More about the breed

The Appaloosa horses are believed to come to America from the Middle East or with shipments of goods from Spain to Mexico around 1600. They were spread more and more to the north by the Indians, and by 1730 these horses came to the Nez Perce tribe, which especially loved them for their intelligence, stamina and coat pattern. Over the next hundred years, they set themselves to planned breeding and with strict selection, they got a medium-built, agile and intelligent type of riding horse over the next few decades. The close integration of the horse into the everyday life of the tribe led the development of the breed in the direction of endurance needed for hunting and racing, end versatility needed for the life in a camp. Soon, other Indian tribes began to appreciate them due to their excellent qualities. Since they could be found mainly in the area along the Palouse river, they became known as »A Palouse horse«. From this name, the name »A Palousey« and later »Appaloosa« were derived. When the European conquerors decimated the Indians, including the Nez Perce tribe, the Appaloosa horse nearly disappeared, too. The breeding book for the Appaloosa is kept by the Appaloosa Horse Club in Idaho, USA. Since its establishment in 1938, more than 700.000 horses of this breed have been registered and breeders can be found all around the world.

The reason why Alta Speedy Bar, our first Appaloosa mare, came to our farm in the first place, was the need for a medium high, steady, non-skittish and reliable field horse. After a decade of premeditated work in breeding, careful selection of the right combination of studs and mares we are proud to breed steady and tractable horses of harmonious construction, which bring joy to their new owners.