Tell me about Appy's

I bought a 13 yr.old Blue Roan Appy, just like some info on them. Are they a Gaited horse? He runs so differently than my other horses, his legs move really fast and his body just glides along, really funny to watch. Also his mane was roached when I got him and his tail cut really short, Do all people do this with their appy? I heard appy's are known for a thin mane and tail, is this true?? Any other info will be great. Thanks

Well I have a 9 yr old appy mare. I owned another appy previous to her and compared to my other horses I own both have a different gait. They seem to have a choppy trot/jog as what I can describe. Also to me the ones I have owned do not have a very smooth canter, also somewhat choppy. They are not considered gaited horses. Some appys have what is called a rat tail, their tails remain short. Others, like the one I currently own have a normal tail. My first appy I owned had a very thin mane and it always stayed short and "spiked up" never grew. My mare had a short mane when I bought her, the owner had said she rubbed it off. Her mane is now beginning to grow, but it is taking a long time. I love my mare, she is a very loving sweet girl and does anything I ask of her. Is very easy to keep weight on, and is an awesome trail horse. Both of my appys were great and solid horses. Hope this helps :)

Hi, and congrats on buying your appaloosa!

Yes, there are some horses and lines in the Appaloosa breed that are gaited. It is a minority, and not seen in the Appaloosa showring where walk-trot-canter (walk-jog-lope) are the accepted gaits, but intermediate four beat gaits do exist in Appaloosas.

Some of the Foundation lines have been known to have gaitedness, but it does not usually breed true. Some early Appaloosa lines had gaited breed ancestry back when ApHC allowed those crosses. For the past 25 years or so, the only breeds acceptable for crossing with Appaloosas for a registered foal have been Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, and Arabian, so there is less gaitedness "coming in" to the breed than in years prior to that limitation.

There are also people that cross Appaloosas on gaited breeds today to get more color and more gait in the same horse, and there are seperate (from ApHC- the Appaloosa Horse Club, the main registry for Appaloosas) registries for some of those crosses as well.

Thin manes and tails do come along with the LP gene (the "on off switch" for appaloosa coloring and characteristics) to some extent. Not all LP/appaloosa colored horses have thin manes and tails, but a noticeable enough percentage do that it has been considered a trait of the coloration. It is not found JUST in Appaloosas, but also other breeds which have LP coloring, such as POAs, Knabstruppers, etc.

Some of the breeders breeding "Foundation" bloodline Appaloosas prefer thin hair as an Appaloosa trait. Other breeders have selected away from thin hair, but it has not been totally erased-- and it is still found in Appaloosas (and their cousins) of all types and bloodlines, not just "Foundation"-- for example, some of the thinnest haired Appaloosas I have ever seen have been 15/16 Thoroughbred.

I would say most people today leave their Appaloosa's mane and tail "natural"-- and more would encourage them to grow rather than trim or roach them-- however where manes are really thin, short or stiff and don't lay over, roaching is still sometimes done for neatness or appearance or etc. Most people don't trim tails anymore-- are you sure your guy had his tail trimmed, or is it possible that his tail is just short?

Do you have any info on your guy's pedigree, history, or etc.? I would be happy to look at anything you have to see if I have more info to share.

They aren't normally a gaited horse, but his quick gait is pretty normal, atleast from what I have experienced of the Appaloosa breed.

They may not have chopped his tail off...it may be that short naturally. They may have roached his mane because it doesn't grow...

Yeah, thanks. He does have a choppy jog, not as smooth as a ride that I thought he'd be. Any health issues I have to worry about that Appy's are known for? He is being seen today by the vet after a trail ride I noticed he was breathing heavy and kinda whizzing, so hopefully nothing serious...

Eastowest: I don't have any info on his pedigree.His name is Shotgun and he is a blue roan appy, that is all I know. His tail does look like it was cut off just because it is cut straight across and I know his mane was roached because she told me she did it. But he may just have a short tail.Here is a pic of him.

He's cute :)

I've had my Appy for about 9 years now and he's probably the hardiest horse I've had. He's never had problems, except for the occasional scratch and what not. Their usually known to be pretty hardy...like I said he's almost 16 years old and has been showing constantly for 8 years. But the appy's are known for Moon Blindness of which is not life threatening but still something to watch out for.

Now my appy does have a thin mane and tail, but I try to let it grow a little more then usual and then pull it, and for the most part it's stayed fuller. But his tail is a different story. It's always been on the "ratty" side...almost reminds me of an elephant tail in the summer! LoL...anyways as far as gait, it seems to vary. My appy is actually really smooth in the trot and canter suprisingly, and has a longer stride then most do...but their all different.

Congrats on your purchase though...hope everything goes well for you two!!

Thanks, he really is a sweet horse but has a mean side to him, he's always been with mares as far as I understand it and now he is with all gelding, I don't think he likes it,lol. He's such a bully.

Ha! Mine is the exact same way. He's very pushy and bullies his little pony buddy all around the pasture so that he gets all the food. That's another thing...their PIGS!