Appaloosas-good or bad?? HELP!!

[marmalade76]

a horses temprement is all how you treat them i have found horses tht arnt messed with until 2-3 year olds are the best to deal with all round. all my youngstock are turned away in a 50 acre field with rugs on weather accordingly checked frequently until the age of 3 when they are ready for breaking. i kno 2 people who breed appaloosas 1 of the breeders do the same as i do and hers have excellent stable manners etc and the other breeder messes with them from day 1 and all her foals are rude, nasty etc because she has imprinted on them from day 1, horses are domeniering animals hope this helps

I have been on two yards where stallions were kept (inclucing the famous spotty, klaus) and foals bred, these yards were run by well respected horsepeople who competed at high levels in several different disciplines. All foals on both yards were handled regularly, which included being brought in every night through the winter to get them used to being caught, led and stabled. I don't know of anyone who rugs their foals and youngsters, no horse needs rugging unless it's clipped, aged or ill.

 

[vineyridge]

There are appaloosas and there are appaloosas. The foundation bred ones who don't have much quarter horse are phenologically closer to their Spanish Barb ancestors (that's where most western Indian horses came from) than the ones who are admixed with the Quarter Horse. (I happen to have a QH x App mare). The Apps are famous for being the Nez Perce horses who made the trek to Canada with Chief Joseph.

My mare is 28 years old, pony sized, varnish roan, and blind from recurrent uvetis which was never treated by previous owners when she was younger. I got her when she was about 22 and she was blind then. She's also deaf. She's an incredibly easy keeper, and was used as a gun hunting horse in her younger days. Riders could shoot off her, take her every where, use her to haul dead deer back to camp, etc. But she was also prone to bolting very occasionally, which her previous riders actually seemed to appreciate, or so they tell me. Moonblindness IS common in Apps--the evidence is overwhelming--but it is often caused by leptospirosis and that form can be cured. The other kinds must be controlled.

She has the odd mane and tail that is genetically part of some Apps. I've read that the gene that causes the coloring also weakens the hair shaft so it is more prone to breakage.

The other App trait that seems to be common is the mixture of intelligence and stubbornness. In fact, here in the US, they are far more infamous for stubborn than aggressive.

If you're looking for a sport horse Appaloosa, you be wise to get one that is mostly foundation bred with as little QH as possible. Those guys are often quite wonderful, and can do dressage. If you are planning on doing reining, you'd obviously want one with QH.

 

[mr fields]

Well I think you are nothing more then a troll as your posts are utter rubbish. If a horse is that dangerous a vet cant get near it to sedate & cut it then shoot the bugger.

"the risk with putting orphans with other horses to teach them manners etc is abit risky as they dont get the antibodies from the mares milk they are vunerable to ilness etc but if i ever breed another orphan i will definatly have to take the risk." - I dont think anyone suggested you just shove an orphan in with a load of other horses. Anitibodies are taken when they are first born & I am not aware that anyone would be stupid enough to stick a new born out in a herd of horses!! If this colt exists & is as dangerous as you say, well it is down to the way you handled it & nothing more. You obviously never set any guide lines, never instilled in it that it was a horse NOT a human. Also if you are a breeder "when u have bred as many foals as i have then come and tell him im wrong" I would have no faith in you as after breeding so many foals you seem to have failed to grasped the basic concept of horse behaviour. Therefore you have no basis for your comment "i have found horses tht arnt messed with until 2-3 year olds are the best to deal with all round". That comment is twaddle, nothing more, nothing less. It is based on your failure as a handler.

my stud runs very well thank you. a human cannot teach an orphan foal to be a horse you havnt got a clue what so ever about imprinting OBVIOUSLY. antibodies come from the mare and their environment, without a mare the foal isnt gettin the real nutriants it needs it is gettin articicial ones from foal creet milk. ALOT of people havnt got a clue about breeding and imprinting and you are OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all my stallions, mares, geldings and youngstock are very well behaved. and il think you will find my way of handling and teaching people proper handling has worked successfully with my employees and people who come for lessons."If a horse is that dangerous a vet cant get near it to sedate & cut it then shoot the bugger" this horse has never done anything wrong it is just bein the way he is and he knows no different because he never had the horsey life as a foal.

 

[Dexter]

the stallion CAN NOT be gelded as if some1 goes into the field with him he will herass u like he would a mare, the vet wouldnt be able to carry any sort of operation on him as i found out when he had his injections, it is to dangerous to put my self or any1 else in that position. when you have some understanding of imprinted horses on humans then tell me how to run my stud. i have stallions on my yard which i handle everyday successfully!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there is so much u need to learn be4 u tell me how to handle my horses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What utter crap! If hes that 'dangerous' even more reason to geld him. You are aware that they sedate horses before gelding them arent you? If he truly is that lethal you dont even need to be in the field to sedate him. I suggest you get a vet out and explore the options. If you cant handle him at all he cant be getting his feet done and that unfortunately is a welfare issue, never mind everything else

 

[mr fields]

What utter crap! If hes that 'dangerous' even more reason to geld him. You are aware that they sedate horses before gelding them arent you? If he truly is that lethal you dont even need to be in the field to sedate him. I suggest you get a vet out and explore the options. If you cant handle him at all he cant be getting his feet done and that unfortunately is a welfare issue, never mind everything else

tell you what then you come and pick him up for free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if u can go and catch him without gettin hurt then you come and pick him and he can be yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FREE but i garentee that without proper handling he will end up seriously hurting you or killing you. yes i am very aware that horses are sedated before gelding i have had enough horses gelded to realise that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i never started this post for an argument with petty people that havnt got a clue about imprinting i was just sharing my experiences. no to get his feet done we have to rub a track from the field gate to a stable then open the field gate nd get out of the way, he has a little stable wit bars so we can get hold of him through the bars and twitch him. the horse doesnt need to be gelded as he will still be the same gelded as entire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ester]

my eyes hurt from all the !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EAST KENT]

Do some of you wonder,like me, where Mr.Fields paragon of virtue resides? I would either:shoot it or: dart it and geld it. On the second one I would then perhaps offer it as a stooge for a horse whisperer show,that would bring in the punters!
Maybe this horse is misguided /a *******..but at least 50% of his attitude is due to testosterone..so let`s remove that factor first.
Actually ,I don`t believe the paragon even exists ,and the poster lives under some bridge.

 

[Polotash]

I don't think "Mr Fields" even has horses from all the cr@p he's coming out with.

Ditto, if the horse has to be herded and twitched it should be given to someone who can work with it, or shot. Perhaps if he had been handled from day 1 like proper horse people do he wouldn't be like this now...

 

[magic104]

my stud runs very well thank you. a human cannot teach an orphan foal to be a horse you havnt got a clue what so ever about imprinting OBVIOUSLY. antibodies come from the mare and their environment, without a mare the foal isnt gettin the real nutriants it needs it is gettin articicial ones from foal creet milk. ALOT of people havnt got a clue about breeding and imprinting and you are OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all my stallions, mares, geldings and youngstock are very well behaved. and il think you will find my way of handling and teaching people proper handling has worked successfully with my employees and people who come for lessons."If a horse is that dangerous a vet cant get near it to sedate & cut it then shoot the bugger" this horse has never done anything wrong it is just bein the way he is and he knows no different because he never had the horsey life as a foal.

Is that right, well that would explaine why I cant get anywhere near mine, why they dont come to call, why the wont stand for either the vet or the farrier. OMG there are 100's of hand reared foals & only a tiny percentage end up unmanagable. And it is only the way they were handled. I am not a 12yr old, who is taken in by this rubbish. If any of this is true, you are responsible for the situation & what a bloody disgrace it is. Unless this foal did not drop, do NOT tell me that it could not of been cut at 6mths. This started because you attacked peope who mess with their youngsters, yet not one of us has your problem. I have never had a foal turn into a dangerous loon. When my daughters pony foaled unexpectedly we had to handle it rather a lot as mum refused to feed him. Even when she did eventually stand for him to feed, thats all she did. You tell me where you live & I will take your dangerous horse, because I dont think he exists, but if he does Im happy to take him off your hands.

 

[magic104]

PS Mr Fields thanks for livening things up in here, was getting a bit dead!

 

[Aidey]

I don't understand why a professional horseman or 'stud owner' would react so childish with all the !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but as others have said a heated argument always brightens up the evening

 

[lhotse]

I think Mr Fields is getting a bit excited with all this 'imprinting' talk. As for having a dangerous stallion running with mares and obviously producing offspring, I think we can all guess exactly what sort of breeder he is.

 

[EAST KENT]

I liked the bit about the small stall "with bars" so they can reach in and twitch him,I cannot think of a better way of breaking your arm!

 

[magic104]

I liked the bit about the small stall "with bars" so they can reach in and twitch him,I cannot think of a better way of breaking your arm!

Well I doubt I will be collecting this dangerous stallion because the language indicates an American. So unless they have located to the UK, I shant be making the trip over there.

 

[lhotse]

Also, I thought 'imprinting' was something werewolfs did on teenage girls in Stephanie Meyer novels??

 

[Puppy]

my stud runs very well thank you. a human cannot teach an orphan foal to be a horse you havnt got a clue what so ever about imprinting OBVIOUSLY. antibodies come from the mare and their environment, without a mare the foal isnt gettin the real nutriants it needs it is gettin articicial ones from foal creet milk. ALOT of people havnt got a clue about breeding and imprinting and you are OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all my stallions, mares, geldings and youngstock are very well behaved. and il think you will find my way of handling and teaching people proper handling has worked successfully with my employees and people who come for lessons."If a horse is that dangerous a vet cant get near it to sedate & cut it then shoot the bugger" this horse has never done anything wrong it is just bein the way he is and he knows no different because he never had the horsey life as a foal.

tell you what then you come and pick him up for free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if u can go and catch him without gettin hurt then you come and pick him and he can be yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FREE but i garentee that without proper handling he will end up seriously hurting you or killing you. yes i am very aware that horses are sedated before gelding i have had enough horses gelded to realise that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i never started this post for an argument with petty people that havnt got a clue about imprinting i was just sharing my experiences. no to get his feet done we have to rub a track from the field gate to a stable then open the field gate nd get out of the way, he has a little stable wit bars so we can get hold of him through the bars and twitch him. the horse doesnt need to be gelded as he will still be the same gelded as entire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL at the contradictions here!

 

[EAST KENT]

I reckon the horse has now actually killed mr.Fields ,it has gone ever so quiet,maybe he did`nt get out of it`s way quick enough.......

 

[magic104]

LOL at the contradictions here!

Well I thought the best bit was "this horse has never done anything wrong it is just bein the way he is and he knows no different because he never had the horsey life as a foal." - How can a stud not have access to other foals? How hard is to find one quiet mare with foal at foot to nanny another foal once its a little older. Surely it is just a case of time, having a barrier between mare/foal & orphan foal, until he old enough to 1) get out of trouble & 2) not needing the milk bar as often. Even if that is not possible at 5mths he should of been ok to have with another youngster at least. If this person was a 1 mare owner then I understand it is more difficult but they keep spouting off about running a stud.

They did liven the place for a few days, so not all bad.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Hello all,
I am seriously considering buying an appaloosa that I have been to see. I have had bad responses about the breed, people have said that they are aggressive and just a bad breed! But I have looked on the internet and have found many people saying how wonderful they are!! I'm so confused !!
If anyone has had any personal experiences with the breed, good or bad, I'd really like to hear peoples views!

Thank you!

Many years ago, I didn't LIKE Appaloosas - then I was given the opportunity to work cattle on a highly trained Appy cutting horse (stallion!) I fell in love with him!

More recently, we've backed a one eyed Appy mare, prior to that an Appy gelding, and had an Appy gelding in for bringing on. My only reservation about the breed is that out of those 4 that I have had close personal experience with, one lost an eye due to Uveitis, and one now has an obscure eye condition affecting his sight! That's a rather high percentage!

I have heard that Appy's are prone to eye problems - don't know if it's true - but IF I was buying one (and I probably wouldn't) I'd want to ensure his eyes were VERY thoroughly checked out!

 

[JanetGeorge]

the stallion CAN NOT be gelded as if some1 goes into the field with him he will herass u like he would a mare, the vet wouldnt be able to carry any sort of operation on him as i found out when he had his injections, it is to dangerous to put my self or any1 else in that position. when you have some understanding of imprinted horses on humans then tell me how to run my stud. i have stallions on my yard which i handle everyday successfully!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there is so much u need to learn be4 u tell me how to handle my horses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So you have a stallion that you have let run riot - and cannot handle - and you want us to believe you are a successful breeder who knows how to handle horses! Give me strength!!

I've hand-reared orphan colts and while they can be a bit pushier than a foal reared by a strict Mum, they are quickly put in their place and - once gelded and socialised with other young horses, they are no different to any other horse!

As for leaving them virtually untouched until they are 2 - 3, I back horses for a living and the hardest horses are 'well-bred' youngsters with a tendency to nervousness/or to be hot that haven't been sufficiently handled. The ones who have been handled like pets can be a bit bargy and in your face, but that is FAR easier to sort than the ones that are excessively nervous of humans!

ALOT of people havnt got a clue about breeding and imprinting and you are OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THEM!

Mr Fields - you've hit the nail right bang squarely on the head! You haven't a clue about breeding (or imprinting). If your orphan stallion hasn't killed you yet, he undoubtedly soon will. Why the hell haven't you had the vet in to dart him if he can't be handled enough for an IV sedation. And - in one way you're right - he will still be an ill-mannered pig once he's gelded because you have TAUGHT him he can do what the hell he likes! But removing the testosterone WOULD make it easier to retrain him (although as you failed the first time around, you probably wouldn't succeed the second!)

Maybe you're a troll - maybe you're just an idiot - but you're in the wrong place!

 

[freckles22uk]

Well thought I would add a little about my appy stallion... who was handled one hell of a lot from birth as he was poorly.... and is very bonded with me.. hes 5 now, and a real sweety, but I have been very firm but fair with him..

Yesterday I had friends over from the UK, and her hubby is a photographer (she is a member on here) and I asked if he could take some photos of me and the horses and I really wanted one of Harley (the stallion) and his mum Freckles...with me in the middle..

So we bring Harley out his paddock (he lives out 24/7 next to his mares) tie him up, then bring Freckles in, who drags me to her son, sniffs his face, screams at him! and puts him in his place.. hmmm.... Im thinking this is going to be impossible to get this photo.... but I get them both, with me in the middle and he stood still like a star, no stallion behavour, (and he has covered mares) however, his mum, pain in the ass, didnt want to stand still, pulling faces, pawing the ground.... lol, though I have to admit, I was a lot softer with her when she was younger.. oops....

Though we did get plenty of photos, just got to wait for the disc with them all on... (problem uploading them) but I did get this one yesterday... this is the stallion, so good or bad?................. Ive got to go with the vote GOOD..

 

[prettypony95]

PrettyPony - did you get your Appaloosa?
Dust has settled after hols and now have time to peek at the forums and FB again!
I see you have been offered lots of info!

Yes, I bought him in the end and I love him!!!

 

[LazyS]

Yes, I bought him in the end and I love him!!!

Oh I am so pleased, got any photos? I only resurrected this post to see how you were doing and look what happened (whoops!) - I hope you and your Appaloosa get on really well and then you can fill everyone in on what a great choice you made.

 

[cruiseline]

Goodness with all this negativity regarding the temperament of Appaloosas no wonder I have not had any enquiries for mine!!!

I have found them to be very sweet, intelligent and willing to try anything. As with any horse that has a brain, if they can learn the good things quickly, they can, in the wrong hands, learn the bad things quickly too.

 

[freckles22uk]

Yes, I bought him in the end and I love him!!!

Brill, Im sure you will have loads of fun with him....

 

[amy_b]

My first 'proper horse' after pony club games ponies was an appaloosa and he was ace!! lost touch with him after selling him sadly but he was brilliant, the perfect first horse! also beautiful if I say so myself

 

[prettypony95]

I'd post a picture but I have no idea how to add one!!!!

 

[freckles22uk]

I'd post a picture but I have no idea how to add one!!!!

Do you have photobucket or webshots? if you dont, join, put photos on there, then you need to copy the

 

[prettypony95]

okay.....here goes, i hope I've done it right!

 

[prettypony95]

http://s1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb439/Seren95/?action=view&current=IMG00726-20110815-1117.jpg