Coolest Looking Horse

The Appaloosa is known as the "Spotted Horse" due to its very distinctive markings on their coats. It is a popular breed with the genetic lines tracing back to the beginning of the equine race. They are found all over the world and have varying names like: Knabstruper (Denmark), Tigres (France), and called Blagdon, or Chubbarie (Britain). Pintos are also a type of spotted horse, but their markings are a different contrast to that of an Appaloosa. They are a versatile horse and are bred for horse racing, show jumping, eventing and even fox-hunting. Appaloosas were once called the "Palouse horse", (from settlers near the Palouse River). over time, this name evolved into the current name of "Appaloosa" or spotted horse.

Other types of Appaloosa coat patterns include: The Snowflake, Fewspot and Leopard. A darker body with light speckles is identified as the Snowflake while a strong coat with "varnish marks" (groups of dark hairs on the head and nose, gaskins and knees. The most popular Appaloosa coloring is the Leopard in which the entire body is white and covered in dark spots. There are even versions called "blanket or snowcap" where the front half of the horse is dark colored, and the back half is pure white.

Appaloosas are never the same colorings, but they share a few common characteristics like:

- Freckled skin (mottled or partly-coloured), especially around the genitalia, muzzle and eyes.

- Defined "striped hooves" (light and dark stripes), which makes them very durable.

- Have a "white sclera" that encircles the iris of the horses eyes, (similar to the human eye).

There have been records found of these "spotted ponies" all the way back to 1298 where a scroll was found listing horses that were bought for Edward the first, and there was a drawing of a little chestnut spotted pony. These ponies and their unusual coat markings were highly prized and sold for enormous sums. They have even found pictures of Appaloosa ponies carved into stone-age mens cave walls, manuscripts and ancient paintings. The pictures of the ponies have been found all over the world and they have been documented in paintings or scrolls in ancient China, Greece and Persia.

If you want to read more about this beautiful horse, feel free to click on the link to High Altitude Gardening just below. There are some beautiful photos showing all of the varying coat types and the breeds in a natural environment.