Guests of Arabian Nights often remark on how beautiful and talented the horses in our show are, so our featured breed this week is the Appaloosa.
The Appaloosa is a color breed which means it is identified by it’s unique coloring pattern instead of its body type. Their spotted coats have made them very popular horses, and it also makes them stand out in Arabian Nights. The Appaloosas featured in our show work as riding, driving and trick horses, and one even displays the discipline of reining.
Comanche shows off his spots in the VIP Parade of Breeds.
The exact origins of the Appaloosa are unknown, but historians associate them with the Nez Perce Indian tribe. The name “Appaloosa” comes from the Palouse River, which ran through Nez Perce land.
Following the 1877 Nez Perce War, the U.S. 7th Cavalry confiscated all of the tribe’s horses, sold what they could, and shot most of the rest. This led to the near extinction of the Appaloosa breed. However, the horses that were sold continued to breed.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, interest in the breed gradually began to grow as Appaloosas began appearing in Western roundups and rodeos. By 1937, Appaloosas caught the eye of the general public and in 1938 the Appaloosa Horse Club, based in Ontario, Idaho, was founded. Idaho adopted the Appaloosa as its official state horse in 1975.
Today, Appaloosas are known as a hardy and versatile breed. They are skilled in many disciplines such as working cattle, performing dressage, jumping, performing western pleasure, endurance riding, breaking records on the racetrack, and also serving as a reliable family horse. The Appaloosa breed is one of America’s most prized breeds and there are over one million horses registered.
There are five Appaloosa coat patterns:
Blanket – White over the hip that may extend from the tail to the base of the neck. The spots inside the blanket are the same color as the horse’s base coat.
Leopard – A horse whose Appaloosa white patterning is exhibited to an extreme with base colored spots of various sizes covering most of its body.
Few Spot Leopard – This horse’s base color is nearly obscured by its Appaloosa white patterning on up to 90% of its body. Horse may exhibit patches of color on the heads, knees, elbows and flanks. Some have as few as one or two spots.
Snowflake – A horse with white spots on a dark body. Typically the white spots increase in number and size as the horse ages.
Varnish Roan – Dark points (legs and head) and some spots or roaning over a light body. May occur in conjunction with another spotting style and change with age.
Frost – Similar to varnish, but the white hairs are limited to the back, loins and neck. May occur in conjunction with another spotting style and change with age.
Don't let the snow fool you, Brooks has plenty of his own spots!
Some other characteristics that identify Appaloosas include striped hooves and mottled skin around their eyes. Not all Appaloosas display characteristics typical of the breed, as solid-colored horses can also be registered as Appaloosas after blood testing.
There are many body types of Appaloosa horses and their build ranges from a short and stocky horse to a tall and lean horse resembling a Thoroughbred. This makes them ideal for a variety of disciplines and a great fit for the Arabian Nights show!
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Tags: appaloosa, arabian nights, Dinner attraction, dinner theater, florida, horse, kissimmee, nez perce, orlando
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