Walkaloosa horses are a gaited horse with appaloosa
patterning. The gaited horse with appaloosa patterning has been documented in
history for hundreds, even thousands of years. Then in 1938 when the animals
who exhibited LP complex (the genetic factor that causes the spotting of the
Appaloosa Horse) were brought together to form the registry that became the
Appaloosa Horse Club, the gaited animals were lumped together with all
appaloosa patterned horses as the stock that became Registered Appaloosas.
Although the ApHC has years of crosses with many other
styles of horses that became the breeds of Quarter Horse, Arabian, and
Thoroughbred, the breeders shied way from including the naturally gaited
animals in their breeding program - due to the dictates of the show ring. The
Appaloosa Horse Club will, in fact, no longer accept for Registration, any foal
with Appaloosa coloring and a parent from a "gaited" breed.
In spite of this exclusion, many full blooded, registered
Appaloosas still perform a natural gait often referred to as the "The
Indian Shuffle." However the gene pool within the ApHC is rather slim and
few breeders exist who strive to perpetuate this tendency. The Walkaloosa Horse
Association was formed in 1983 to preserve the gaited appaloosa-patterned
horses for future generations. The goal was a simple one: preserve, improve and
perpetuate the natural smooth gait in a spotted patterned animal that can
perform a smooth gait as the intermediate gait undersaddle. There are many
horses within the registry who are 3rd or 4th generation Registered Walkaloosa
and new animals are being accepted as the books are still open by inspection.
Just as all breed registries had to at some point gather the animals that met
their criteria to acknowledge and certify as the type the Registry wishes to
perpetuate, the WHA is continuing that process.
In order to qualify as a Walkaloosa, a horse must meet one
of three criteria: 1. Be the progeny of a Registered Walkaloosa stallion and
mare or; 2. Show Appaloosa coloring and demonstrate an intermediate gait, other
than a trot or: 3. Be the product of verifiable Appaloosa and gaited horse
blood.
A Walkaloosa is able to walk, gait, and canter with equal
ease. Walkaloosas stand at 13-16 hands high but most fall between 14 and 15.2
hands high.
The muscling of the Walkaloosa will depend on the type of
gaits it performs. Generally, stallions will exhibit masculinity and mares will
look feminine. They range from 13-16 hands high with 14-15.2 hands being
desirable. The head may be of any profile except an extreme of those profiles
and a Roman nose is undesirable. The neck conformation varies between gait type
and sex. The throat latch should be clean and allow for proper flexion and
breathing. The top line should be level or slightly uphill, the back's length
can vary but should have a well-muscled loin. The angle of the shoulder should
allow freedom of movement and the withers should be well defined but not
pronounced.
Walkaloosas may not exhibit severe overshot or undershot
jaws, common or coarse heads, pig eyes, or parrot mouth. Other faults not to be
included in the breed include a thick throat latch, a thick neck, a low neck
set, ewe neck, some downhill horses (particularly with no withers), a square
outline, or the horse being taller than it is long. Faults relating to the back
are: an excessively long back, especially when coupled with a weak loin
connection, extreme downhill conformation, thick, coarse or overly muscular
appearance, insufficient muscling to the loin, or any crookedness of the back.
About Walkaloosa Horses
