What is an appaloosa horse?

an appaloosa horse is a horse bred from saddle horses. They have a characteristic spotted rear. They have very poor night vision.

They became a separate breed in the 1800's and are decedents of the original horses that came from the Spaniards when they came to America.


As stated above an Appaloosa horse is a distinctive breed that was developed by Toulouse American Indians from horses left by Spaniards. The breed is characterized by unusual spotted coloring that can be categorized in several ways. The main two coloring categories are the blanket Appaloosa that usually has a dark coloring over its body with a white rump and dark spots. The second main category is the leopard Appaloosa that is usually a while horse covered all over with dark spots.

They are favorite horses with recreational riders, because they normally have good temperaments with a willingness to learn. Some of them do develop eye problems that can usually be managed to keep it from interfering with whatever they do for their riders. There are several Appaloosa organizations in the U.S. and a registry.