Instructions
Examine the horse's overall appearance. Appaloosa's are generally between 14 to 16 hands tall at the wither (every hand is four inches). They typically weigh between 950 to 1,250 lbs.
Look at the horse's coat. Appaloosa's have very distinctive spotted coat patterns. The most common patterns have a lighter coloring over the hind end with contrasting dark spots. The spots may continue over the entire body, almost giving a freckling effect. Appaloosa coat patterns can vary greatly and no two horses will have identical markings. The spots on an Appaloosa are smaller and far more irregular than the spots you see on a Paint horse.
Examine the horse's skin closely. Underneath the fur and on the soft tissue the skin will be mottled. Appaloosa skin is not a consistent color or shade. It is speckled and looks as if the horse has freckles.
Look at the horse's eyes. Appaloosa's sclera (area around the eyeball) is white, giving the eye a similar appearance to a human eye. White sclera distinguishes the Appaloosa from other breeds, as most breeds of horses have a dark sclera.
Look at the horse's hooves. Appaloosa's are the only breed with light and dark vertical striping on the hooves when there are no white leg markings.
How to Spot an Appaloosa
To identify an Appaloosa horse and tell it apart from other horses around it, you must be familiar with the features that distinguish the breed from other similar breeds. The Appaloosa shares a number of physical characteristics with the American Quarter Horse and American Paint Horse including a similar height and build. However, Appaloosa horses are a distinctive breed with several easily identifiable characteristics of their own. The Appaloosa's most notable characteristic is his spotted coat.