Appaloosa horses have a rich history in the New World.Appaloosas are known for their vividly spotted coats, but there are other signs you can use to identify them.You can identify Appaloosas in no time if you learn how to recognize subtle differences in Appaloosa coat varieties and other important features on the horse's body.
Step 1: Look for changes in skin color.
Light and dark patches are found on maverick skin.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 white in the coat.
Step 2: Look for hooves with stripes.
Appaloosas have well-defined light and dark lines on their hooves.Other horses can have these 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 is 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 have white sclera even if they're not Appaloosa.There is not enough evidence to identify a horse with a bald face and white sclera as an Appaloosa.
Step 4: The spotted pattern is usually brown-on-white.
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 the 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: The pattern is called the "blanket"
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 rump that's mostly white with some spots is called a "spotted blanket" pattern.
Step 6: The pattern is called "leopard".
The spots on a leopard-coated Appaloosa horse are usually 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, front quarters and legs of the horse may have thicker spotting or solid patches like on blanket patterns.
Step 7: There is an inverted "snowflake" pattern.
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.
Step 8: Look for patterns from Appaloosa.
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 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 front of the face.There is a subtle difference 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: There are less-common coat patterns that you should be aware of.
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 whiteThese shades will be hidden under the light coat because Appaloosas have dark skin.The coat of the horse 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 you should look for.
The most famous Appaloosa pattern is reddish brown on a white background.This is just one coat 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 one spot.
The 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 solid or roan coat.They may have coats with 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 coats change.
It's not always a good idea to guess the identity of a young horse.Appaloosa coats can change with age.Over time, spots can form and disappear.Over time, blanket patterns can develop.As they mature, a small percentage of Appaloosa will be solid colored and form spots.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.