Appaloosa

An American horse breed known for its colorful spotted coat pattern, showing a wide range of body types from the many breeds that shaped its history, and coloring produced by base coat colors combined with spotting patterns genetically linked to the leopard complex mutation. The breed originated with the Nez Perce people of what is now the Pacific Northwest United States; settlers once called these spotted horses the Palouse horse, possibly after the Palouse River running through Nez Perce territory, and the name evolved into Appaloosa. The breed nearly disappeared after the Nez Perce War of 1877, but dedicated breeders preserved the bloodline until the Appaloosa Horse Club was formed as its breed registry in 1938; it ranks today among America's most popular horse breeds and was named Idaho's state horse in 1975. Appaloosas excel in western riding disciplines such as cutting, reining and barrel racing, also compete in English disciplines including eventing and show jumping, are used in horse racing, and appear frequently in Western films and television.