Intro

The AraAppaloosa is represented by the AraAppaloosa & Foundation Breeder’s International and they consider the horses they breed to be the original appaloosa horse.

Origins

Spotted horses are one of the oldest identifiable distinct breeds and had influence in the foundation of the Arabian breed. Middle Eastern and Egyptian art from centuries past reflect spotted animals. The registry for AraAppaloosa in the United States is rather new one and their goal is to combine the finest elements of each breed, the good-nature and strength of the appaloosa and the refinement and grace of the Arabian.

History

The AAFBI was established in an effort to protect the original or "foundation" Appaloosa, and promotes the incorporation of Arabian bloodlines into "foundation-bred" Appaloosa Breeding programs, preserving what they consider to be the original type of Appaloosa horse. According to AAFBI, the AraAppaloosa of today is considered a re-establishment or preservation of the best examples of the Appaloosa breed originally developed by the Nez Perce people of the American Pacific Northwest in the 18th and 19th centuries. The AAFBI believes that the backgrounds of leopard-spotted horses and the Arabian breed have much in common, with prototypes of each dating to antiquity. AAFBI notes that certain "oriental"-type horses were often particolored, as shown in Ancient Near East and Ancient Egyptian art. The association also promotes the standards set by one of the founders of the Appaloosa Horse Club, Claude Thompson, who, beginning in the 1930s, used Arabian blood in his Appaloosa breeding program and believed that Arabian blood was a crucial part of the Appaloosa genome.

Characteristics

The AraAppaloosa exhibits the "leopard" or "Lp" gene and thus must have one of the color patterns found on the Appaloosa. They average between 14 and 15 hands high. They are to have the general conformation of the Arabian, including a refined head, high-carried tail and overall elegance. Like both the Arabian and the Appaloosa, they are to possess have considerable endurance, sure-footedness, and intelligence. Overall, an AraAppaloosa will be of a more refined build than the more common type of Appaloosa, those with a high percentage of American Quarter Horse breeding, more commonly seen in the modern show ring.

Traditional Colors

All appaloosa Leopard complex patterns