstrate all of the
characteristics of the Appaloosa but are smaller and bred for
children. You can see the loud color pattern of the Leopard on
this example.

   Mottled or Parti-colored Skin

    This characteristic is unique to the Appaloosa horse, and those with Appaloosa heritage, like the Pony of the Americas (POA). Mottled skin is a basic and decisive indicator of an Appaloosa. Mottled skin is different than pink or flesh colored skin because it normally contains areas of dark pigmented skin within its area. The result is a speckled or blotchy pattern of pigmented and non-pigmented skin.

    White Sclera

    The sclera is the area of the eye that encircles the cornea - the colored or pigmented part. 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 horse can show white around the eye if it is rolled back, up or down, or if the eyelid id lifted. Readily visible white sclera is a distinctive Appaloosa characteristic provided it si 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. Verticle stripes may result from an 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.