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APPALOOSAS, OTHER BREEDS AND CROSSBREDS
By Ben Johnson
Vice President
Appaloosa Horse Club, Inc.
as
printed in 1960 in The Appaloosa News
NOTE: photos have been added to emphasize what
Mr. Johnson is writing about.
Article
written by
Ben
Johnson
An early-day director,
Ben Johnson was known as the longest serving director in ApHC history, with 33
years to his credit (1948-1981), part of that time serving as Vice-president.
He was extremely active in the organization of regional clubs and active in the
racing scene. Ben Johnson owned Patchy Jr. and Patchy 416. An
accomplished sculptor he designed the
bronze trophy for the annual race horse award. He has written many articles
about bloodlines and color production. Many people considered Ben Johnson an
authority on color and breeding and a premier ApHC judge.
Mr. Johnson was
inducted into the ApHC Hall Of Fame in 1988.
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I think we as Appaloosa breeders could give the following a little thought; It was told to me by my mother when I was a boy. There was a fellow who lived during the Civil War. General Lee passed his place as he was pushing his armies north and asked him what he was. He said, “I’m a Grey.” Later General Grant passed his place as he was going south and asked him what he was, and his answer was “I’m a Blue.” The war ended and General Lee and General Grant passed the same place together and asked the man what he was, and his only answer was, “I’m not much of anything.”
I believe in the Appaloosa and I respect a breeder
who believes in and breeds Arabs, Quarter Horses, or Thoroughbreds. My first
Appaloosa was Leopard Lady No. 167. Leopard Lady
(NOTE: pictured on left with foal Patchy Jr.) was a horse that seemed to know
what was expected of her and did it. She sold me on the breed the same as many
other Appaloosas sold other people on the breed. It was through her that I
learned of the Appaloosa Horse Club, Inc., organized in 1938. I soon became
affiliated with it, and have worked with the Club for the propogation of the
Appaloosa ever since.
The old breeders knew what they were breeding for, and they had it: it was a horse that could get the job done.
As the breed progressed the number of Appaloosas increased,
and they received more and more publicity. Newcomers began asking for more
information about
the breed. In order to give them an unbiased answer the
Appaloosa Horse Club sent a questionnaire to all Appaloosa owners and
breeders. The result of this questionnaire is in the Stud Book “The Appaloosa
Horse.” It definitely describes what the Appaloosa should be. It gives his proportions
according to size and weight, his conformation and breed type. Anyone who will
read it with an open mind will have a definite picture of what the Appaloosa
should be. Our judging standard was adopted from the results of that questionnaire.
A well known judge who recently judged one of our larger shows remarked that
our judging standard was the best written description of a good horse that he
had ever read.
Because he was associated with another breed a judge at another of our larger shows asked me not to use his name. He said, “I have seen far less foot and leg trouble in the Appaloosa than in any of the other breeds.” Shall we buy trouble by out-crossing?
Naturally there will be differences in the size and some variance in type within the breed. This will be due to the fact that some breeders will be breeding their horse for one specific purpose. I have always maintained that you need some extremes to keep the breed in balance. Nevertheless, if these extremes are produced by selective breeding within the breed they will be definitely stamped with the breed type and characteristics.
“There just isn’t a good horse in the Appaloosa breed.” Yes, I know I have heard it a thousand times from frustrated breeders who have come over the fence to greener pastures because they couldn’t meet the competition in their own beloved breed, so they think our Appaloosa isn’t a good horse because he doesn’t look like an Arab, Quarter horse, Thoroughbred or what have you. They will cross him until he looks like their breed with an Appaloosa hide, then they will have a horse— so they think.
In localities where Appaloosas are being raised and used they are taking home far more than their share of the ribbons, and are working against odds to do it. Anytime one Appaloosa is in a class of 10 his chances are 10 to 1 that he will win it.
The trend the last couple of years has been toward the heavily muscled bulldog type horse. Although at some shows this type of horse has predominated in the halter classes it has never carried through to the performance classes. It has been brought about by the power of advertising and repetition. Constant advertising of heavy muscled bull-dog type was almost the ruination of the working ability of the Quarter Horse. The horse that made the Quarter Horse breed famous was not the muttoned withered, bull-dog, heavy muscled type that has been so highly advertised the last 15 to 20 years. He was a horse that had good withers, long muscles, legs long enough to reach the ground and didn’t run like he was hobbled. He was a horse that you rode all day and when you looked back at night you knew that you had been someplace. He was a horse that handled 3 and 4 year old steers, not baby calves. The old time Quarter Horse breeders knew what type horse it took to handle stock and win races. They didn’t win many ribbons at halter for a while but performance proved them right. Now look at the change in type of horses the cowboys are using at the rodeos and cutting contests, and on the race track. They are using a taller, higher withered, longer muscled horse definitely showing the influence of Thoroughbred blood and the same type of horse is winning more and more halter championships, and dominating performance. Now those who went to the bull-dog type are left holding the bag.
Shall we stick to the Appaloosa Horse that has made the breed famous, or shall we put an Appaloosa hide on a bull-dog type because it has been highly publicized but is being forsaken like a sinking ship by the Quarter Horse breeders? I say STICK TO THE APPALOOSA HORSE. If we try to ride roman on an Appaloosa hide and a bull-dog type we will soon come to a fork in the road and we’ll be sitting high and dry on the sign between that points in two directions. We will be at least ten years behind and could be reduced to a color without a breed.
I don’t advise closing the door to out crosses. Perhaps one might breed a better individual quicker, but each time he outcrosses he is back at the bottom of the ladder and has to start climbing again. There is only one way the breed can be made pure and that is selective breeding within the breed. The Appaloosa should look like an Appaloosa and not like an Arab or Quarter Horse.
If you will spend a little time and check the records, you will find Appaloosa horses that, had they had the financial backing that some of the top horses of other breeds have had, these other breeds would not even be in the Appaloosa dust.
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This was written in 1960 - imagine if people would have heeded this message at that time............... |
Vicki B. |