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 The
AraAppaloosa is a refined version of the Appaloosa in many ways. The main
registry for the breed was established in an effort to protect and develop the
Appaloosa. Because of claims of similar ancient origins, the registry allowed
the Appaloosa to be crossed with pureblooded Arabians. The AraAppaloosa of today
is said to be a re-establishment or preservation of the best examples of the
Appaloosa breed found, namely, in early American Indian tribes.
The AraAppaloosa is a combination of two breeds, the Appaloosa and the
Arabian. As such, it possesses many of the characteristics of theses two horses.
It should be noted that these two breeds separately possess many of the same
characteristics, such as hardiness, sure-footedness and are able to get along
when the going gets rough, and so it is logical that these two breeds were
crossed together. The AraAppaloosa is usually lighter and more athletic than the
Appaloosa. The color of the AraAppaloosa is a combination of the Appaloosa and
Arabian. This horse can be found in either large or small sizes, depending upon
the AraAppaloosa's background.
As can be expected the AraAppaloosa is known primarily by its coat: to be one
of the basic coloration patterns found on the Appaloosa. The horse stands
between 14 and 15 hands high and takes on the general conformation of the Arab:
refined head, stamina, and elegance. The AraAppaloosa
and Foundation Breeder's International is, in some ways, an off-shoot of the
Appaloosa Horse Club founded in 1938. The AAFBI was formed for those breeders
interested in establishing the Appaloosa with Arabian blood. Both breeds show
ancient ancestry in Asia Minor, leading the AAFBI to believe that a crossing of
the two would lead to the "true" Appaloosa horse (good examples of which were
seen, and today modeled after by the AAFBI breeding program, in the Nez Perce
Indian tribe's stock in the early 18th century).
There are claims that the spotted horse is the oldest horse "type" found in
the world, and it is the AraAppaloosa Registry's aim to develop a refined horse
that lives up to this history. Like the Pintabian, the AraAppaloosa is any
high-quality Appaloosa that is crossed with an Arabian. Breeders claim that the
ancestry of both the spotted horse and the Arabian are similar and should thus
be incorporated into a single, dignified breed.
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