How many Appaloosas are there in the UK?

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JoBird

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Lots of you on this forum seem to own/breed appaloosas and appy crosses but does anyone know how many registered/unregistered there are roughly in the UK?

I want to do an article on breeding appaloosas and have contacted several magazines (not H&H yet!) and there response is that "breeding" and "appaloosas" are too niche market as not enough people have them or are breeders!
Hmmmm.
Perhaps we could all campaign to see more of them in magazines and also get them back in "fashion"!

Numbers/ideas please?
 
I did ask the BAPS but they didnt give me any idea of numbers. As there are several societies it probably makes it harder as some are registered with one, some dual registered and some not registered at all. A "ballpark" figure would be something. I am sure there are enough to find photos/info on appaloosas in magazines interesting! I must admit I do rarely see them locally to me but I am sure they are out there......!
 
I have a part bred appy but she is a solid colour and we also have a registered british spotted pony who is very striking in colour he is a grey roan with very loud leopard spots keep us informed on how you get on.
 
We've got a spotty, but hes not an apaloosa. Hes a 3yr old psuhing 14 hands pony cob with a massive dollop of welsh, god knows what the other bit is! Hes def spotty though, and gets more spotty every day :D
 
Problem with appaloosas is, in my opinion, that they are bred primarily for colour and not for conformation, so you get some interesting combinations :o It is also very difficult to see past the spots and the horse underneath :)

I know you do get some very well bred ones, with excellent conformation, but sadly these are in the minority! :)
 
only_me said:
Problem with appaloosas is, in my opinion, that they are bred primarily for colour and not for conformation, so you get some interesting combinations :o It is also very difficult to see past the spots and the horse underneath :)

I know you do get some very well bred ones, with excellent conformation, but sadly these are in the minority! :)
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You can also get some with awful personalities as they aren't bred for temprement (sp?)
 
This is my 2 year old knabstrupper - not an appy but very spotty!!
albums
 
libertylou said:
My girl is an appy, she was bred in Callington, Cornwall. I would contact the British Appaloosa Soceity....
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I bought my lad from a lady very near Callington,but he was bred not far away in Launceston.Maybe they are related somewhere along the line!!

I have an appy x native,looks like a pure appy (near leopard),just with a decent native coat and mane,shame about the tail,that's more appy like sadly:rolleyes:

I'm not sure about how many there are,possibly not that many in comparison with many other types,I certainly don't see loads of them in my neck of the woods.

I agree that the breed society might be a good place to start asking:)
 
Kokopelli said:
You can also get some with awful personalities as they aren't bred for temprement (sp?)
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Ok this is going to sound very bizarre,but your reply reminded me of what I heard so here goes!!

*Apparently* many years ago appy's in america were actually bred to be 'difficult'.It was something to do with wanting to discredit the native americans and their abilities as horsemen which were much admired at the time.I can't remember the details,and it did all sound a bit 'x-files' to me TBH,government conspiracies and all that,BUT I wonder if there's some truth in it in some way (probably not how it's been told,but maybe at least the part about breeding them to be 'diificult'??),as every appy I have heard of on the net and in RL seems to have quirks in one way or another lol.

Have not heard of many straightforward and easy ones as yet!! Mine certainly has his funny little way's:rolleyes:

Sure there are some lovely and easy ones,but many seem to share the same 'attitude' shall we say.

Of course your idea of them being bred for colour/pattern and not temp makes far more sense than the governement conspiracy theory lol,but just reminded me and thought it might raise an eyebrow or a smile maybe;):p
 
Well a gov conspiracy is much more interesting :D

Yes my Koko had some quirks too! He would try and kill the vet if he couldn't run away from him, good job he was only 14.3 the little bugger :p
 
There is (was ) a lady on the Wales/ Shrops border that breeds Appy's for their temperament and used them in RDA - so they can't be *that* bad ;)
 
I have a part bred appaloosa - he's 34:)

His conformation's not great, and if I was kind I'd say he was an exciting ride. But he is, and always has been, very, very friendly and likes nothing more than to be fussed over.

He has always been a very healthy and sound horse, he was a great all-rounder. He hunted at 29 and finally retired completely 2 years ago.

If I knew his breeding I'd have another tomorrow.
 
The theory about them being bred to be difficult is interesting. Part of the history of the breed is that the Nez Percie Tribe used the horses to send their children to the safety of Canada. We had a very spotty mare in the past and have a roaning out registered one currently. The old girl was VERY quircky to say the least :p The current one is sharp and by no means a novice ride, the thing they have in common is that they are very loyal to one person and ours are /were one person horses, hence my sig :)
 
Thank you Jo Bird
- he's a lovely horse, though I have decided he's had his last winter. I've had him 28 years. Although he still drags me across the yard in the morning, canters on the spot at night to get in, and whizzes round the field with his mates, this winter has been hard for him and I have decided not to put him through another.
 
We kept our old girl until she was 33, she retired at 30 because she refused to slow down under saddle and got herself overtired. She had any number of foibles, but if I could have cloned her I would!
 
Kokopelli said:
Well a gov conspiracy is much more interesting :D

Yes my Koko had some quirks too! He would try and kill the vet if he couldn't run away from him, good job he was only 14.3 the little bugger :p
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Hmm interesting is one word,I think bizarre would be more appropriate though lol.Mind you stranger things have happened I guess,probably shouldn't rule it out,and it would give all the appy's in the world an excuse for their bad behaviour;) Can just see them all on the Jeremy Kyle show blaming their asbo way's on genetic engineering:p

Aww Koko was such a poppet,although maybe not from the vets POV!! beautiful looking boy that he was though,am sure even the vets forgave him:)


embu said:
There is (was ) a lady on the Wales/ Shrops border that breeds Appy's for their temperament and used them in RDA - so they can't be *that* bad ;)
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Damn I really should have travelled and bought one of hers by the sounds of it;)

I'm sure there are loads of lovely sane and sensible spotty's out there,I just haven't met any yet lol

MrSpam said:
and if I was kind I'd say he was an exciting ride. But he is, and always has been, very, very friendly and likes nothing more than to be fussed over.
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That is a very kind way of putting it,I might pinch the description for my lad,sounds better than spooky,sharp drama queen anyway:p:D

I must say that last part is true of my lad also to be fair to him,he actually has a very nice nature in regards to liking attention and being a 'people person',he's just a bit of a twit when it comes to being a horse;)

Your old gent sounds lovely BTW:)
 
Well it seems once you've had one, you want another. Can't be that bad - just full of character.

He sounds similar to your's Devonlass - I didn't get many offers to help exercise him!
 
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YorksG said:
The theory about them being bred to be difficult is interesting. Part of the history of the breed is that the Nez Percie Tribe used the horses to send their children to the safety of Canada. We had a very spotty mare in the past and have a roaning out registered one currently. The old girl was VERY quircky to say the least :p The current one is sharp and by no means a novice ride, the thing they have in common is that they are very loyal to one person and ours are /were one person horses, hence my sig :)
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Yeh I found it an interesting theory,and it does seem to fit an awful lot of the appy's I've heard of!!
Sharp has been used more than once to describe my lad riding wise as well,unfortunately for me as I am not as young or as keen on 'sharp' as I used to be:o
I would totally agree about the loyalty thing,my OH often calls my lad a 'mummy's boy',and he is very much a one person ponio,can be quite wary of other people.
Very affectionate and willing for me though,part of the reason I forgive him his quirks I guess.

As a pretty to look at,and soppy pet he's great,but for the main purpose of having a horse he's a bit more 'complicated',bless his striped hooves lol:D
He's still only young though,so I desperately cling to the hope that he'll grow up eventually.From reading some of these posts though,seems I might be waiting a long time yet!!
 
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