APPALOOSA HORSE CLUB BREED STANDARDS
The Appaloosa horse Club was founded in 1938 to " preserve the blood of the once famous Appaloosa war and buffalo horses of the northwest". Specific purposes of the registry were laid out to the membership in several places, including an ApHC pamphlet published in 1940-41.
In the early 1950s, ApHC officials wanted a more speciific standard for breeding and judging Appaloosas. The ApHC membership was sent a survey, and the majority responded that they preferred the Appaloosa to be of medium stock horse type and a pleasure to ride. In the late 1950's, George Phippen, renowned Western artist, was commissioned by the ApHC to create a drawing to illustrate the ideal Appaloosa. He worked with photos of top show winners (both performance and halter), photos of winning Thoroughbred horses (purportedly including Man O'War) and with ApHC board guidance. After several revisons the drawing was approved- the Phippen Horse was adopted, along with the written guidelines based on the member survey, as the Appaloosa Breed Standard. This illustration, along with the written ApHC standards, and writings published in the Appaloosa Stud Books, guided Appaloosa breeders from the early 1960's through the 1970's. "The Phippen Appaloosa" was also used as a logo of the ApHC.
The black and white drawings below are by artist George Phippen. The color version by "Merilee" in 1973, was printed on the covers of the paperback Stud Books published by the ApHC.
In the early 1950s, ApHC officials wanted a more speciific standard for breeding and judging Appaloosas. The ApHC membership was sent a survey, and the majority responded that they preferred the Appaloosa to be of medium stock horse type and a pleasure to ride. In the late 1950's, George Phippen, renowned Western artist, was commissioned by the ApHC to create a drawing to illustrate the ideal Appaloosa. He worked with photos of top show winners (both performance and halter), photos of winning Thoroughbred horses (purportedly including Man O'War) and with ApHC board guidance. After several revisons the drawing was approved- the Phippen Horse was adopted, along with the written guidelines based on the member survey, as the Appaloosa Breed Standard. This illustration, along with the written ApHC standards, and writings published in the Appaloosa Stud Books, guided Appaloosa breeders from the early 1960's through the 1970's. "The Phippen Appaloosa" was also used as a logo of the ApHC.
The black and white drawings below are by artist George Phippen. The color version by "Merilee" in 1973, was printed on the covers of the paperback Stud Books published by the ApHC.
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In 1980-81, the ApHC commissioned a "new" Appaloosa ideal from famous artist Orren Mixer. This new ideal Appaloosa was unveiled in 1981. The Appaloosa it depicted had some distinct conformational differences from the Phippen Appaloosa, and had distinct similarities to the ideal Quarter Horse, also painted by Mixer, for the American Quarter Horse Association. However, the conformation pictured in the new visual ideal still fell within the written standard which specified that the Appaloosa was a stock horse type which was a pleasure to ride.
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The "Phippen Appaloosa" and the "Mixer Appaloosa" have been some of the most talked about "ideal Appaloosa" images, but they were not the only artist's images used by the ApHC and others to depict the Appaloosa. Visit the Appaloosa Profiles page for more historic images of Appaloosas from the 1930s to present.
The ApHC also adjusted the written Appaloosa breed standard several times-- there was an early standard written by Claude Thompson in the early 1940s, and then the more formal standard was written in the 1950s after the ApHC membership was polled about their uses and preferences for the Appaloosa. This standard was published in the Appaloosa Studbook and also printed as an Appaloosa Judging Guide. The Appaloosa breed standard was adjusted in the ApHC handbook in the mid-1980's, and most recently again in 2011-- the standard had been left out of the handbook for over a decade, and a somewhat revised version was adopted by Board motion when they voted for it to be returned to the handbook starting in 2012.
You can read and compare the various written Appaloosa Breed Standards at the links below--
Early 1940s Appaloosa Breed Standard 1950s-1970s Appaloosa Breed Standard
1980s-1990s Appaloosa Breed Standard 2011 Appaloosa Breed Standard
