Best Appaloosa Horse Names

The Appaloosa horse, very unique and distinct compared to the other horse types. It’s known to have the leopard gene or the LP gene code that exhibits paint splatter on their coat. The leopard gene gives it a dappled pattern and spots that have become so identifiable with the breed

This lays the base for its naming ideas and because they can have 13 base coat shades, you have an enigma of names to choose from. Great examples include Galilahi which means attractive as the patterns on its coat, Leo, Libra, Tia, Wilow, Freckle, Blotch, Patches, among others.

You can choose to name your Appaloosa horse based on several themes, if not for the sake of colors, what about its behavior, names of famous Appaloosa Horses, Indian native horse names, among others. Get naming ideas right below as we go through the best of the best.

Famous Appaloosa Horses

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Prince Plaudit

Born in 1963, Prince Plaudit is one of the most famous Appaloosa horses in the world. He received winnings in halter and performance events and was awarded sore champion twice. He also sired great foals who have won over 20 medallions, one being gold, three that were silver, and 19 for the bronze.

King Plaudit

Born in 1964, King Plaudit whos the half brother to Prince Plaudit also has the spotlight for winning 33 halter titles in just one year. He also sired a foal by the name Plaudit Doll that won the national champion

Other Famous Appaloosa Horses

Cojo Rojo – a black-blanketed Appaloosa ridden by Marlon Brando in the 1966 movie “The Appaloosa,”
Zip Cochise – the horse ridden by John Wayne in the 1966 movie “El Dorado.”
Pay N Go – this is a 16.2-hand bay leopard Appaloosa and Grand Prix dressage horse, who performed his life at the request of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney in 1998 during memorial services for his wife, Linda McCartney, in Manhattan, New York.
Cowboy – ridden by Matt Damon in the movie True Grit, 2010

Appaloosa Stallion — white-red Appaloosa

Other Famous Appaloosa Horses Include;

Acclaim
Bright Eyes Brother
Colida
Joker B
Joker B
King David
Mighty Tim
Mr. Exclusive
Patchy 416
Prince David
Red Eagle
Rustler bill
Skipper W
Spittin Image
String of Stars
Toby
Wal
Wapiti
Wapspot

Indian Appaloosa Horse Names

The history of the Appaloosa horse dates back to the 1700s when the Nez Perce people began breeding their first horses. These skilled hunters and fishermen became excellent equestrians who then gave their horses Indian names.

Examples include;

Adonis
Aleece
Alegria
Angela / Angel / Angeni
Aponi
Ashley
Ayaan
Aysha
Badger
Benny
Carlos
Carola
Celestina
Chimalis
Cyntia
Dibe
Donato
Earlena
Emerald
Estella
Galilahi
German
Hachi
Haleb
Hantaywee
Honiahak
Iris
Isi
Jamaal
Jasmeen
Justino
Leonel
Libera
Liluye:
Magena:
Mahu
Mai
Mika
Molly
Monica
Monte
Nina
Odahingum
Odina
Ohcumgache
Oliverio
Onaiwah
Onida
Pablo
Paco
Paloma
Pamuy or pamuya
Panola
Patricia
Petunia
Phobos
Pia
Raymon
Ricardo
Samman
Satinka
Simona
Tartarus
Teo
Teodor
Tia
Tierra
Tsula
Usdi
Vanesa
Wauna
Whiskey
Yanaba
Zahir
Zaltana

Cute Female Appaloosa Names

Ahearn

The name means horse or lord of horses in Celtic.

Aurora

Works great for mares and foals with beautiful markings on their body. These flashy markings made them beautiful, hence why the name is universally used for roans, appaloosas, and pintos/ paint horses

Bella

Italian or Latin for beautiful or pretty. The name is suitable for any female horse. With its beautiful coat, the Appaloosa deserves this name.

Chance

If you’re looking to have the horse compete as a racehorse. Chance is a good name. It means to seize the opportunity.

Cinch

The name comes from the Spanish word “cincha.” Used to refer to the saddle girth or strap used to hold the horse’s belly. It’s a pretty casual name.

Libra

From the horoscope, Libra is a free-spirited being that enjoys doing its work and the company of other people, an extrovert.

Lily

If your horse has a huge white patch on its body, especially around the neck, then lily would be a good name as lilies are white blossoming flowers.

Piper

This name is suitable for the breed of American quarter horses or Appaloosa horses because they can run fast over short distances.

Princess

A name that comes from the royal hierarchy, just like queen and Duchess.

Penelope

A jumper or one that enjoys skipping and hopping around.

Simona

A horse with a big heart capable of performing extraordinary stunts. You could also use Simone.

Star

This means the one that steals the show, a winner, or a proud competitor.

Tia

Defines a tall and majestic horse. If it has grey or white hair, you can consider Tilly.

Other names

Algeria
Amber
Ashley
Auburn
Baby
Badger
Bonny / Bunny
Cisco
Echo
Gracie
Jasmine
Justino
Lola
Luna
Molly
Nina
Olive
Piper
Princess
Pumpkin
Rosie
Shadow
Wilow

Cool Male Appaloosa Names

Brownie

A brownie is sweet, brown, and tasty. A perfect male name for your horse as some of the Appaloosas have beautiful brown spots.

Darwin

Darwin means a “Dear friend.”

Gimlet

When you can’t tell what to name your horse, gimlet is a good name as is a gin mixed drink from different flavors.

Knight

The knight has many meanings. It means a warrior, a chivalrous code of conduct, and a leader

Mellow

The name speaks about attitude. It means to be relaxed and laid back regardless of the situation.

Neron

A strong and prestigious name that means strong in Spanish.

Ranger

Often used in the western and southern states of the United States of America. You’ll hear of Army Rangers or Texas Rangers.

Ryder

In ancient history, Knights would go by the name of Ryder / Ryders.

Tony

Short form of the name Anthony to mean priceless or worthy.

Woody

Inspired by a cartoon woodpecker. Woody can be a good name for an appaloosa with a deep brown solid color.

Zoom

Zoom means to move fast. The name was used in a Comic Book called “Villain of the Flash.”

Other names

Adonis
Ayaan / Ian
Bangle
Benny
Blemish
Blotch
Boots
Brand
Camo
Carlos
Chip
Chutney
Domino
Felix
Freckles
German
Haleb
Harlequin
Lakota
Leonel
Merle
Orca
Patches
Pet
Robos
Samman
Shunk
Tartarus
Theodore
Trippy

Fun & Interesting Facts about Appaloosa Horse

The name Appaloosa wasn’t their original name. European settlers initially called this type of horse “Palouse horse” after the Palouse River that ran through the land of the Nez Perce people; the Native American tribe that developed the breed.

After some time, the horse was named the Palouse horse then became the Apalouse horse, and finally the Appaloosa. Nicknames of these type of horse included Apalousey, Appaloosie, and Appalucy.

Another inspiration to their name came from an ancient book published back in 1948. It featured a horse breed by the name Opelousa, which was a hardy and tough breed of Indian and Spanish horse, used by backwoodsmen of the late 18th century to transport goods to New Orleans for sale.

Other interesting facts about this horse include;

Mass Recognition

It was named the official state horse of Idaho in 1975 making them one of the most popular horse breeds in the United States of America. Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus signed this legislation also making Idaho the first state to offer a custom license plate featuring a state horse.

Color Genetics

The Appaloosa has over ten base coat colors including bay, gray, roan, dun, black, chestnut, grulla, palomino, among others. As such, it’s very unlikely for you to ascertain a horse’s final coat color from when it’s a colt. Foals of any breed tend to be born with coats that darken when they shed their baby hair. Plus, their offspring don’t often show their leopard characteristics while still young.

The Appaloosa’s patterns change throughout their life, varying from any of the common six base coats. We say six because even though the colors of the coat are 13, there are the more obvious coat colors like;

Blanket – a base coat with white markings spotted on the hips and other lighter areas.
Frost – small freckles over dark-colored regions
Leopard – very common with the Appaloosa. Large dark spots over a white base coat.
Marble – the opposite of frost.
Snowflake – light spots over darker areas especially along with the hindquarters.
Solid – no color pattern

They Have Three Common Characteristics

Besides the common leopard complex gene, the Appaloosas can have three other common characteristics, they include;

Mottled skin around the muzzle, eyes, anus, and genitalia
Striped hooves
Eyes with a white sclera

Note, it’s not a certainty that the Appaloosa should have these three features, but it’s very unlikely for them not to.

Gene Related Health Issues

Because of the leopard complex gene, they could suffer other health conditions such as Equine Recurrent Uveitis, also known as moon blindness. It is noted that this horse poses the highest risk of contracting this condition, precisely, eight times more likelihood. The health condition occurs when there is reduced hair around the mane and tail as well as skin pigmentation around the eyelids.

Unfortunately, if left untreated, it can lead to blindness. Moreover, Appaloosas often suffer from Congenital stationary night blindness where they can’t see in low or no light areas. This is also linked to the leopard complex gene.

Common on Screens

The Appaloosa has been featured in prominent black and white, western, and modern television shows such as Little House on the Prairie. Walt Disney also has an Appaloosa-specific TV series that has been long-running, called Run Appaloosa Run. You can also see the horse breed in shows like the First Nations girl with the horse’s name as Sky Dance.

Versatile Roles

They were not just for one role but many others. They were bred to carry riders over long distances, tough terrains, and indulge in many activities. Some of these disciplines include;

Roping
Cutting
Parades
Barrel racing
Ranch work
Trail riding
Endurance races
Reining
Fox-hunting
Eventing
Showjumping and Rodeos
Pole bending

Horse Names By Breeds

Horse Names Coat Color & Patterns

Horse Names A-Z

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Horse Names By Events/Activities/Sports

Horse Naming Ideas

Sources

https://sunvalleymag.com/articles/the-appaloosa
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appaloosa
http://www.appaloosamuseum.org/