Appaloosa Horse Club

The Appaloosa Horse Club, located in Moscow, Idaho is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Appaloosa breed. The state of Idaho adopted the Appaloosa as its state horse in 1975. More than 630,000 Appaloosas have been registered with the Appaloosa Horse Club since its founding in 1938. The Appaloosa Horse Club is an international breed registry which records and preserves the breeds' heritage and history. The club is one of the top international equine breed registries, and is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and enhancing the Appaloosa breed.

Registration Details

The preface of the ApHC rule book states that the Appaloosa is "a breed defined by ApHC bloodline requirements and preferred characteristics, including coat pattern." [http://www.appaloosa.com/pdfs/rulebook07.pdf 2007 Appaloosa Horse Club Handbook] ] In other words, the Appaloosa is a distinct breed from limited bloodlines with distinct physical traits and a desired color, referred to by breeders as a "color preference." Thus, Appaloosas are not strictly a "color breed" as many people believe. All ApHC-registered Appaloosas must be the offspring of two registered Appaloosa parents or a registered Appaloosa and a horse from an approved breed registry. The ApHC lists Arabian horses, Quarter Horses, and Thoroughbreds as approved breeds. In all cases, one parent must always be a regular registered Appaloosa. The only exception to the bloodline requirements is in the case of Appaloosa colored geldings or spayed mares with unknown pedigrees; owners may apply for "hardship registration" for these non-breeding horses.

In addition to the spotting patterns previously mentioned, certain other characteristics are used to determine if a horse receives "regular" registration, including:

*Mottling, spotted skin which is apparent around the lips, eyelids, and genitalia. The Appaloosa horse is the only horse to have this characteristic, and therefore mottled skin is a very basic and decisive indication of an Appaloosa. Mottled skin is different from pink (flesh colored or non-pigmented) skin in that it will normally contain small, round, dark spots (pigmented skin)
*Sclera - a white ring around the eyes
*Striped hooves

Appaloosas which are born with visible coat pattern, or mottled skin and at least one other characteristic, are registered with "regular" papers and have full show and breeding privileges. A horse that meets bloodline requirements but is born without the recognized color pattern/characteristics can still be registered with the ApHC because registry is based upon the pedigree of the horse reflecting a recognized Appaloosa bloodline. These solid colored, "non-characteristic" Appaloosas are registered with an "N" prefix on their registration papers, indicating the horse does not show the preferred Appaloosa color or characteristics. N-registered Appaloosas may not be shown at ApHC events unless the owner DNA parentage-verifies the N-registered horse and pays an extra fee to enter the horse into the ApHC's Performance Permit Program (PPP). [ [http://www.appaloosa.com/PerformancePermit.shtm Performance Permit Program] ] PPP horses can be shown in ApHC approved events; however, all solid non-characteristic Appaloosas do have breeding restrictions and can only be bred to a regular (#) papered Appaloosa. A (N) registered horse can be upgraded to regular registration at any time if the horse begins to show a color pattern and/or required Appaloosa characteristics.

References

External links

* [http://www.appaloosa.ca/ Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada Site]
* [http://www.appaloosa.dk/ Appaloosa Horse Club of Denmark]
* [http://www.aphcg.de/ Appaloosa Horse Club of Germany Site]
* [http://www.appaloosa.nl/ American Appaloosa Horse Club Holland]
* [http://www.appaloosaassn.co.nz/ Appaloosa Horse Association of New Zealand]
* [http://www.aphcuk.org/ Appaloosa Horse Club of the United Kingdom]