For the most part, horse breeds share common coat colors, like chestnut, bay, gray, and black. Likewise, most horses share the same type of white markings, such as star, blaze, socks and stockings. But one group of coat patterns—splashy spots, varnish roan, snowflakes and more—are made famous by the beautiful and instantly recognizable Appaloosa horse. Let’s take a closer look at this popular breed.

The Appaloosa Horse: An American Original

Spanish explorers and colonists brought horses to North America on ships about 500 years ago. Within a century or two, the descendants of those horses were widespread across the continent. It didn’t take long for innovative Native American tribes, including the Nez Perce, to put horses to good use.

The name “Appaloosa” is a fun example of the way words and language change over time. Originally, Appaloosas were known as “Palouse horses,” named after the Palouse River in the northwestern U.S. where the Nez Perce developed the breed in the 1700s. Eventually, Palouse horse became “a Palouse horse,” and then “Appaloosa.”

American explorer Meriwether Lewis (of the Lewis and Clark expedition) noted the spotted coat patterns of these horses when he visited the Northwest basin region of Washington as early as 1806:

“Some of these horses are pided with large spots of white irregularly scattered and intermixed with black, brown, bey [sic] or some other dark color.”

He also described the horses as “active,” “durable, “elegant,” and “excellent.” Sounds a lot like the Appaloosa today!

A Western Horse

Other horse breeds have influenced the Appaloosa, including American Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds and Arabians. In fact, the American Quarter Horse influence in the Appaloosa helps give some of the horses a decidedly “stock horse” appearance, and it is popular among western riders.

Appaloosas excel in western pleasure classes as well as other events like reining, cutting, roping and barrel racing. They’re also fine ranch horses. And of course, the Appaloosa wouldn’t be a true western breed unless it made a great trail horse—which it does! In fact, the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) even offers sanctioned trail rides.

Thanks to their natural athleticism and talent, Appaloosas can also shine in English disciplines, including hunter/jumpers, dressage and eventing. And you’ll even find some Appaloosas at work as driving horses, pulling carts for show or pleasure.

One Colorful Breed

The first pattern that might come to mind when thinking about Appaloosa horse colors is the spotted blanket, but there are other coat patterns, too. In fact, the ApHC recognizes several different coat patterns, along with 13 base coat colors. But some horses seem to defy the boundaries and display multiple patterns, which adds to the fun!

Some of the Appaloosa coat patterns you might find include:

◆ Blanket: This popular pattern involves a solid coat with a spotted blanket of white on the hindquarters.

◆ Snowcap: This pattern is much like the spotted blanket, but without the spots. It looks like the horse received a dab of frosting on his back!

◆ Frost/Varnish: These are two separate patterns that look similar; they feature white hairs scattered throughout the horse’s coat, presenting an appearance similar to roan.

◆ Marble: Imagine a spotted blanket that kept going and covered the horse’s whole body, along with a dash of roan, and you’ll have the marble pattern.

◆ Leopard: A striking color pattern that features a white base coat covered in dark spots—think the horsey version of a Dalmatian.

◆ Snowflake: This is basically the reverse version of a leopard pattern. This time it’s the base color that is dark and the spots that are light. There also may be fewer spots.

◆ Solid: It’s also possible for an Appy to simply be a solid color without spots. But many of these horses retain the Appaloosa characteristics of striped hooves, mottled skin around the face, or white sclera around the eye—all of which go along with the breed’s unique coat patterns.

Spotted and Smaller

Do you love the Appaloosa’s eye-catching coat patterns but want something a little smaller? You’re in luck, because the Pony of the Americas (POA) brings the flashy Appaloosa coloring in a smaller package. POAs were developed through a combination of Appaloosa, Shetland Pony, Welsh Pony, Arabian and other breeds.

Purebred Registry for the Appaloosa Horse

Because the ApHC allows outcrosses to Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and Arabians for registration, the International Colored Appaloosa Association (ICAA) was formed to preserve the breed and its heritage, to promote these versatile and athletic horses throughout the world, and to develop the purebred Appaloosa.

Using the accepted method of breeding strictly registered Appaloosa to registered Appaloosa with no outcrossing for eight generations, the ICAA’s goal is to one day achieve purebred Appaloosa horses.

Did You Know? ◆ The Appaloosa is the official State Horse of Idaho. ◆ Appaloosas generally stand 14 to 16 hands high. ◆ The Appaloosa Horse Club was established in 1938, and over 700,000 Appaloosas have been registered. ◆ John Wayne rode an Appaloosa named Zip Cochise in the 1966 film El Dorado.

This article about the Appaloosa horse appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The Appaloosa Horse Breed appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Many people have this romanticized image of the Romani people, in large part because of Hollywood, which has portrayed them in films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and From Russia With Love. In reality, the Romani are an ethnic group that has traveled the world for generations, migrating through the Middle East and Northern Africa, eventually ending up in Western Europe. While some of their migration was by choice, much of it was forced as they were pushed out of one country after another over the centuries.

The culture of the Romani people is rich with music, food and art, and has been handed down through the generations. An important part of that culture was, and still is, the horse. While the Romani no longer need horses to help them travel from one place to another, their horses are still treasured as a link to the past.

Late in the last century, Americans discovered something the Romani people of Great Britain had been quietly keeping to themselves: the Gypsy Vanner. By carefully breeding Shires, Friesians and Clydesdales to the native Dale Pony, they had created a beautiful, compact draft horse to pull their vardos—brightly painted and intricately carved traditional Romani wagons.

Vanners in America

The Gypsy Vanner was first brought to the U.S. in 1996. People fell in love with its heavy bone and broad body, all in a compact package. Though originally bred to pull wagons, the Gypsy proved to be a great riding horse, versatile in many disciplines.

Much of the Gypsy Vanner’s appeal lies in its striking appearance. The breed’s long, flowing mane, thick tail and heavy leg feathering are unmistakable, especially when combined with the Vanner’s small body. Although many Vanners come with pinto markings—often black and white tobiano—every horse color and pattern is seen in the breed.

The Gypsy Vanner—also known as the Gypsy Horse and Gypsy Cob—once numbered only a few individuals in the U.S. Today, the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society alone counts 8,500 registered Gypsy Vanners. The group also has registered horses in 17 other countries.

Since the Gypsy Vanner arrived on American shores, the breed has proven to be successful in dressage, competitive driving, jumping, ranch work and on the trail. They also compete in Gypsy Vanner breed shows in a variety of classes, including western pleasure, English, hunter hack, halter and ranch riding.

Dressage is becoming particularly popular for Gypsy Vanner riders, and the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) recognizes the breed in its All-Breed Awards program, which is designed to recognize the accomplishments of specific breeds in dressage. In 2017, a Gypsy Vanner stallion named Starfire’s The Five Card Stud was named USDF All-Breeds Reserve Champion, beating warmbloods in the dressage arena.

This year, the Gypsy Vanner is celebrating 25 years since the breed arrived in America. To commemorate, the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society is holding its 25th Anniversary Gala in November 2021. Because the organization was established in Ocala, Fla., when the first Vanners arrived in North America, Ocala was chosen as the location for the event.

A stunning breed with an exotic history, the Gypsy Vanner is an eye-catching horse whose popularity is growing in leaps and bounds. Although somewhat rare compared to breeds that have been in the U.S. for many decades, the Gypsy Vanner is becoming so well known, it’s hard to find a horse lover who hasn’t seen or heard of it.

This article about the Gypsy Vanner appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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During Medieval times, a horse’s main job was to carry men into battle during wartime and to pull carriages during times of peace. If you had good horses, you had everything you needed, during both war and peace.

In the mid-1500s, Austrian Archduke Charles II, ruler of Inner Austria, sought to create a special breed of horse. He imported Andalusian horses, Berbers and Barbs from Spain and crossed them with a now-extinct breed called the Karst, a rugged, high-stepping, light gray horse native to Austria. Charles’ brother, Maximilian II, the Holy Roman Emperor, also founded a stud at Kladrub in Austria (which is now part of the Czech Republic) with the same goal, and used Spanish breeds crossed with local horses. The elegant and powerful horses that resulted—eventually called Lipizzans—became heavy carriage horses at the Kladruby stud, and riding and light carriage horses at the Lipizza Stud of the Hapsburg monarchy.

The brothers exchanged breeding stock at times, crossing the lines to create aristocratic animals that were more than just war and work horses; they were partners in what had become the highly revered art of classical riding, which combined maneuvers used in battle with exercises that emphasized the horse’s athletic ability and obedience to the rider.

Charles and Maximilian were members of the Hapsburg family, rulers of the most influential monarchy in European history. Connoisseurs of fine horses, the brothers created the Lipizzan breed for their own use. In response to the growing admiration for classical riding during the Renaissance among the aristocracy, the Hapsburg family established the Spanish Riding School in Vienna to teach horses and riders these fine skills. Over the next two centuries, more Spanish and Arabian blood was infused into the breed to help strengthen the Lipizzan’s foundation breeding.

Six of the stallions used during the 18th and 19th century established the family lines still seen in the Lipizzan today. These stallions—Conversano, Favory, Maestoso, Neopolitano, Pluto and Siglavy—all came from lines that originated outside of Austria. To this day, Lipizzans are marked with an ancestral brand representing their family line.

Modern Breed

Many people think of Lipizzans as an exotic horse of the past, famous for its performances at the Spanish Riding School. The truth is that purebred Lipizzans are alive and well in today’s horse world, with more than 900 registered in the United States. These horses are competing in a variety of sports. In Eastern Europe, they are considered the premier driving horse.

It’s rare to see a Lipizzan in the U.S. because their numbers are small, so to help raise awareness of the breed, the United States Lipizzan Foundation (USLF) is working hard by using a comprehensive social media and advertising campaign meant to get the word out. The organization hopes to show that these horses, while they have a rich and fascinating history, have a place in modern competition.

“We feel these horses have a lot of abilities beyond the noncompetitive classical dressage you see in the Spanish Riding School,” says Sam Martinson, vice president of the USLF. “They have always been very successful in dressage competition. Many amateurs are now looking for an athletic horse of smaller stature who can compete at the top levels of the sport, which Lipizzans can do because the collection is so easy for them.”

She notes in 2020 alone, U.S. Lipizzan riders were at the top of their sports in dressage, driving, working equitation, mounted archery and western dressage.

“This is really something if you consider our population numbers and how few horses we have competing,” says Martinson.

Don’t be surprised if you see a Lipizzan the next time you attend a local dressage, driving or working equitation event.

“In recent years, there’s been a great deal of interest in both breeding these horses and buyers looking to purchase them for sport,” says Martinson. “We are excited to see people recognize the incredible athletic ability, temperament and trainability of a breed that has 500 years of careful breeding behind it.”

This article about the Lipizzan horses appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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A Bright Future for the American Saddlebred

The American Saddlebred was the first American breed of horse to be formally established with an official registry, with the founding of the National Saddle-Horse Breeders’ Association—now the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA)—in 1891. These early American horses were bred for both beauty and utility, qualities that remain in the breed today.

Saddlebred owners have long been taking their horses outside of the confines of the breed-specific shows to compete in everything from combined driving and endurance riding to eventing and dressage. The western pleasure and hunter pleasure divisions have become so popular that they are now a fixture at most Saddlebred shows, including the World’s Championship Horse Show held annually at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Ky. 

For 2021, the breed is preparing to add another new discipline to its official rule book: the ranch horse division. If approved by the United States Equestrian Federation, the ranch horse division for Saddlebreds will include ranch riding, ranch trail, ranch rail pleasure, and ranchmanship classes. 

American Saddlebreds Go West

Janet Thompson is an American Saddlebred owner and enthusiast in Missouri. She was introduced to Saddlebreds at a young age and started out riding saddle seat, but she soon branched out into other disciplines. She found that her Saddlebreds were able to do it all.

“One of the Saddlebreds that I showed eventually became my eventer, but first he was my working western horse,” says Thompson. “The place where I boarded him had cattle, and every summer they ran about 200 steers. Part of my board was to check fences and check the cattle, so he had to be able to ground tie, and I had to be able to rope off of him.”

Thompson is a member of the American Saddlebred Versatility Association, also known as VERSA, a charter club that promotes Saddlebreds in sport and working disciplines. VERSA has been instrumental in making the ranch horse division a reality.

“One of our board members, Carol Jones, has had a lot of success with Saddlebreds in the working western division,” says Thompson. “She raised the notion that VERSA might want to get the ranch division started for Saddlebreds, and that really fit a lot of what we were interested in. A lot of owners or potential owners and riders want to get back to a lower-key, lower-cost discipline. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a saddle that drips with silver or show clothes that are sparkly. You can just concentrate on what you can create with your horse.”

The ranch horse division includes rail classes, patterns, and trail obstacles. These classes show off some of the characteristics that let American Saddlebreds get western. And that’s exactly what enthusiasts like Thompson love about their horses.

“Right now I’m showing my horse The Kansas City Chief,” she says. “His barn name is King. He really enjoys this division; the trail stuff is kind of his forte. To me, he looks like the division. He’s really pretty and flashy, but he’s a bigger, stouter, old-fashioned kind of Saddlebred, and I think he looks the part.”

While the division was not yet official for the 2020 show season, a few Saddlebred-oriented shows offered ranch classes, and debuted at the Un-Fair Horse Show in Iowa, named in honor of the many state fair cancellations in 2020. Thompson says the response was overwhelmingly positive from participants and spectators alike.

“Sure, it was a competition, but I’ve never seen so many smiles on people’s faces as when they competed in these classes,” says Thompson. “Everybody was happy! At both shows we had an amazing audience. Everyone came over and watched because it was so different.”

The Everything Horse

Ginny Norton got hooked on Saddlebreds from a young age. Like Thompson, she found that whatever equestrian sport she wanted to pursue, the American Saddlebred—her favorite breed—was up to the task. She’s competed in saddle seat, hunters, and western pleasure in the past, and now does working western with her Saddlebred mare, Walterway’s Latest News, known as Kenzie. 

“Kenzie is my heart horse for sure,” says Norton. “In the working western, we have a trail course and a rail portion, so you have to be good on the trail and a pretty mover on the rail. She is probably the coolest horse I’ve ever ridden through a trail course. She makes me look good. If you point her at an obstacle, she’ll get you over it and not touch it. She’s really light and elegant on her feet.”

Norton and Kenzie compete on their local open circuit against all breeds in the ranch horse division, and while Kenzie is often the only Saddlebred in the class, she is always up to the task.

“She does all the maneuvers,” says Norton. “She’ll stand and move off my leg. She’ll go through gates and come back really nicely. She’s reliable when it comes to a pattern.”

Forming a true partnership between horse and rider is one of the joys of the working western and ranch horse classes, and that’s something that both Saddlebreds and their owners enjoy.

“Saddlebreds’ willing attitude and athleticism are the keys that make them really neat working western horses,” says Norton. “I’ve found that they’re really willing to please. They’re just waiting for me to say, ‘this is the path.’ You can almost feel them being proud of themselves and really enjoying that pat on the neck when you say, ‘Yes, that is exactly what I wanted!’”

Norton adds that a horse that shows in the trail course has to be athletic and talented with their feet to complete the course. 

“Saddlebreds fit the bill for that,” she says. “Our Saddlebreds generally have a little more animation in their trot, and that’s one of my favorite things. When Kenzie is trotting over an obstacle or even loping, she has a little more knee action, and to me it looks really elegant and pretty as she picks her way through a trail course.”

Norton calls Kenzie her “everything horse.” 

“I’ve shown her in just about every discipline and she’s done it all willingly and very successfully,” she continues. “I think that whatever you find for your Saddlebred to do that’s fun for you, they’re a willing partner, and that’s pretty cool to me.”

This article about western American Saddlebreds appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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