The Mustang Horse
The mustang horse is an extremely popular horse and is acknowledged by many people as a live symbol of the historic and adventurous energy of the Wild west.
Although Mustangs are often known as 'wild' horses, the more appropriate name is 'feral' horses as most so-called 'wild' horses established in The usa are bred from horses that were first domestic horses brought to America by the early settlers.
In most cases, these early horses were of European or Arab breeding stock, although they also had amongst them all combinations of colors and many people breeds.
A good number of these independent and brave horses escaped captivity or were taken by the indigenous peoples, and quickly spread right through the whole of america.
The Appaloosa
Appaloosas customarily show a mottled (or 'spotty') skin, white sclera (the bit of the eye around the cornea) and striped hooves.
The story of this popular horse is only partly understood. There is proof that spotted horses were present in many geographical regions in 'the old world', and archeologists have found cave paintings dating back to 18000BC illustrating mottled horses that may be forefathers of the modern appaloosa. It is quite possible that the spotted coat was originally a form of camouflage, much as the stripes on a zebra.
The contemporary Appaloosa is descended from horses carried to Mexico and the u.s. by early settlers. These were somehow acquired by the Nez perce tribe, who masterfully bred them into the marvelous horses that we recognize these days.
Appaloosas were first known as the "Palouse horse", although slowly the name transformed into the contemporary interpretation, "Appaloosa".
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