Appaloosa Breed Standards ApHC Judging Appaloosa History
APPALOOSA BREED STANDARDS
The Appaloosa Breed was originally considered and evaluated as a horse with conformation and traits that were distinct and different than any other breed. The Appaloosa Horse Club determined the need to develop and issue its first written Breed Standard after the first Appaloosa nationals held in 1948. A survey about the type and uses preferred for Appaloosas was sent to the membership in 1950. a standard was printed in the Studbooks by the early 1950's, and sent out to new members as a Judging Guide.
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 late 1950's, George Phippen, renowned Western artist, was commissioned by the ApHC to create a drawing to illustrate the Appaloosa Breed Standard. He worked with photos of top show winners (both performance and halter) and with ApHC board guidance. After several revisons the drawing was approved- the Phippen Horse was adopted as the Appaloosa Breed Standard. This illustration, along with the written ApHC standards, and writings published in the Appaloosa Stud Books, guided Appaloosa breeders for many years. "The Phippen Appaloosa" was also used as a logo of the ApHC.
The black and white drawings are by artist George Phippen.
The color version by "Merilee" was printed on the covers of the paperback Stud Books published by the ApHC.
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.
Mixer Appaloosa
Mixer Quarter Horse
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 to depict the Appaloosa....
The ApHC also continued to print an Appaloosa breed standard in the rule book into the mid-1980's.
