I know someone who thinks appaloosas are stubborn and dumb is that true?

Question

I know someone who thinks appaloosas are stubborn and dumb is that true?

Answer 1

i think they are stubborn, but by no means dumb

Answer 2

I've known some nice appys but the majority of them were real knotheads.  Not a particular favorite in my book.

There is an old joke about appys that says "why did the indians ride Appaloosas?"  "Because by the time they got to the battle they'd be so pissed off that they'd REALLY be ready for a fight.."

Answer 3

although every horse breed has different characteristics and dispositions, it varies for every horse personally also...

my horse is only half appaloossa (no spots like whatsoever, haha!) and he is the sweetest thing you will ever meet....he seriously licks your hands...and he is really smart.  for example, when he doesn't want to work, he'll  read the rider and figure out a way to get them mad or frustrated (me its spooking, and for other girls its just balking or refusing to work)

i love him though!

hope this helps...

Answer 4

Breed Steroeotypes are REALLY common.  Why people do this?  Well first of all, because they have a few bad experiences with a "breed" and then thats it, its all BREED typical.  Frankly, I beleive that there are breed tendancies, but every issue regardless of its severity is workable.  Its not EVER the breed, its the Training and the hands that do to the work with the horse.  For instance, I ride and train off track TBs and its often I get this: "those horses are hot, ill tempered, rushers, bad feet, flighty, not overly intelligent" blah blah blah....but I ride all of my TBs in a rubber or mild snaffle, they are worked into being kid safe...even the hottest ones (and beleive me, some of them are mental).  Again, its not the breed, its the training they go through and the mentality they are taught.  Its a matter of patience, understanding and consistency with them regardless of the breed, if you can learn to understand behavior and work with it accordingly...you'll have a whole other experience.

Short answer - No. Its not true.  Maybe the odd Appy is....but again its not the APPY its the TRAINING.  Ive had an appy, ridden a few and trained a few - theyre great little horses just like the rest of the equine breeds if youre willing to just work WITH them and not against them.

Good Luck : 0)

EDIT***

BEST ANSWER TO AMERICAN MORGAN MAKER! Well Said! : 0)

Answer 5

Not at all, my friend has an appy, he is the smartest horse I know of!

Answer 6

It has nothing to do with the breed, Im sure some are, but not all are.

Answer 7

I don't believe they are stupid; I do however believe that some are pretty set in their ways and you have to learn how to work with that.

Answer 8

not with all Appaloosas, all breeds can be stubborn and dumb

Answer 9

Any horse can be stubborn and dumb...a whole breed is not going to have the same personality.

Answer 10

stubborn perhaps - dumb...not so much...if it gets you frustrated enough to not ride them, or not jump, or not do what ever it is that they don't want to do?  Watch some appys they are getting over on their owners kinda crazy...I wouldn't necessarily want one, but not because they are dumb! (It's like they are part mule!)

:O)

Answer 11

Anyone who thinks that all of one breed is stupid or stubborn is ignorant & uneducated!!!! Appy's are one of the smartest breeds I have worked with!! They are truly a gift to own! I think the person who told you that was out smarted by a Appy!!! & They can't stand that they are smarter than them!!!! Stereo typeing a breed is just uneducated!!!! Like all Arabs are high strung, they say that about Morgans as, well. I gave lesson to kids with my Morgans. Every breed has great & poor acting acting horses. It is all in the training.

*****edit******

Buffy- Perfectly put!!!!!! I agree with you 100%!!!!

Answer 12

No, that is not true.  What is true is that most owners of the Appaloosas I've seen dont' take the time to properly train their horse!  I've bred Appaloosas for 20yrs.  I've had several very successful babies go on to bigger and better things. When they left, they were started and ready for professionals to finish.  One 3yr. old gelding went to a 12 yr old girl who is now out on the show circuit jumping with him.  The owners/breeders need to do a better job  training their young ones.

Answer 13

Growing up Apps were typically roman nosed, pig eyed with sparse manes and tails. Apps were hearty little horses and had to be tough to survive a hundred and some years ago. When the government established Indians on their reservations (particularly the Nez Perce' Indians who the apps original traced back to) they were noted to introduce drafts into the apps bloodline. The thought behind this was that the horses would be bigger and could be used to do more farming and the horses couldn't out run the Calvary horses.  

Apps of today have been crossed with many different breeds to improve their conformation and heads. If you go to an app show, you will see a lot of quarter type horses with nice heads and the typical app color patterns. They are more refined and thin skinned instead of the old tough-hided skin. Therefore their temperament would also be improved from apps of years ago.

By the way a stubborn horse is not necessarily a dumb horse. The stubborn is usually smart enough to get out working too hard.

Answer 14

All breeds have stereotypes- Arabs are too hyper, mules are too stubborn, appys are too dumb. But it all depends on the horse and the way it was raised/trained.

Answer 15

some appys are but the ones i've know have been very clever and smart!

Answer 16

There are different characteristics of all horses. Like Haflinger are hard workers and somewhat stubborn like mules, or Mustangs are wild, unruly, and stubborn. But really it depends on what the breed was bred for (racing-high energy, fast). I don't think that appaloosas are stubborn. And NO HORSE is DUMB, maybe confused but not dumb.

Answer 17

No, not at all.. Every pony is an individual, its like humans. You could say that Germans have an awful sense of humor, and don't understand jokes, now although this is true to the majority of them, i am sure that there are lodes of Germans who have a great sense of humor.. Sorry to all Germans haha :D So basicly, what I am trying to say is yes - appies are known to be more stubborn and less clever then a few horses, however I know some absulotely amazing appies that are quick thinkers, but willing to do anything!

Answer 18

Hey, I gotta add my 2 cents to this - while I don't agree with generalized statements at all, I also haven't met any that I'd die to have.  but not because they're stubborn and dumb.

I think it's just the opposite.  I think they're VERY intelligent - way too intelligent for a 1200 lb. critter with a little 100 or 200 lb person trying to handle.

Most of them I've met have indeed exhibited what might be thought of as stubborn and stupid - however, I think it's more a matter they learn faster and get smarter than common horses - too smart for some to out think.

I did know a very nice little fella as a 3 year old.  He was more of a colored QH than a full fledged App though.  He was still so very smart though.  He was a very good people trainer.

Keep in mind, the Native American Paloose Tribe developed these horses.  They were developed to be extremely intelligent partners and particularly war horses.  They were bred to have scraggly manes and tails so they didn't get caught up in the brush and didn't get burrs and stuff in them.  Their color was prized for it's camouflage ability - they could stand in a rock's shadow quite well hidden easily.  They were also bred to be hardy horses and easy keepers.

Stubborn and Dumb are what I call people who don't try to understand a horses' nature but would rather dominate them than work with them as partners.

Answer 19

It is always a mistake to generalize.  I used to board a very sweet Appaloosa mare at my barn.  I just loved her.  Then I rode my friends Appaloosa mare and I wouldn't give her $100 for her.  She was the most stubborn, backwards horse I had ever ridden.  Many are stubborn but not all of them.

Answer 20

I owned Appys many years ago and they were, indeed, stubborn and a bit broncy.  They like to challenge you and they also liked to buck.  As to whether or not they were dumb, I didn't find that to be the case.  However, my experience was that they were sort of hard to deal with and so I now own a much more cooperative breed that is very willing and easy to train and ride.

Answer 21

no horses are dumb ... each horse has a different personality as most horse owners kno... some are stuborn and some are lazy pretty much like my mare...

Answer 22

Actually, I think they're very smart and stubborn.  The Appaloosa, along with a lot of native American breeds (Mustang, wild asses/burros, Chincoteague Pony) are very smart- almost intuiative.  We interpret their behavior as "Stubborn".  However, we just haven't convinced them that WE'RE smart enough to be the boss!

Answer 23

No not neccesarily, I have an Aapaloosa Stallion that is kind of stubborn but not the least bit dumb. He will make you think twice about the decisions you can make on an average horse that's stubborn and not quite as smart. Sometimes he makes me think questions like "why did he do that" but when I really study him I understand some of the reason he make the decisions he does.

Answer 24

I had a appy thats was the same way, but I dont think that it was the breed I think it was more of how he was treated in the past. Every breed of horse has some that are stubborn and just flat out dumb. Hope this helped you out

Answer 25

No all horses no matter what breed or color have different personalties. Some are stubborn and a few are not that bright well others will do whatever you want them too and some are smarter the a lot of people.

Answer 26

My best friend's horse (when we were kids) was an appy, and we had a blast riding him all over the place. Very willing, fun to ride.

Answer 27

I personally own an appaloosa, and really you make your horse what you believe it to be. If you expect an appy to be stubborn they can feel that and act stubborn. They are by no means dumb. I actually think that they are extremely clever and people only call them dumb because they think that a "smart" horse would do something differently. A horse just like a ride is going to be what you make it so if you don't believe they are a "stubborn breed" they won't be. I believe that horses know when you don't like them or wish you were riding another horse because it shows in your body language and handling. And even if you run across a stubborn appy do you really want a horse that is a pushover and will do something blindly even if it could get hurt? Personally I would rather ride a stubborn horse.

Answer 28

I've rode a few appy's in the past and never had a problem with them. The one was calm enough the kids used her for lessons, and the other one I practiced barrels with and she was awesome. I would have to say in general appaloosa's are not stubborn and dumb, but some can be

Answer 29

Not all appaloosas...

Sorry, I mean no offense by it, but I kind of agree. I wouldn't fit all appaloosas into that stereotype because I've met some nice ones (but the nice ones are always blind it seems), but a majority of them are. At least in my experience. I've ridden probably 15-20 appys and the three blind ones out of that number were just lovely to ride and deal with. Others may have had great experiences with ones that can see, but not me.

Hope this helps!

Add:

Ha, I just realized, my first horse was an appy and absolutely dreadful. We made her a good enough competition horse and sold her. After we sold her she went blind. I rode her once or twice after that and she was a different horse altogether. I think it's because they're forced to trust me. Who knows!

Answer 30

No offense, but every app. I've came into contact with, I'd never ride. Then again, you do have some that come out of no where and whip everyone. & they all come from hardcore trainers. So, very rare.

I think they're absolutely hiddeous. No tail, thin mane, gawky. You name it.