The Seven Taxonomic Categories of an Appaloosa Horse

The Appaloosa horse features small spots, especially on its hindquarters. Many American Indian tribes rode Appaloosa horses, although these rugged saddle horses are most often associated with the Nez Perce Indians. Today, breeders carefully breed Appaloosa horses so that their distinctive spotted appearance remains prominent. These horses have seven taxonomic categories that scientists and breeders use to classify them.

  1. Kingdom

    • The kingdom name for the Appaloosa horse is Animalia. This means it is part of the animal kingdom. This broad classification distinguishes the Appaloosa from plants, fungi and bacteria. Though this might seem obvious if you've ever been around an Appaloosa, it helps scientists to distinguish broad classifications so that researchers can understand how living creatures interrelate.

    Phylum

    • The phylum classification for the Appaloosa is Chordata. This means it has a nerve chord that runs down its back. Appaloosas have spines that support their weight and carry their nerves from the brain to the rest of the body. Being aware of this can help you protect your Appaloosa by avoiding situations where it might rear up, fall over backward and permanently damage its spine.

    Class

    • The Appaloosa falls into the Mammalia class. This indicates it is a mammal. Thinking of your Appaloosa as a mammal will help you remember that it is different from other animals in that it has hair. Brushing out your Appaloosa's coat helps clear the hair follicles of debris and soothes the horse. Being a mammal also means the mothers nurse their young. If you raise an Appaloosa colt, then give it ample access to the mother for nursing.

    Order

    • The order name for the Appaloosa is Perissodactyla. This indicates it is a land-dwelling creature that eats plants. Feeding grain or alfalfa to an Appaloosa is adequate nutrition for your horse. It does not eat any kind of meat, and though the occasional apple is fine, the main diet is grains and grasses.

    Family

    • The family for the Appaloosa is Equidae. This term shows that the Appaloosa belongs among horses, zebras and asses. You may find it interesting that the Appaloosa with its spots is closely related to the zebra with its stripes. Though you most often think of the Appaloosa in relation to the American Indians, its ancestry goes back to a common ancestor with the African zebra.

    Genus

    • The Appaloosa's genus is Equus. Equus further defines the Appaloosa as belonging to the horse genus. People often associate the Appaloosa with Native Americans, but horses were actually brought to America by Europeans. The horse genus did not exist in America before that.

    Species

    • The Appaloosa species name is E. ferus. That means the Appaloosa was once a wild horse. Many people think of wild mustangs when they think of wild horses. In fact, mustangs still roam freely in parts of America that were the Old West. However, the mustang was originally a domesticated animal, whereas the Appaloosa was originally a wild animal that got domesticated.

    Subspecies

    • The subspecies name for the Appaloosa is E.f. caballus -- the classification for a horse that is domesticated. The Appaloosa is now domesticated, but that does not mean it is tamed creature. Each Appaloosa must be trained to accept a rider and to interact with people in nonaggressive ways. Never forget that your Appaloosa is a wild animal at heart. Treat it with respect to avoid getting hurt.

    Breed

    • While the scientific classification system does not include breeds, it is interesting to note that the Appaloosa has bloodlines dating back to Arabian horses. After the Nez Perce Indians lost most of their Appaloosas in a war in 1877, dedicated breeders kept the breed vital. In 1938, breeders formed the Appaloosa Horse Club. Today, breeders keep the Appaloosa's bloodline pure so that the breed won't disappear.