With all of the Appaloosa-spotted draft models out there, you’d think that breed assignment for these colorful heavyweights would be a bit easier to come by. Instead of, “Oh, gosh – what breed should I show this spotted model drafter as, this weekend?”

Anyone who has looked up the now very rare (and endangered) “Sugarbush Draft Horse” has found a likeable and correct breed impression for several of their spotted drafter models. The Sugarbush came about in the late 1950′s when Mr. Everett Smith of Ohio decided to try for a unique look with his carriage horses, to draw the eye of the public and set his hitch horses off as something different. He began by breeding the finest Percheron bloodlines available to quality Appaloosas with loud coloring, as well as selecting specifically for consistent type and excellent personality traits. It is thought that much of the Appaloosa coloring may have come from the original Nez Perce Native American herds. These herds were disbanded by the U.S. Cavalry around the turn of the 20^th century, at which time the U.S. Army began breeding the Nez Perce horses to draft horses, and selling their offspring as plow horses.  Mr. Smith named his carriage company the “Sugarbush Hitch Company”, and people soon began referring to his colorful drafters as “Sugarbush Drafts”.

Breed Standard: (Abbreviated for clarity, for model horses. See websites for complete Breed Standard.)

Height: Average from 15.2 – 16.2 hands, but height should not disqualify an otherwise good example of “type”.

Color:  LP (Leopard Pattern) characteristics are favored and common, but are not required if the horse meets the other requirements, including bloodline. Solid colored horses may be accepted as “foundation horses” so long as they have 51% or more draft breeding. Tobiano and Overo genetics are prohibited.

Body:  The body should be wide and deep, with back of moderate length and strong with muscular loins. The shoulders should be sloping, deep and muscular. The quarters should be powerful, long and oval, the tail springing well from the quarters.

Action: High action is not characteristic of the breed, but expressive motion is required. The action required is free all round, is ground-covering and has some degree of suspension.

The Sugarbush generally weighs an average of 1700 pounds. Their very social and willing personalities and ideal conformation of sloping shoulder, moderate back length, relatively long neck and muscular hindquarters permits them to excel at driving, riding, and versatility.

Because of their highly endangered status, the Sugarbush registry has since 2008 thrown open its foundation registration requirements to include “any horse of at least 51% draft breeding with ancestors of Appaloosa coloring. Tobiano and Overo genes are prohibited, as well as any horse with a history of genetic diseases such as HYPP, HERD, GEB, etc. Cross breeding will be allowed until such time as the stud books contain a sustainable genetic diversity within the registered population.” For the present, the Sugarbush Draft Horse Registry (or SDHR) in its efforts to rescue this handsome and useful breed from extinction, is willing to accept some slight alterations to the original phenotype from cross-breeding, in order to keep the breed going. The registry will continue to encourage breeders to choose quality and correctness for their Appaloosa spotted drafters, over quantity.

Between 2008 and 2010 it was reported that there were only 12 Sugarbush drafters left, including just one unrelated breeding pair in the registry. Hopefully the efforts of the SDHR will keep this striking draft breed alive, and help it to flourish. Go and enjoy the splendid leopard, blanket, and roaned Appaloosa Sugarbush drafters on their websites, and find a supportable niche for you Appaloosas-spotted models! ALL of the photos are wonderful, although read the text carefully – it occasionally contradicts itself, such as the statement under “Breed Standard” which says, “Any color is acceptable”. Read further, and the article states that “Tobiano and Overo genetics are prohibited.”  Logically, pinto/Paint spotting would not be considered appropriate to the breed, when Appaloosa coloring is desired. When choosing the Sugarbush breed for your models, don’t forget to consider conformation and type on your model. These attributes may vary in the more recent Sugarbush horses, although the breed started out on a foundation of Percherons crossed on Appaloosas. There is also mention in the articles of Friesian and Lipizzaner blood. The former would explain a Sugarbush model with heavier feathering, while the latter would explain a lighter type of Appaloosa- spotted carriage horse, such as the Stonewall Sport Horse breed, started by Mr. Michael Muir in the 1960′s, which appears to be neither “feathered”, or “heavy”. See the websites:    

http://www.sugarbushdrafthorse.com/

http://www.sugarbushdrafthorse.com/About.html

http://www.sugarbushdrafthorse.com/Founder.html

http://www.sugarbushdrafthorse.com/revival.html

http://www.sugarbushdrafthorse.com/Foundation.html

http://www.sugarbushdrafthorse.com/BreedStandard.html

http://www.sugarbushdrafthorse.com/Classifieds.html

The Austrian/Bavarian “Noriker” horse breed would be another consideration for you Appaloosa draft models. Originally called “Pinzgauers”, after the Pinzgauer district in Austria where they were bred, they later became known as the “Noriker-Pinzgauer”. During the Roman Empire the ancient state of Noricum was roughly approximate to present-day Austria; hence the more modern name of “Noriker”.  The spotted Norikers have also been called “Austrian Tiger Horses”, and their spotting patterns include pinto (in both Tobiano and Overo patterning) and pintaloosa coloring, as well as Appaloosa coloring. The Appaloosa Noriker can have any base color, but the most commonly seen base colors seem to be bay roan with extensive blankets, black with blankets, and black leopard.

Although only 10% of Norikers carry the Appaloosa coloring, this color pattern is highly prized. In addition to the spotted coloring, the Noriker registry also accepts black, bay, sorrel with flaxen mane & tail, chestnut, and roans in blue, red and bay. Gray is not accepted. Currently blacks, bays and chestnuts make up 90% of the Norikers; the remaining 10% are Leopards and roans. Originally bred for sure-footedness and a hardy constitution to carry salt, gold, and Celtic Iron through the Alps from Salzburg to Italy, and wine and spices on the return trip, today the light-draft Noriker is used for riding and carriage and sled harness, as well as working small farms around Austria.

There are five sire lines from which the Noriker descends. They are the Vulkan line, the Nero line, the Diamant Line, the Schaunitz line, and the Elmar line. From the five sire lines in the Noriker breed, the stallions of the small Elmar  sire line are mostly leopard spotted. This special coat coloring comes from  Andalusian influence, as well as the smaller size and lighter build. This line was founded in the year 1896 by the stallion 80 Arnulf 55, and is valued for its leopard spotting.

In Austria in the 1600′s, spotted horses were regarded as the highest of status symbols. The rare spotted coloring was created by the bishops of Austria, who wished to have a more elegant horse than the farmers. To do this they bred  Spanish Andalusians to the local Norikers, an activity which was forbidden to the farmers. Because the bishops didn’t breed many of these colorful horses, the Tiger (spotted) bloodlines were almost lost. The Tigers thus cost ten times more than a solid Noriker.

Conformation: The Noriker is a moderately heavy draught horse with a low center of gravity. Different sources list the average “ideal height” of the Noriker from 15.1 to 16.0 hands, with some individuals being up to 17.0 hands. Average weight is 1540 to 1870 pounds. The Noriker’s relatively short legs should show strong, clean joints with little feathering. The influence of Iberian stallions is often present in a roman profile. Top lines should be compact, and long manes and tails are common. Heads should express draught horse characteristics, necks and croups should be visibly muscled, and chests should be broad and deep. Cannon bone circumference on mares must be between 8.7 and 9.8 inches.

The Noriker is not as heavy as the Percheron or Belgian. Noriker stallions nominated to stud service must pass a rigorous test for strength and speed. Testing involves pulling a heavy load, and walking 500 meters in a specified length of time.

Check these websites and others, for the Noriker horse:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noriker_horse

http://horsebreedslist.com/horse-breeds/76/noriker

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/noric/index.htm

http://cowboyfrank.net/fortvalley/breeds/Noriker.htm

http://stablemade.com/horsecare/horsebreeds/noriker.htm

And – don’t sell the crossbred Appaloosa Draft horses short. There are well-built, good-looking crossbreds out there which with models can show in the “Other Pure/Mixed” Breed classes.  Keep in mind the type of Appaloosa/Draft cross your model is representing, and document that cross with a picture or photo, and a brief description of that cross. When showing your Appaloosa Draft model as a crossbred, pay attention to details such as leg feathering, (or lack of it) head type, body type, length of neck, mane and tail, and proportion of leg to body. Since a crossbred can be anything from a pure “half and half”, (such as a registered Clydesdale mare crossed with a registered Appaloosa stallion) to an Appaloosa Draft type horse with a very mixed lineage, documenting conformation in crossbreds is important. And while our model horses are somewhat limited in how closely they can come to the “ideal Appaloosa Draft Horse”, some of them come close enough to realistically compete, from a model horse point of view.   

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=pa.116119535103612

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/appaloosa+cross

Have fun with your Appaloosa Drafters!

Didi Hornberger

Show Hostess

Intermediaire, Live! Model Horse Shows, 2011