THE FULL STORY: Flashy and athletic – that sums up the Appaloosa Sport Horse. Traditionally, the typical spectrum of Thoroughbred colors (bay, black, grey, chestnut) dominated the world of the hunter show ring and international disciplines. Today however, there is more acceptance of varied color patterns and the Appaloosa Sporthorse is finding its way into the show ring and winning! The Appaloosa Sport Horse Association (ApSHA) states its goal is to encourage breeders to produce outstanding athletes for the Olympic disciplines and to re-establish the Appaloosa as the performance horse it was originally bred to be. The ApSHA accepts and encourages the use of warmbloods as well as the best foundation Appaloosa performance lines. An Appaloosa sport horse has all the color guidelines of an Appaloosa – mottled skin around the mouth and underbelly, white sclera around the iris and striped hooves. Most registered horses have an Appaloosa color pattern too, although solid colored horses can be registered if one of their parents had Appaloosa markings. Today, outcrosses to draft horses and ponies will be accepted as long as they are not less than half Appaloosa. This stellar example of an Appaloosa Sporthorse mare has the daisy-cutting stride sought in its gaits combined with brilliant color of the Appaloosa – a pleasing picture of both flash and class!
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