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Native Treasure
by Rita K. Nicholson
and Vaughn Wilson
The
appaloosa horse is indeed an American native horse. As a matter of
fact, the appaloosa’s rich history lends itself to a variety of
countries, and historical legends and claims throughout the
ancient world. Thought to be introduced to the Americas as early
as the 1500s by Spanish explorers, the appaloosa soon became a
favorite mount of Native American people. The Nez Perce tribe is
most credited for its successful and purposeful breeding program
of appaloosa horses documented from the 1700s. Lewis and Clark
acknowledged the appaloosa as a superior and swift mount in the
1800s during their legendary expedition. The appaloosa was indeed
the horse, the horse desired by tribal Chiefs, Cavalry, Soldiers,
and men of wealth and reason. So much so, that when the Cavalry
warred upon he Native American Nez Perce tribe, it tried to
destroy not only the culture of people, but too, this wonderful
breed of horse altogether. During the 1877 Nez Perce war they
almost succeeded. The appaloosa horse was annihilated to only a
surviving handful. Generations of breeding were lost, and only a
couple hundred appaloosa horses existed even at the turn of the
20th century. In 1938 the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was founded
and through the efforts of many dedicated individuals, the breed
has been saved.
Native Treasure is a dedication to the appaloosa horse, a
horse that survived under the worst of circumstances, a horse that
has often been misunderstood, misrepresented, and abused
throughout American history. The appaloosa horse is indeed a noble
creature. It is a horse full of wisdom and beauty, heart, and a
gentle kind cherishable spirit. Those who have let appaloosa
horses into their lives universally agree “they are a gift from
above.” Native Treasure is a glimpse into the lives of
these wonderful horses. It is simply “appaloosas being
appaloosas.” We hope our messages inspire you to invite an
appaloosa horse into your life. For more information on appaloosa
horses, please contact the Appaloosa Horse Club, or the Appaloosa
Museum, Moscow ID.
“Inspired by the Horses You Love”
The horse, the noblest animal in all creation, has long been the
cornerstone of human civilization. It has provided transportation;
it has done our work; it has carried our burdens. Join Rita K.
Nicholson and Vaughn Wilson in a beautiful pictorial tribute to
the appaloosa horse. This combination of photographic artistry and
quotes from sources as diverse as the Bible, the Koran, the Lewis
and Clark Journals, and Rita’s own writings and others will
envelop you in an equine mystique. In fact, this perfect
coffee-table compilation will have you looking at this magnificent
creature as not only the helper of the human race, but as almost
human itself. The horse has chosen to befriend us. We should be
flattered.
Quote from Robert Vavra
In a life of loving horses – seemingly beyond memory – the
Appaloosa has special meaning to me. “Appaloosie” was her name and
to my eight-year-old twin brother and I, she was indeed a spotted
equine goddess galloping into our arms from one of the illustrious
and noble horse cultures the earth has ever known – that of the
Native American. Thus, this book by Rita Nicholson is a special
treat because of the recollections its protagonists evoke of these
horses of patterns with their glorious past and intriguing
present. – Robert Vavra
Robert Vavra is an internationally acclaimed author and
photographer. Some of his titles include: Horses of the Sun,
Equus, On Horses, and All Those Girls in Love
with Horses, and others available at www.robertvavra.com.
(2006, hardbound, 110 pages)
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