The Nez Perce Indians are considered to be the first North American group of people that selectively bred and raised the spotted horses of the prairies. The original Appaloosas are likely to be descendants of the now extinct breed of Spanish horses known as the spotted Spanish Jennets. These horses, or their offspring, then mated with other Spanish horses brought over with groups of explorers, producing the spotted horses now known as the Appaloosa. Another legend in the Nez Perce tribe is that the horses were actually traded for food between the tribe and a Russian ship, which would mean that the horses are of the ancient Tiger Horse breed that is depicted in Siberian legend and art. Even as early as 1806 the Lewis and Clark expedition reported that the Nez Perce Indians had the largest domesticated herd of spotted horses which were highly prized by the people. Since the tribe was originally located in the Palouse River valley of Idaho and Washington, the name Appaloosa gradually evolved.
Traditional training of the Appaloosa started right from the first contact with humans. Nez Perce people treated the horses like one of the family, and they used the process of imprinting to allow the foal to establish trust and interactions with people. This gradual training and socialization of the Appaloosa foals meant that they were constantly involved with people and were gentled from birth.
Training the Appaloosa was very different traditionally than in more modern times. Younger riders would typically ride the horses completely bareback and often without any type of reins. This allowed the young horses to become familiar with the weight of a person upon their back. As the horse matured a headstall was used as well as traditional types of reins, but bits were not used, rather the bosal type headstall was traditional. In later years bits became more common. Traditionally ridden bareback, emphasis on training was on responding to aids rather than by reining. These horses were fearless and fast and were bred for physical stamina, conformation, and excellent temperament.
In addition, the Nez Perce trained their horses to be used in various races and events that were designed to highlight the strength, speed, and intelligence of the horse and its cohesiveness with the rider. Games such as the Stake Race, the Keyhole Race, and the Rope Race all are traditional races that also served a purpose in the real world. The Prairie Stump Race is similar to a modern barrel race but two horses and riders, each going opposite directions from a central start line compete against each other in the traditional clover leaf pattern.
Races and games with horses were part of the traditional training for the breed. Since the horses and people were so closely connected these games were a real source of pride and achievement for both the horses and the owners. The breeding programs the Nez Perce traditionally used enabled the best, fastest, and strongest of the Appaloosas to continue to pass on their genetic lines to further generations.
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