Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) UK LtdHistory of the Appaloosa Breed
The Appaloosa has a bold and colourful ancestry, which can be traced back to earliest recorded time. Spotted horses were depicted in cave paintings of prehistoric man, and many colourfully marked Appaloosa horses appear in art throughout the centuries, but it is in the American 'melting pot' that the spotted horse established itself as a true bred. The Nez Perce Indians of the Northwest deserve much of the credit for the Appaloosa horses we have today. They were the only Native Americans to selectively breed their horses, and used only the best animals to build their herds. The favoured areas were the fertile sheltered valleys of the Clearwater, Snake and Palouse river, which gave birth to the name Appaloosa. The good year-round keep provided by the habitat encouraged size and growth and contributed to the development of the breed.
Quickly they established a superior breed by gelding all but the most prized stallions. The Appaloosa's characteristics went beyond their multi-coloured coat patterns, as the Nez Perce bred only the strongest, fastest and most sure-footed stock. During the Nez Perce War in 1877, Chief Joseph and his tribe eluded the US Cavalry for months during their historic flight to Canada, when they covered over 1,300 miles of treacherous terrain. They were finally beaten by the cruel snow and freezing conditions, having mistakenly halted just 30 miles short of the Canadian border and safety. The US army confiscated their lands and horses, the Nez Perce were placed on a reservation comprised of barren land, and their beautiful horses were almost driven to extinction.
Such was the fear felt by the US Government, they prohibited the Nez Perce tribe from owning Appaloosa horses. This law was not repealed until 1991, when the tribe were allowed once more to own and breed Appaloosas. On the Lapwai reservation in Idaho today, the tribe now has a small herd of Appaloosa horses at long last!
The Appaloosa horse would have been lost forever, but for the foresight of Claude Thompson, of Oregon, who started the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) in 1938 with only a handful of stock. Now with over 600,000 registered horses, the Appaloosa is flourishing and registrations exceed 10,000 each year in the USA.
Today, the same characteristics of hardiness and tractability of temperament make our breed more highly sought-after than ever before, with a fast expanding market throughout Europe. Highly adaptable, the Appaloosa excels not only in western riding, but also in many equestrian disciplines from long distance riding to show jumping, dressage, horse-trials, racing, polo and carriage driving. The ApHC registered horse will put his heart and soul into the task at hand and is truly the HORSE FOR ALL REASONS.