Breeding a specific colour or colour pattern in horses, has fascinated breeders for ages. The Appaloosa is a good example of such a success story. In South Africa the fascination to breed an excellent sport horse, but with specific colour patterns, is alive and well.

There are approximately 118 members of the Appaloosa Horse Breeders' Society of South Africa (AHBSSA), 85 of whom are registered breeders. There are 2 582 horses registered in the various categories which entail:
• Appaloosa Stud Book Proper (purebred Appaloosa, also known as F4).
• Appaloosa Sport Horse (Appaloosa x registered Warmblood or Thoroughbred).
• Appaloosa Pony (Appaloosa x registered Welsh section A B C, Arab, Thoroughbred, Connemara, Boerperd and Nooitgedacht).
• Appaloosa Miniature.

Some studs are putting more thought into their breeding of late. To date, the majority of Appaloosas bred in South Africa are sold to other breeders. Hopefully, the emphasis is steering away from the typical farm horse of old, to a more athletic and conformationally correct horse that can hold its own against any other breed in the showring, both under saddle and in hand.

The Appaloosa niche
There is a need for an all-round family horse which can fulfil various applications, as well as the growing desire for larger sport horse type Appaloosas. To date, the latter is very much a work in progress as there are very few Appaloosas which meet the necessary criteria. Those few that are bred, are usually kept back for breeding purposes.

It is sincerely hoped that all breeders will understand that it is possible to have both excellent conformation and colour – very selective "culling" from any breeding programme is the most important manner in which to achieve this.

Standards of excellence
All registered Appaloosas used for breeding purposes in South Africa, now have to be inspected before they may be recorded in the main studbook or any of the categories. Either a vet or a society inspector, or an inspector from another breed society approved by the society, may inspect the horse.

The horse is judged on general breed type, conformation and movement. Temperament is also scored. Animals which make the grade are recorded in the correct Appaloosa category and those which do not, are not registered.

Colour preference
The Appaloosa is a breed with a ''colour preference''. It is impossible to always breed 100% coloured horses, even from two proven colour producers, as the colour genetics of Appaloosas are a mystery to scientists and they have not yet cracked the code! Genuine fewspots and snowcaps are homozygous for Appaloosa characteristics, which means they will always produce the characteristics, but do not always guarantee loud colour.

There have been cases since prerecorded history in the USA, where two completely non-characteristic (for Appaloosa) parents produce colourful offspring with recognisable Appaloosa characteristics.

Unfortunately, many horses are classified as Appaloosas by the uneducated, simply based upon their colour pattern. These horses may have such a small percentage of Appaloosa blood, that they are first and foremost the various other breeds present in their pedigree and lastly, an Appaloosa.

If one were to analyse it, the pedigree is what makes an Appaloosa an Appaloosa. An Appaloosa may be crossbred to a Thoroughbred, a Quarter Horse or an Arab, and the ­resulting offspring may be called an ''Appaloosa'' by dint of the fact that these two breeds are permitted outcrosses both in the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) and the AHBSSA.

Colour is not relevant with regard to being registered in the Main Stud Book as two F4 Appaloosa parents can (and do!) produce a completely non-characteristic foal.

South Africa vs the rest
The parent body of the AHBSSA, the ApHC in Idaho, USA, places no maximum height limit on registered horses, but they must be a minimum of 14 hh. In the USA where the Appaloosa originated, the breed type has, over the years, moved towards Quarter Horse halter horse conformation: Very muscular, large well-rounded hindquarters, baby-doll head and hooves which are small in proportion to the body size. Some stallions advertised for stud are as tall as 17 hh.

As with many animals bred solely for show purposes, often little thought has been given to the athleticism of the horse. There are certain studs which have not outcrossed to Quarter Horses, and these are referred to as Foundation. The horses are on average 15 hh and are bred to be trail or general riding horses and horses suitable for children or small adults. Many still have the hardiness and even temperament which are two attributes the Appaloosa was noted for. In general, they do not feature in the show arena in the USA.

There are also studs which breed sporthorse-type Appaloosas for competition in the dressage, showjumping and hunting arenas. Some of these have been outcrossed to ­Thoroughbreds and, to a lesser extent, to Warmbloods to achieve the size and ­athleticism necessary for these sports. In the USA, outcrossing to Thoroughbreds is permitted, and these may be recorded in the ApHC registry. Warmblood outcrosses may not, as this introduces the "cold blood" aspect.

The competition arena
Depending on the type, the Appaloosa is found in the showring in both ApHC events and more and more in open competition. It is an invaluable trail and stock horse and perhaps most of all, it is prized as a pleasure horse. It is interesting to note that the original Appaloosas as they appeared to the first colonialists who viewed them, Captains Lewis & Clarke, looked like "Thoroughbreds in training" and were obviously not of pony size.

In Europe, there are a small number of breeders who concentrate on Foundation-type Appaloosas, but in general the type there also leans heavily toward the Quarter Horse, Western riding having become an extremely popular sport there, and halter classes becoming financially attractive for exhibitors.

One of the most notable Appaloosas in the showring here in South Africa, is the mare Kondos Quality Street, who can be seen at almost every breed show. She has achieved numerous first places in her breed classes and was also judged best female at Horse of the Year in 2006. Other Appaloosas have over the years competed in endurance and to a lesser extent, showjumping and dressage.

Whatever one's personal preference is, there is bound to be an Appaloosa which meets one's criteria, be it a family horse or a competitive show horse.