Appaloosa horses have a long history in the New World and are a beautiful breed.Appaloosas are known for their vividly spotted coats, but there are other signs you can use to identify an Appaloosa.You can identify Appaloosas in no time if you learn how to recognize the subtle differences in Appaloosa coat varieties and other important features on the horse's body.
Step 1: Look for skin that is not normal.
There are patches of skin that have light and dark colors.This is the way to tell if a horse is an Appaloosa.This is one of the ways that official horse registries prove that a horse is an Appaloosa.The hair and skin of a horse can be seen.The spots include the nose, mouth, and face, as well as the genitals and anus.There are patches of skin underneath the coat.
Step 2: The hooves should be vertical-striped.
Appaloosas have well-defined light and dark lines on their hooves.Other horses can have the same markings if they also have white leg markings.Unless you see a horse with white leg markings, this body feature doesn't prove that it's an Appaloosa.
Step 3: White sclera is what to look for.
There are no "whites" in the eyes of most horses.Appaloosas have eyes that are similar to a human's with a white area around the iris and pupil.This is a good sign that the horse is an Appaloosa.In rare cases, horses with bald faces can also have white sclera.There is not enough evidence to identify a horse with a bald face and white sclera as an Appaloosa.
Step 4: Look for a brown-on-white pattern.
Appaloosas can have a wide variety of coats, but this is the type that many people are familiar with from TV and movies.There are thick, reddish-brown spots on the white or light-colored coat of the Appaloosa horse.The spots are often clustered around the front quarters of the horse and are less visible on the rump.The skin underneath dark spots is usually dark as well.The dark skin under the white hair can give the spots a "halo" effect, which can be seen up close.The spots have a range of colors from chestnut to black.
Step 5: Look for the blanket pattern.
This pattern can be seen when the top of the horse's rump is free of spots and the rest of its coat is not.The coat looks like a white blanket on the horse's rump, hence the name.The blanket pattern is known as a "snowcap" and has no spots.A spotted blanket is a rump that is mostly white with some spots.
Step 6: The pattern is named "leopard".
The spots on a leopard-coated Appaloosa horse are generally smaller and wider-spaced than on the typical spotted one.The horse should be mostly white or light-colored with some dark spots.The effect is similar to a Dalmatian's coat.There are spots on a leopard coat that can range from chestnut to black.Even on leopard coats, the front quarters and legs of the horse may have thicker spotting or solid patches like on blanket patterns.
Step 7: The inverted "snowflake" pattern is what you should look for.
While most Appaloosa coats have dark spots on a light background, this coat pattern has light spots in a dark background.The horse's coat is usually chestnut to black.Like individual snowflakes falling on a dark surface, the spots will be small, white, and well-spaced apart.
Step 8: Look for roan patterns.
A "roan" coat has a mixture of white and colored hairs.Many different roan coats are possible because the colored hairs can be any shade.An Appaloosa roan pattern usually has a lighter colored area around the forehead and jowls as well as over the back, loins, and face.There are darker patches around the leg, behind the front leg joints, above the point of the hip, and over the eye.Light and dark patches can be found on the frontal bones of the face.There is a subtle contrast between the light and dark patterns.You may need to take a close look at the borders between light and dark hair if you want to identify the spotted patterns.
Step 9: You should be aware of the less common coat patterns.
The Appaloosa horse can have a variety of coats.Appaloosas can have unusual coats that can make them look like other horse breeds.The horse's coat is completely white.These shades will be hidden under the light coat because Appaloosas have light and dark skin.The horse's coat is dark.There aren't any spots.The horse has a roan pattern over its rump, back and hind quarters.There will be patches that blend smoothly into the darker parts of the horse.The blanket has spots in the light roan areas.
Step 10: The "brown on white" coat pattern is not the only one to look for.
The most famous Appaloosa pattern is brown on a white background.This is just one of many coats that an Appaloosa can have.Don't put too much stock in whether or not a horse has a "classic" coat, as it's not very useful as a sole indicator of Appaloosa status.
Step 11: Look for more than just spots.
A spotted coat isn't a requirement for being an Appaloosa.Some horses have coats that are completely spot-free, such as if they have a roan coat.They may have coats with sparse, small, or hard-to-see spots, making identification difficult.Many breeds of horses can have spotted coats that look like Appaloosa's.
Step 12: As the horse matures, the Appaloosa coat changes.
It's not always a good idea to guess the identity of a young horse.Appaloosa coats can change with age.There are spots that can move, form, and disappear over time.Over time, blanket patterns can develop.A small percentage of Appaloosa will form spots as they mature.Appaloosa's coat patterns don't always predict how it will look when it is grown.Two leopard Appaloosas can produce offspring that are solid-colored.