The Nez Perce Horse is a spotted horse breed of the

Nez Perce Tribe The Nez Perce (; Exonym and endonym, autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning 'we, the people') are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwes ...

of Idaho. The ''Nez Perce Horse'' Registry (NPHR) program began in 1995 in Lapwai, Idaho and is based on cross-breeding the old-line Appaloosa horses (the Wallowa herd) with an ancient

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

n breed called

Akhal-Teke The Akhal-Teke ( or ; from Turkmen language, Turkmen ''Ahalteke'', ) is a Turkmen horse breed. They have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, thin manes and a distinctive metallic sheen. The shiny coat of the breed led to their ...

. This program seeks to re-establish the horse culture of the

Nez Perce The Nez Perce (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning 'we, the people') are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest. This region h ...

, a tradition of

selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

of Appaloosa horses and horsemanship that was nearly destroyed by the U.S. Government in the 19th century. The breeding program was financed by the

United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

, the Nez Perce Tribe and a nonprofit group called the First Nations Development Institute, which promotes such businesses. The ''Nez Perce Horse'' is "fit to carry the Nez Perce name," according to Rudy Shebala, director of the Tribe's Horse Registry and the Nez Perce Young Horsemen program. The

is an ancient breed that originated in

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

(near

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

). They are known for their superb endurance and "metallic" coats. The

coat colors commonly include

palomino Palomino is a equine coat color, genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane (horse), mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. The palomino color derived from the breeding of Spanish hor ...

s, buckskins, and dark bays. A typical ''Nez Perce Horse'' is a buckskin or palomino with Appaloosa characteristics—mottled skin with a spotted coat or a blanket. The ''Nez Perce Horse'''s conformation is longer and leaner than the

Quarter Horses The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of or less; some have been clocked at speeds up to . ...

or other stock horses of the Western U.S., with narrower shoulders and hindquarters, a longer back, and a lean runner's appearance. They are good at long rides and compete well in endurance races; they are also good jumpers. The ''Nez Perce Horses'' are often gaited, with a fast and smooth running walk. The

Nez Perce people The Nez Perce (; Exonym and endonym, autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning 'we, the people') are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwes ...

are historically known for their selective horse breeding practices, according to NPHR breeders Jon and Rosa Yearout.

Notes

External links

Nez Perce Appaloosas
(link broken)

* https://www.idahocountyfreepress.com/farm-and-ranch/how-a-new-line-of-nez-perce-horses-came-home/article_8d8a5908-cdaf-11e9-9195-0b55da9a3cef.html {{Horse breeds of Canada and the United States Horse breeds Nez Perce Tribe Horse breeds originating in the United States Native American culture Horse breeds originating from Indigenous Americans