CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: Appaloosa
Every state has its symbols, and Idaho is no exception. Our state fish is the cutthroat trout. Our state flower is Lewis’ mock-orange. Our state bird? That’s going to be the mountain bluebird. What about our state mammal? That title goes to the Appaloosa horse (Equus ferus caballus). Unlike the normal cast of critters we cover here, the Appaloosa horse is not truly wild, and not native to Idaho. In fact, no modern horses are native to anywhere in the New World, including the famous “wild” mustangs of the American southwest. Thousands of years ago, truly wild horses once roamed the plains of North America alongside mammoths, ground sloths, mastodons and saber-toothed cats. Appaloosas are not the descendants of these Ice Age horses, as they and many other Ice Age animals were sent into extinction by severe climate changes that characterized the end of the Ice Age.
Appaloosa horses are of average size by horse standards, weighing 950-1,250 pounds and standing 56-64 inches tall. These horses are very popular among horse breeders because of their colorful coats, which are dark brown with white patterns (though darker and lighter, even white, variations exist). Appaloosas are most commonly used for leisure and trail riding, but this versatile breed can also be used in working cattle, racing, performing dressage, jumping and endurance riding.
With all those introductions out of the way, how did we Idahoans end up with a state mammal that’s not even native to the wilds of Idaho? To answer that, we must go to the early days of the United States, back before we were even a nation.
While horses in North America died out at the close of the Ice Age, horses in Eurasia and Africa continued to thrive in the aftermath. Humans domesticated them. In the 1500s, a group of spotted horses were brought to America. Exactly who brought them is still a mystery.
The most popular and likely theory is that Spanish Conquistadors brought them to America on their journey here. After all, they are responsible for bringing the earliest and largest numbers of horses to America. Another theory suggests the Appaloosa’s ancestors were brought here by Russian fur traders; and yet another idea some have considered is that large numbers of horses were shipped to America when spotted horses fell out of style in Europe.
What we do know is that the spotted ancestors of the modern Appaloosa must have fascinated the Nez Perce native American tribes of eastern Washington, Oregon and western Idaho, because by the 18th century, they housed, cared for and bred them into the Appaloosa breed we known today.
In his Feb. 15, 1805, diary entry, Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark fame) described the Appaloosas bred by the Nez Perce tribe as “an excellent race...lofty, eligantly (sic) formed, active and durable.” As settlers started seeing more and more Appaloosas, they began to call them “a palouse horses,” in reference to a river that runs through North Idaho called the Palouse River. As many words do, the horse’s name evolved into “Palousey,” “Appalousey,” and at last “Appaloosa.”
So there you have it: how the Appaloosa horse became an icon of the Pacific Northwest, and especially of Idaho. So much so that Idaho was the first state to release a state horse on one of its license plates! The next time you see a horse emboldened with dark brown and white patterns, think about the enriching history this horse has in our horse-loving state.
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Christian Ryan can be reached at animaladventures1314@gmail.com
HOMESCHOOL PROJECT
APPALOOSA HORSE LAPBOOK
Photo Credit: Jessica at Homeschooling in Heels Blog
What is a lapbook?
A lapbook is a really cool hands-on way of teaching your children about anything! It helps to reinforce ideas they are learning.
It can consist of file folders with small pieces of colorful cardstock folded, cut into various shapes and glued inside. To make the outer cover open the folders then fold each side into each other. It should look like the trifold. Inside the folder you can glue or staple cardstock to make pages or pockets for additional space. Your child’s lapbook should be educational and fun! It doesn’t have to be perfect, moms! Here is a link for FREE templates.
https://www.homeschoolshare.com/lapbook-templates.php
If you struggle with making one or are lost for ideas you can find The Ultimate Guide to Lapbooks on the internet. We personally used this book.
Once the lapbook has been created it is time to start filling it with information, photos and objects. You can use those leftover scrapbook supplies too.
Topic suggestions to include in your lapbook: facts about the appaloosa horse, my top four favorite facts, horse taxonomy, animals related horses, the life cycle of a horse, horse classification, hooves are made of, the gaits of a horse, the anatomy of a horse, a horse’s diet and anything else you find during your research.
Lapbooks are not only for the younger ones, but for high schoolers too! ENJOY!
Project provided by Angel Dominiq
angeldominiq13@gmail.com