The Nez Perce

by Karen Fisher

The Nez Perce horse is a relatively new breed with an old and interesting history. Originally, the Nez Perce, or Nimiipuu, people of Idaho were renowned for selectively breeding horses of outstanding courage, intelligence, and endurance. These horses (the Ma'amin) proved themselves in 1877 during the famous "Flight of the Nez Perce," outrunning the U.S. Cavalry for months to a final showdown at the Canadian border. After this event, the breed was largely lost to deliberate slaughter and assimilation.

The modern Appaloosa, heavily crossed with Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, is a beautiful and versatile animal but lacks the thrift, endurance and “hardness” so important in the Ma'amin. In the 1990's, as part of a wider cultural renaissance, tribe members began to search for a way to breed some remaining Old Herd and Foundation Appaloosas back to the Ma'amin type. Their research took them to an ancient desert war horse, the Akhal-Teke. Kept pure for over 2,000 years, this breed is believed to be the predecessor of the "Turkoman" Arabs from which the Ma'amin--a breed still world-renowned for its lean grace and remarkable endurance--as well as many of today’s hot-bloods most probably derived.

The result of this breeding is a beautiful, kind, and durable animal. Averaging 15 to 16 hands, the Nez Perce horse is typically lean, long, light, and flat-muscled, with hard clean legs, a sparse mane and tail, and a fine short coat, often with a stunning metallic sheen—a notable characteristic of the Akhal-Teke. Movement is long, efficient, and floating. Coloring can combine Appaloosa traits (blankets, spots, roaning, striped hooves, mottled skin, white sclera) with an Akhal-Teke look (a “hooded” eye and metallic bay or golden coloring). Not “hot” or flighty, Nez Perce horses are typically deliberate, fearless, and exceptionally intelligent with a tendency to bond strongly to one person. They are willing and able to travel at high speeds all day over challenging terrain and excel as trail and endurance horses, yet their grace, flexibility, and versatility allow them to compete easily in jumping, dressage, and pleasure events.

With only about 500 Nez Perce horses currently in existence, the registry is active and growing, but the breed still takes some searching. Most are in the Nez Perce homeland near Lewiston, Idaho, with a few others in Washington and Oregon. Visit http://www.nezpercehorse.com/, http://www.nezperceappaloosas.com/, or http://www.dreamerhorsefarm.com/ to see more examples of this fine breed.

Photo by Ronda Broncheau Striebeck