The spotted horse is not something new to the equine breeds and is also not reserved for the Appaloosa horse. Spotted horses have been recorded as far back as 25,000 years ago with the cave painting of the dappled horse or Pech-Merle in Southern France.
Spotted horses are found in a variety of breeds, and they all have the leopard complex characteristics of the coat pattern with secondary characteristics of the white sclera around the eye with striped hoofs and the mottled skin around the eyes, muzzle, and genital areas.
Spotted horses have fascinated people throughout time and have even spurred some equine enthusiasts to breed specific genes to create this intriguing characteristic. Some breeds have been around for years, while others have recently made their debut in the equine scene. Below are seven of the most recognized spotted breeds in the world.
7 Spotted Horse Breeds
Below are seven of the most recognized spotted horses ranging from centuries-old to new breeds, making their debut in the world of equines. All these breeds have an enchanting origin, all thanks to the people who love horses and the preservation of the breeds.
Appaloosa
The Appaloosa is a spotted horse breed with various distinct leopard patterns standing from 14.2 to 15.2 hands high. A sturdy little horse with a willing attitude and a traceable temperament is used for various riding disciplines, including western, long distance, jumping, and pleasure.
Bred by the Nez Perce people and named after the Palouse River for the region they lived in, the Appaloosa was virtually forgotten after the Nez Perce war of 1877, but in 1935 a group of spotted horse lovers got together and formed the Appaloosa club which today holds a registry of 635,000 horses.
Knabstrupper
The Knabstrupper is a descendant of a chestnut mare believed to have come from Spanish breeds. The mare was well known for her endurance and unique coloring. She was bred to a Frederiksborg stallion on the Knabstrup farm, which produced the first line of spotted horses.
The original Knabstrupper horses were bred for their strong and stocky conformation that was very appealing for harness work and circus performance for vaulting, as they had a broad back and steady gait.
The old line of heavier Knabstrupper declined due to ill-breeding and a disastrous fire that killed 22 of the horses. In 1970 two Appaloosa stallions were imported into Denmark to restore the breed. Later they were bred to Holsteiners and Trakenhers, which produced the modern-day lighter Knabstrupper.
A cooperative and versatile breed used in many English disciplines such as dressage, show jumping, and eventing ranges from 15.2 to 16 hands high. However, they are a popular breed with kids, so some have been bred smaller at 14.2 hands high.
British Spotted Horse
These little spotted ponies are said to roam ancient Britain’s hills and moors. A popular little pony now considered rare stands between 8 to 14.2 hands high. A horse-type variation can also be found in this breed, but they are registered with the British Appaloosa society.
To preserve the dwindling breed of ponies, the British Spotted Horse and Pony Association was founded in 1947. Since then, the breed has become widely popular and exported all over the world; however, in 1970, the association put a stop to exporting when they realized that too many of their quality mares and stallions were being lost to exports.
Although it is believed that many British spotted ponies live around the world, there are only 800 ponies that are registered to the association, classifying them as a rare breed.
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Nez Perce Horse
The Nez Perce people were well known for building up one of the largest horse breeding program herds on the continent of America. They were responsible for creating the Appaloosa, which the US Government nearly wiped out in the Nez Perce war of 1877, where the herd of 1000 horses was captured, killed, sold off, or escaped into the wild.
The Nez Perce people never quite recovered from that war, and their breeding program was never the same again until 1995. In Lapwai, Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe wanted to start their selective horse breeding program again. So, the cross-breeding of some old-line Appaloosa with the ancient breed of Turkmenistan Akhal-Teke horse began.
The breeding of this solid metallic coat horse with the Appaloosa created a horse worthy of carrying the Nez Perce name and typically produces palomino or buckskin-colored horses with Appaloosa leopard complex characteristics.
The confirmation of the Nez Perce horse is leaner than that of normal stock horses, with narrow hips and shoulders and long backs; they are highly favored for long-distance stamina and endurance.
Tiger Horse
The Tiger Horses dates back to the 7th century in China. Their coats have distinctive leopard patterns, but China did not have a word for leopard and hence called it Tiger Horse.
The Tiger Horse Association (THA) was set up in 1994 to try and revive this brave breed of horse. In 2011 the Soulon Tiger Horse registry was founded to encourage the breeding of this spotted breed.
The Tiger Horse has two types, the Heavenly and the Royalty; both share common phenol-types, including a convex nose with good sloping hips proportionate to the rest of the body. The difference between the two is the gaited movement, with the Royalty type being the gaited stock and the Heavenly being the non-gaited offspring.
The 15-hand high horse is popular as a companion horse and dressage horse due to their ability and agility for gaited movements.
Pony Of The Americas
Pony of the Americas was bred specifically for children in mind. They were bred to have the characteristics of a small horse which is mainly crossed with Arab, Appaloosa, and American Quarter Horse, but the registry is open for other breeds as long as the pony displays certain characteristics that the breed is associated with.
Created in 1954 by Les Boomhower, a lawyer practicing in Mason City, Iowa, in his spare time, he bred Shetland ponies until he bought an Arabian-crossed Appaloosa mare that was in foal to a Shetland pony stallion from a neighbor.
When the young colt was born, he was an intriguing color of white with black splashes with a distinctive marking of a black hand on his flank. He was called Black Hand, and the start of the POA was born.
Colorado Ranger Horse
The Colorado Ranger Horse has its hooves deeply planted in 1800s history with two stallions imported to the States as a gift to President Ulysses S. Grant by the Turkish sultan Abdul Hamid II.
Fast forward to the twentieth century, and Mike Ruby, a rancher from the Colorado high plans, became interested in the breed, acquired two stallions descendent from the original stallions, and started the Colorado Ranger Horse association in 1935.
These powerful and stocky horses range from 14.2 to 16 hands high with a straight facial profile, deep chest, sloping shoulders, and croup connected with a short back. They are enjoyed for their stocky and athletic abilities and are widely used in western, English, and pleasure horse.
Conclusion
The fascination with spotted ponies and horses has been one dating back to ancient times, with breeds dating back centuries. They are not just popular but have pleasing dispositions and are highly intelligent, which makes them flexible as to which discipline you can train them in. If you’re on the hunt for a spotted horse, any one of these majestic breeds will make a fine riding partner.
