Appaloosa

[4leggedfurries]

I would like some thoughts/advice off you friendly lot this evening if you wouldnt mind!? I have seen a appaloosa yearling, who i think is stunning and i'm umming and ahhing as to whether i should give them a call, so what do i want from you?? A lot!! lol im in a predicatment that 1 i'm having issues with my current horse (posted previously) and 2 i'm 27 in less than 2 weeks and have set myself a challange of getting 'the horse' by the time i'm 30. I want to know all about appaloosa's, i've heard that they have a wonderful temprement and thats about it, so do they have a good temprement? How do they handle, what type of horse would they grow into. I'm looking for an all rounder that i can do a bit of everything on, sj, dr xc, hunting, hacking etc would it be suitable? What type of build are they, the current one is a tbx so not skinny but not well built, would it be slim or would i need to practice sitting on a barrel? Are they intelligent, so they learn quickly or will i be dealing with a dipstick? Also cost is another factor. I have some money saved not quite what he is for sale at but not much more that i would need to find. If i waited to find something that fitted the bill according to you lot i'd be looking realisticly at £5/£6k and i doubt very much given my current situation i could find that much. So do i take a chance on a youngster spend 2 years getting to know him whilst it gives me the chance to work some more on D, then have 2 horses ready to go..? Help please...

Seeing as its friday night alcholic beverage and take away of your choice for getting this far. Thankies

 

[dieseldog]

I know people say that an appaloosa is a breed not a colour but, there doesn't really seem to be a breed type yet.

You can have cobby ones, quarter horse type ones, TB ones - in fact any shape ones. We had a weird little freaky one. It totally depends on the horse. They do get terrible sunburn as their skin is pink so be prepared for that.

They can be quite strong willed/stubborn, but also really generous. It depends on the horse.

Would I buy a foal hoping it was going to be my dream horse - no, if you are going to wait 4 years before you can do anything with it you would have saved £6k by then very easily and you could buy a known quanity.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[emma69]

They really do vary, they can be sharp, they can be very naughty, if it is a TB x it could be pretty much anything!

 

[Chavhorse]

I have always owned TB's loved them got really angy with people saying dizzy silly crazy mine have all been fantastic but I have been converted!

Vardi is a Appaloosa Dutch Warmblood cross but the personality is 100% appy, he is cool calm and collected, learns really quickly and you only have to teach him once and he has it. Loves people, loves company is totally food driven he is a horse with his own personality into everything if you dont want it picked up an played with keep it out of his way.

He is only just four and my tainer uses him in Demonstrations as he is and i Quote "the coolest horse on the yard" she refuses to use him for spook training demos as "I need some drama for god's sake".

In training if you tell him to do something and you screw up by giving the wrong instruction when he has it right he gets a real egg on and we have a 2 minute display of cantering around with wonderful bucking before settling back to the job with a "now get it right you stupid bint" attitude.

I can't comment on the build as mine has the brick toilet build of the Warmblood But personality wise I can't recommend them enough mine has a huge ego I just sure he knows that my ego is bigger!

Unfortunately he got himself cast on Sunday and was down for we think 4 hours with his leg caught through the bars of the divider......he struggled for a bit but then gave up and waited to be rescued.....my trainer says that any other horse in the stable would have panicked and broken his leg.....he is one cool dude and goes up in estimation every day!

 

[kim1978]

hi i have on loan an blanket spot appaloosa mare she is 15.1 middle weight mare whom is 8yrs old and a complete fruit loop ! she is very sharp, stubbon,nervous ,naughty untrustworthy and the biggest scaredy cat going ! but this all adds to her uniqueness... she jumps like a stag is a fun energetic ride and absoloutley loves her cuddles and is fab with other horses She is a very loyal horse to and despite all her quirks which there are alot of them i wouldnt change her for the world ! her owner was scared of her and she was just sat in the field until i took her on... i just believe that the appaloosas need to be understood and if you can do that then youll have a fantastic horse... i spoke to the vet about her and she said at there clinic they were doing some research into appaloosas and she said that they can be just as i describe above and all have little quirks there arent many that havent ! i would say go for it at end of day you could buy a solid coloured youngster and it not be what you want.....

 

[gumpatrump]

I had an appaloosa on loan about 8 years ago and he was fab. He really looked after his rider and would do anything you asked of him. I learnt a lot from him and if they were all like him I would recommend them over and over again. I have a 2 year old blanket spot now and he is very intelligent and very inquisitive but the most stubborn horse I have ever met. Looking forward to having some great times with him tho hopefully. The only thing about having a youngster is you are taking a risk about what they will grow into and what they will be like but at the same time you can hopefully mould them into what you want them to be. Good luck with what you decide!

 

[rwhite]

I have a 7 year old appaloosa, only had her 6 months. She has a lovely nature, but very stubburn. We have some right battles when schooling, but she is a clever girlie and very inquisitive. good luck in what you decide to do.

 

[GTs]

For the most part they lack talent or aptitude to do much - they are incredibly frustrating to ride.

 

[Carow]

I've got an Appy x ID. He's a real sweetie to handle; very gentle, affectionate, loyal and very 'chatty' when I appear in the field or stable. We have a great bond.

I would say that they are very intelligent......mine has a better memory than I do. I would also agree with the above posters about their stubbornness which can be frustrating!

A former stablemate of my horse was a beautiful leopard spot Appy who was a good all rounder and a fun, forward going ride.

Best of luck with your decision.

 

[FMM]

work out the money you will spend lookjng after the youngster, how much to break him in etc, and then work out if it is really financially viable and perhaps you would be better waiting a year and getting something you know will be rideable and of the size that you want.

We had appaloosas for years - they were both successful showing, and both totally different in temperament. One was sharp and the other lazy - they are the same as all breeds - each one is different despite what the breed standard may say!

 

[SNORKEY]

Hi, my appaloosa is by Amazing Blue, he's well bred but a nutter!
He's crossed with an anglo arab so that may be why, he's 7 now and I brought him as a yearling, and he only has one spot and i brought him to show as a riding horse.
He has fab paces and is very friendly, but also very sharp and shy's as his own shaddow.
I wouldn't say go by this as to what an appaloosa is like, and if you want a very good opinion of one and to learn a bit more, call Joyce Nuttford who runs the appaloosa society, she owns my horses dad!
There are generaly known for being well tempered and calm, but id go by the actual horse and ask to see it being taken away from its friends and get a good feal for it.
Every horse is different as people are.

 

[hellybelly6]

I have known a few appys. One was very talented at show jumping and very obliging, a nice person.

One was stubborn, a nice temperment, but liked everything his way (like a lot of other horses I have known). All I needed to do was outsmart him and be sensitive.

Another 2 were also a very nice temperment, obliging and calm and liked to jump.

I like appys very much. My favourite markings being black blanket spot and black leopard spot.

 

[suzyseymour]

I have owned my appy for 20 years now. On the ground she is a total sweet heart to handle. You can do anything with her.

But ridden she is very sharp and same as the others have said very stubborn. You can't tell her what to do. Although she would spook, jog up the road, all the time she was always safe with her.

Bar the dressage, I have done everything you want to do with her.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We are on our 2nd Appy mare, (see YorksG's siggy), she is of a much finer build than the 1st. They have both been very loyal, affectionate, clever and stubborn with a well-developed sense of humour. The current one is very well mannered and will have a go at just about anything, although she is extremely forward-going and sharp.
The 1st one (who we kept for 25yrs) was bolshy, very self-opinionated and a pain in the neck! The only thing we ever managed to do successfully with her was hack out in company! However she DID look after her rider, in spite of many dramatic moves over differences of opinion, neither of us ever even came close to falling off her and at 15.3hh she was fantastic for adult beginners to 'have a go' on.
She is the only horse in over 40 years of riding that has ever walked off with me, we used to say she prided herself on never losing a rider but we often wished we could get off.
If you watch any classes at the big Appaloosa shows you will see some fantastic movement and paces and some HUGE egos.
Because they are often bred for colour above everything else, you really need to look into the breeding of any youngstock you are considering buying very carefully, to find out exactly what you are getting.

 

[Toast]

HOW did i miss this post?! haha!
I have an appy yearling, Haverlands Raphael. The one in my sig.
Hes full of attitude and presence, a real character. He can be stubborn but i often find this is just baby behaviour and he'll test the boundaries but all i have to do is give him a little reminder whos boss and he'll play the saint again for five minutes. I cant wait til hes older, i plan to do a bit of everything with him. Hes an absolute pleasure to own and i wouldnt sell him for love nor money. I say go for it

x