Volume 20 | Issue 3 Article 3

1958 Return of the Appaloosa Hillman Nelson Iowa State College

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Recommended Citation Nelson, Hillman (1958) "Return of the Appaloosa," Iowa State University Veterinarian: Vol. 20 : Iss. 3 , Article 3. Available at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastate_veterinarian/vol20/iss3/3

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APPALOOSA

Hillman Nelson

THE ~PPALOOSA is one of the fast growmg breeds of horses in America today. Not many years ago a large ma­ jority of the people in this country had never seen or heard of the Appaloosa. N ow the breed is becoming popular all Two-year-old Appaloosa stallion. (Owned by over the country. It has been rapidly Ko'Ck and Berhow of Ames, Iowa). spreading east the past few years. Stock­ white flecks throughout. The remammg men and pleasure riders alike have dis­ distinct color pattern is the "leopard". covered that this even dispositioned, This consists of a white background with hardy horse is well suited for their needs small colored spots over the entire body. and is a willing worker. Television, These spots are most often black or sor­ movies, rodeo and horse shows have all rel, or a variation between these. Of aided in promoting this breed. course there is a great variation in each Perhaps the outstanding feature of the color pattern as to size of the blanket Appaloosa horse is the distinctive and number of spots and location. No tw~ striking color. There are several color Appaloosas are marked exactly alike. patte~ns , b,:t the one which most people Along with the color patterns, all Ap­ assocIate WIth the breed is the horse with paloosas show other characteristics which a large white "blanket" over the hips and are common to the breed regardless of loin with small, dark spots in this area to color markings. These consist of a mot­ match the color of the front quarters. tled skin on the muzzle and often over the There are other color patterns which are entire body. The eye is ringed with white just as characteristic of the breed but and the hooves are vertically striped with not quite as striking. One of these is the light and dark. Quite often they will also, white horse with a few black or brown show a sparse mane and tail. spots over the hips and possibly extend­ As well as these outwardly visibIe ing up over the loins. Another pattern is characteristics, there are many others the type which can be described as mot­ which one can observe only by working tled. This is a solid background with with the Appaloosa. They have a very good disposition, are easy to break and Mr. Nelson is a senior in Veterinary Medicine at low:? State College. are easy to handle in all situations. They

Issue 3, 1958 163 are sure footed and have a lot of stamina. extinction when the Appaloosa Horse They are noted for their speed. Many of Club was formed in 1938. This club was the ranchers in rough mountain country organized for the purpose of reviving the use Appaloosas because of their sure breed, to collect breeding records and footedness and stamina which allows trace the ancestry of the remaining Ap­ them to cover a lot of rough country in paloosas. Since the formation of the Ap­ a day and still not tire. paloosa Horse Club much has been done The background of the Appaloosa is to improve the quality of the breed and quite interesting as much as it is known. to set up a desirable type for the breed. Previous to their 'appearance in North Through an annual national show, breed­ America, very little is definitely known. ers over the country have been able to It appears that these horses were present compare horses and ideas which help in quite early history, because horses them to decide which horses to save for with the color markings peculiar to the breeding stock. If the breeders keep rigid Appaloosa have been found on early standards for their horses, the Appaloosa Chinese and other far eastern art. Some should remain a horse which is highly of this art dates back as far as 500 B.C. prized by its owner, even as it was by the How the Appaloosa came to this coun­ Nez Perce Indians. try is also somewhat of a question. It is No story of the Appaloosa would be believed that they were shipped to Mexi­ complete without giving the origin of its co from Europe or the Near East about name. The area in the west where the 1600. From here they gradually spread Nez Perce ranged was known as "Palouse northward until they came into the hands Country". The horses raised by them of the Nez Perce Indians in the early were first known as "Palouse horses". 1700's. This later became "Apalouse", then "Ap­ The history of the Appaloosa in this palousie" and finally, Appaloosa. country seems to revolve mainly around the Nez Perce Indians of northwestern United States. This is the only tribe of T HE EFFECTS OF PREPARTUM Indians that had any number of these ADMINISTRATION OF PROGES­ horses. In a period of about one hundred TERONE. TO THE COW. An experiment years they developed a very distinctive involving 186 dairy cows was performed type of horse. Through a very selective to determine if progesterone administra­ breeding program they retained only the tion for approximately one month prior superior animals for foundation stock. to parturition would affect the expulsion Stamina, soundness, disposition, and of the fetal membranes, the length of speed were just a few of the characteris­ gestation, the subsequent lactation, the tics which were looked for in the breed­ body temperature, and other physiologi­ ing animals. Through this sound breeding cal mechanisms of the cows. There were program they were able to produce a no significant differences between the superior breed of horse. The area of the treated and control groups, as measured Palouse River Valley is very fertile land. by these criteria. The progesterone ap­ It is located in western Idaho, the north­ parently produced no untoward effects east corner of Oregon and the southeast in these animals. corner of Washington. It was soon recog­ nized by the white man that this would McDonald, L. E., and Hays, R. L. The effects be good land for farming. This started the of prepartum administration of progesterone to Indians farming and their saddle type the cow. Am. Jour. of Vet. Res. 19:97-98. Janu­ ary, 1958. horses were soon traded for draft animals. The change to farming began a period of decline in the Appaloosa. They became Teaching a dog to be quiet and con­ widely and thinly scattered over the west tented when he is left alone is fundamen­ and the breed was almost to the point of tal in the training of dogs.

164 Iowa State College Veterinarian