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By: Abigail Peterson
 You've got to love that paint job. The Appaloosa
horse is known for many things--speed, endurance, versatility--but above all,
for its alluring spotted coat. No other breed of horse can claim such fantastic
markings--nor such a deep connection to the history of the West.
Descended from stock brought to the Americas by the
Spanish in the 1500s, the breed was developed by the Nez Perce Indians of the
interior Pacific Northwest. Natural horsemen, they recognized that the animal's
compact, powerful body and tough, striped hooves ideally suited it to the
demands of the rugged Palouse country. Appaloosas with unusual color patterns
were prized as racing and riding mounts for warriors and tribal leaders.
Exploring Nez Perce lands in 1805 and 1806, Lewis
and Clark were among the first Americans to see the breed, writing that the
horses were "lofty elegantly [sic] formed active and durable." But the arrival
of homesteaders nearly spelled disaster for the Appaloosa. Tensions over Nez
Perce lands led to war with the U.S. government in 1877. After Chief Joseph
surrendered in Montana, the Nez Perce were resettled in Oklahoma, and their
precious Appaloosas were either lost or given away.
Over the next 40 years, the genes that gave the
Appaloosa its characteristic speed and coat were diluted by crossbreeding.
Recognizing that the breed could be lost, enthusiasts formed the Appaloosa Horse
Club in 1938 and established a registry program. "Their goals were small,"
explains Stacey Garretson of the Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center in Moscow,
Idaho. "They wanted to standardize the characteristics of the breed and promote
Appaloosas."
The club grew quickly and by the 1960s,
Appaloosas were fast becoming a Western favorite. John Wayne chose an Appaloosa
for his mount in 1964's El Dorado; Paul and Linda McCartney owned and bred
Appaloosas and recorded a song about them in 1998.
Today, the Appaloosa is one of the most popular
breeds in the United States. There are many reasons, but ask Appaloosa owners
what they love most about their horses, and it all comes back to those
remarkable spotted coats.
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