The history of the Appaloosa Horse begins as long as 20,000 years ago. Paintings and sculptures of spotted horses have been found in ancient caves and tombs. The history of the Appaloosa begins in North America in the 1500's when the Spanish introduced them to Mexico. They quickly spread, reaching the Northwest by the 1700's where they became the prized choice of the Nez Perce tribe of Indians in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Having these horses allowed the Nez Perce to evolve from simple fishermen to mobile hunters cable of hunting buffalo and trading goods and services. They became excellent horsemen and chose only the best horses for breeding and mounts as war horses. Their spotted horses were highly prized amongst other tribes. The famous explorer, Meriwether Lewis commented on the beauty and excellence of the spotted horse during his travels.

 

The Appaloosa was first known as "A Palouse Horse" due to the Nez Perce living in the Palouse Country of the Northwest. It then changed to " Palousey", "Appalousey" and then evolved into "Appaloosa". By the mid 1800's, settlers had flooded into the Northwest. With the Nez Perce War of 1877 and the final defeat of Chief Joseph and his tribe in Montana, the mighty Appaloosa of the Nez Perce was left behind, scattered or distributed amongst settlers. Over time almost all of them diminished until they started showing up in roundups, and rodeos. They caught the eye of several people and a magazine article was published in The Western Horseman in 1937 peaking interest in the spotted horse once again. People started showing renewed interest in the breed and in 1938, the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was established to preserve and improve the breed. The Appaloosa quickly gained popularity and in 1975, was named Idaho's state horse by the Governor. The breed has continued to grow into one of the most beloved American horse breeds and is now known throughout the world. 

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