Info on Appaloosa breed needed...

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vikalina83

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Hi, I am going to see an Appaloosa youngster tomorrow and would be very grateful for any advice.... Some specific things I need to know are can they live out year round as we do not have stabling? Are they weight carriers or suited to light loads only? Also are there any breed specific health problems I should look out for?

The one I am viewing is 3 yrs old and currently standing at 13.3hh, any chance he might grow a bit more?

I currently have two natives (new forest and cob) so I have no clue on Appaloosas:confused:
 
As to height, I wouldn't think it would get a huge amount bigger.

Health wise - if they are few spot, or mostly light, the chances are they will be night blind. They are born with it and used to it, but you just need to take a bit of care in changing fields etc., because they need time to get used to a new environment before dark.

There are fine appaloosas and stockier appaloosas.

I love mine, he is as bright as a button, but has challenged me a fair bit!!!
 
My 3yo appyXtb lives out all year round with rugs, hay and not alot else! Shes currently about 16hh though so cant comment on the height of your one. Mine has been a star though!
 
It depends very much on the breeding, some Appys have a lot of TB blood, others Arab and others are much stockier. But at that height the one you are going to see is unlikely to be registerable as an Appaloosa but more likely to be a British Spotted pony. Unfortunately some people use Appaloosa to describe the colour rather than the breed.
 
Mines an appy x newforest and you can tell shes much more appy in her ways. Shes intelligent and if she does something once ie jump out of the field or open closed doors, then she'll do it whenever she pleases. In regards to growing no, i dont think it will get much bigger at 3 years old but may fill out abit (:
Health problems include night-blindness and a hind quaters muscle disorder i cant think of the name of but mine has neither.
I wouldn't suggest one for a novice but if you know your stuff they aim to please (:
 
.Not an appaloosa at that height, may well have some Appy breeding, but not pure bred. They need to be 14.2 at maturity to register. The night blindness thing is not a given, again it will depend on the bloodlines. If the animal has the usual Appy character traits, then it will be clever, have a sense of humour, a massive ego be quick to learn, be very loyal and very opinionated.
 
Appies can grow til they're eight, my partbred finally stopped last yr... he was 14hh as a 4yr old and now 14.3 aged 7!

They tend to have brittle, very thin manes and tails and can suffer with sunburn if they have pink skin in mane/tail.

Mine has arab, tb and ID in, but to look at he's typical appaloosa. Iv read today on the forum today appies are typical safe sturdy sane and cheap family ponies. In my experience appies are too intelligent for their own good, opinionated, temperamental and very very NOISY! Am sure thats not true of all appies but they're def good doers - think of the bitter american winters :)
 
Sorry, typing from mobile but mine is a really good doer and he learns sooo fast. Massive appytude but also has a big big personality and completely gorgeous :)
 
I've got an Appaloosa x Anglo Arab. He's also very intelligent but also spooky and stupid, that might be the Anglo Arab bit though. He only has one spot and is by Amazing blue.
He's 15.3hh and just kept growing, he's 11 this year and I'd say he didn't stop fully growing until he was about 7/8yrs old. I'd say at 3yrs he might make about 14.2hh. Mine was 15.1hh at his last height certificate when he was 6yrs old!
Every horse is different so I'd just see how you get on with it.
 
Oh forgot to say, he's not a great good doer, but that again could be the Anglo Arab bit, but he does live out nearly all year round apart from when the weathers really bad.
Have a look on the Appaloosa society website as they have more info about the breed.
 
Sharp to ride,very intelligent,quick to learn,drama queens,challenging,spooky,flighty and just generally all round over sensitive twits:D

I have had my lad since a 3 yr old,he's 7 this year.I would like to say he's got easier but i think actually I have just got used to his quirks:p

I adore my lad,and we actually have a lot of fun now I accept him for what he is and know how how he ticks,but I'm not sure I'd have the stamina or patience for another one lol.

They are fabulous horses in many way's but not for everyone and not for anyone wanting something easy and straight forward;)

Health issues are the eye problems mentioned,and I have read they can be a bit more likely to get sarcoids than other breeds but not sure how accurate that is.No had any breed related issues with mine.

My lad is an appy x native and more an over sized pony build wise,but has all the markings and colouring of a appy (near leopard and a bit of a pretty boy bless him),he has a decent mane,but bit of a pathetic tail,as mentioned they are often sparse in this area.
Not sure about weight carrying,don't think they are up to carrying huge weights,but not fine lightweights either AFAIK.
 
If got 3 at the moment, but have had more in the past, and bred a few, all registered, with either Baps, ApHC or both...

Height wise, they can be anything from 14hh (for Aphc) upwards, depending on the breeding, do you know who the parents are?.. I bred one 3 year ago, he stands 13.2hh at the moment, and is pure appy, parents are 14.1 (and a half) and 15.2 h, his full brother only made 14.1hh
(photos in the Appy thread in the breeding section, see Moonshine and Apache)

Mine are all weight carriers, my big mare Freckles (Centaur breeding) is 16hh, and was bred to event and hunt, the stallion, Harley her son, is slightly smaller at 15.3hh, and more slightly built and Ive also got the 14.1hh mare, she has some QH breeding in her

Mine are all good doers, and live out 24/7 though im in Spain and have no grazing, I do rug in winter as it does get very cold (ive known in -15'c .. and up to 62'c in Summer (in the sun, 40+ in the shade)

Their nature is fantastic, everyone that meets my stallion cant believe hes still entire, he is SO laid back ..though the mares are more sharp, and have that bit of attitude I like, very much ''people'' horses, and mine do seem to bond with their owners, (the ones Ive sold) very intelligent, and great allrounders..

Mine all have decent manes and tails, yet I do know some with awful ones...

Great hooves normally, mine are all barefooted, and have good hard feet,

The one you are looking at, should grow some more, though saying that, Freckles reached 16hh at 3 years old and never grew any more, yet the stallion grew another inch last year (hes 7) so you never know....
 
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This is one of mine, photo taken today.... Centaur Summer Storm... AKA Freckles
IMG_0376_zps38c4ac7e.jpg
 
My first horse was a red roan snowflake. She was 4 when I got her and around 15.3. She never grew any bigger. She was crossed with something, probably Irish cob, cos she was stocky and had hairy legs. But she also had a very full mane and tail which was unusual. She did have the stiped hooves and the eye sclera. She wasn't sharp at all. She could turn a hoof at anything and had a good jump in her. She had a lovely even gentle nature (mind you she could be a devil to catch :mad:)

I used to event her, but after an accident where we both got injured, I put her in foal to a Dutch Warmblood. The resultant colt was not coloured, though I didn't expect it to do because I used a solid coloured stallion. That colt went on to compete at Inter II. :)

Going back to the early 1980's I would regularly take her to the British Appaloosa Show at Stoneleigh. From recollection a lot of the horses were stockier and shorter. If my memory is correct the cut off point for an Appaloosa is 14.2 and anything below is a Spotted Pony. But things may have changed since then.

I think they are wonderful horses. :)
 
I have a few appaloosas. All of mine are registered ApHC. As said the one you are going to view is most likely not a pedigree App but rather a spotty pony.

Apps can suffer from uveitis although none of mine ever have and I've had them all for years.

Apps are generally very intelligent horses and will watch what you do and try to copy you. They are very personable horses. They're generally easy to ride, all of mine have been ridden by beginner horses and they really take care of novices. Mine are pliable and do your bidding for the most part. They are fun horses, always having a sense of humour.

As to size, I bought one as a 3 year old and he was 15.2hh, by the time he was 7 he made 16.3hh so some bloodlines are quite slow growing.

Mine all have good thick manes and tails and great feet (none wear shoes).

Appies are not popular where I live so even very well bred ones can be picked up for reasonably cheap prices.

Most Appies I know will never be world beaters; they are capable of doing everything quite well, but nothing spectacularly. Fabulous all-rounder type horses though and very suitable for amateurs.

All of mine are tactile horses. They all like to touch you with their mouths and they do this weird leaning in to you but with their necks up and twisted. None of my other breed horses do this but all my apps do.

I actually really like appaloosas even if people do find them a bit weird to look at. Their sclera doesn't bother me at all although in the early days I did find it a bit freaky.
 
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Like all breeds you get good and bad tempererd, talented ones and not so great ones so it really does depend on the horse. I personally find most of them not the prettiest ponies in the world. Depending on what you're looking for temprement is key and the start looking at confo.

I had a lovely clean leopard spot with rodega Tobias bloodlines. He had a huge bushy mane and tail and his mane in particular was stripey which was pretty unique. He was a bit grumpy at times but mega talented and was just finding his peak before he passed away. At 5 he was competing at disco about to step up to newcomers and he never scored under 65% in a dressage test. Sadly he passed away before his peak but he had the mind and the talent to go very far, I was a very lucky girl to be able to ride such a fab pony.
 
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