How to Find a Registered Appaloosa Owner

The Appaloosa horse is a "color" breed like paints and palominos, though these days registered Appaloosas are known for their distinctive spotted coat patterns. One of the world's most ancient breeds, American Appaloosas were first bred by the Nez Perce Indians of the Pacific Northwest for their beauty as well as great endurance, speed and athletic ability. Start your search for the owner of a registered Appaloosa through the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) though there are other registries.

Instructions

1. Find a member of the ApHC, the predominant domestic and international breed registry. Contact a nearby Appaloosa horse club, for example. (A club directory is included on the ApHC website http://www.appaloosa.com.) Only members can access the club's online horse registration database. This registry lists horses by registered name, with breeder, owner and other information. If horse ownership has changed but that transfer was never recorded, the owner of record and ApHC staff may be able to help you find the current owner, though you'll end up doing the legwork. For more information, contact the Appaloosa Horse Club, 2720 W. Pullman Rd., Moscow, ID 83843, [phone], or visit the club's website.

2. Find the owner of a "true" Appaloosa, or one with genetically true Appaloosa bloodlines (at least 75 percent), by contacting the Foundation Appaloosa Horse Registry, P.O. Box 1134, Middlebury, IN 46540, http://www.foundationapp.org. Some foundation Appaloosas also are registered with the ApHC. Preserving the authenticity of the breed became an issue in the 1990's, when the degree of bloodline dilution became clear. Another "purebred" Appaloosa horse registry is the International Purebred Appaloosa Association, http://www.purebredappaloosa.com, which limits possible registrants to ApHC registered horses prior to 1971 and their descendants, and the first 5,141 Appaloosas registered in Canada.

3. Find registered horses true to the breed's color characteristics by contacting the American Appaloosa Association (AApA), P.O. Box 429, Republic, MO 65738, [phone], http://www.amappaloosa.com. This registry emphasizes the unique physical characteristics of the Appaloosa horse; spotted coat, mottled skin, white sclera around the eyes and striped hooves. Because breed improvement is a stated goal, purity of bloodlines is not the issue here. Unlike the ApHC, the America Appaloosa Association does not register any horse, no matter its bloodlines, that does not look like an Appaloosa.

4. Contact a foreign registry if an owner is likely to live outside the U.S. There are a number of Appaloosa horse clubs and registries that track horses bred and born in other countries, including the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada, P.O. Box 940, Claresholm, AB T0L 0T0, [phone], http://www.appaloosa.ca. Most registries in other countries also are affiliated with the ApHC, so a thorough ApHC search should work.

Tips & Warnings

• A horse's registered or full name may be quite different than a nickname, so make sure you know the official registered name before starting a search.

References

• Appaloosa.com: Appaloosa Horse Club
• Foundationapp.org: Foundation Appaloosa Horse Registry
• Amappaloosa.com: American Appaloosa Association

Resources

• The Appaloosa Museum