The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colorful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's color pattern is genetically the result of various spotting patterns overlaid on top of one of several recognized base coat colors. The color pattern of the Appaloosa is of interest to those who study equine coat color genetics, as it and several other physical characteristics are linked to the leopard complex mutation (LP). Appaloosas are prone to develop equine recurrent uveitis and congenital stationary night blindness; the latter has been linked to the leopard complex.
Appaloosa horse
Mottling on the skin is particularly visible around the eyes and muzzle. The sclera of an Appaloosa's eye is white.
Few spot leopard Appaloosa with wet coat, showing a "halo" effect of dark skin under the white coat, especially around spots.
Striped hooves are a characteristic trait.
A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected. Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe.
Illustration of horse breeds from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890–1907)
Australian Stud Books from the 1990s
One volume of the 1873 American Stud Book
Mules with pack saddles during a demonstration (2014)