Cracker Jack Box – Surprise Appaloosa. That is exactly what it felt like when I bought a pregnant mare.
It all started when my father-in-law came home with two ponies, and one went to a neighbor’s daughter, and I was given the other one. It turned out that my husband and I wanted to go riding and we only had one animal. So we decided to purchase a horse for him. This was a journey that started as buying a Cracker Jack Box and yes there was a surprise in it.
We found a mare that was supposed to be a registered Appaloosa. But in no way did she look like one, no spots, only striped hooves, and white around the eyes. She did have the background in the paperwork, but that is where it ended. She was that Cracker Jack Box.
So she was like a Cracker Jack Box, surprise inside, and we didn’t know what it was yet. There was a good chance that it could look like an Appaloosa, or just like its mother, one solid color, we waited. Seeing it was her first foal, we made sure that when it was around the time, we took shifts to check in on her just in case there was a problem. We were taking shifts, getting up about every 1-2 hours to check.
You can imagine our surprise when we checked on her and she had already had the foal. And found that this Cracker Jack Box was already open. It was beautiful. It looked like a white blanket had been laid on its back, which ran from the base of the mane and over the rump. Pure white with black spots all over it. It was a colt, and it is the wish of every breeder to get one so well marked. Looks like this Cracker Jack Box had a real good surprise in it.
It was an experience, similar to raising a baby, I had to learn how to get it to lead well, not be afraid of loud noises, tarps, balloons, and how to get in and out of trailers. Be able to be tied and not go bonkers. When older, to be able to have a rider on its back and not try to buck them off. He was doing just fine, when, like the surprise in that Cracker Jack Box, he decided to buck me off. I have the scars from that experience. Have also learned that you have to be in fairly good shape strength wise and a body to go along with it.
We did go to shows with him, and that is another whole story. But did learn that showbiz is not my cup of tea. Too much politics involved, and I just wanted a horse. A stallion was not something that I wanted, nor was I into breeding. So, just focused on making him a horse and beloved pet. He ended up being just that. He was just like the surprise in that Cracker Jack Box, you never knew what he might be up to.
Not many people are aware of the Appaloosa breed, which came over from Spain in the early 16th century. The conquistadors introduced the Iberian horses, which included the one with the spotted patterns, to this New World. Some were traded, and others escaped, eventually influencing the wild horse population.
It was the Native American Tribes that adopted the Appaloosa. Especially the Nez Perce Tribe. Which lived in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This tribe was known for its horsemanship and selective breeding skills. Traits that this tribe was looking for were: strength, stamina, and temperament. By the 18th century, they developed a hardy, colorful breed that is known as the Appaloosa today. The spotted patterns had become a symbol of status, beauty within the tribe.
There was a time when the U.S. government wanted to put the Nez Perce tribe on a reservation and hence the Nez Perce War. The tribe used their Appaloosa horses to great effect during their long, strategic retreat toward Canada. But after their defeat, many of the horses were lost or destroyed. After this period, the breed declined, and in the 20th century almost in danger of disappearing.
It wasn’t until 1938 that Claude Thompson, along with a group of well-known breeders, decided to form the Appaloosa Horse Club in an effort to bring the breed back. This has been very successful, and Appaloosa is one of the most popular breeds in the United States. This breed is recognized for its intelligence, endurance, and striking appearance.
Example of Cracker Jack Box Surprise
Here is an example of their intelligence. I kept him (Eck0) and his mother (Maggie) and they were in stalls next to each other. The doors were secured with a latch like a toggle bolt, but instead of a bolt, there was a handle. Well, evidently, one night the latch handle was left in the upward position and not down.
Ecko decided that if he played with the handle that he could get his door open, and so also played with his mother’s latch too, and got that one open. So the next morning, when I came to feed them, he must have heard me coming, so he went back into his stall. But his mother was still loose and eating from a bale of hay that was near the stalls. Again, he was like that Cracker Jack Box surprise.
When I found them, he was standing in his stall with an expression on that said he didn’t know what had happened, and he wasn’t at fault. So from that point made sure that the latches were down and not up. Again, just like that surprise in the Cracker Jack Box.
At the time when I owned Ecko, he did get into serious trouble. We had him pastured in a field where there was a barbed fence, and it was a very wet morning when I let him out. He must have been feeling his oats at the time and was running around and went to stop, but didn’t. He ended up tangled in the barbed wire fence. But because he had trust in me, he followed my instructions and kept calm, and finally, I got him untangled. But he looked like raw hamburger, on his chest and part of his legs.
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The Appaloosa breed is known for its versatility, used in many of the Western events, like reining, cutting and even in English sports. This breed is also known for its endurance and striking appearance. They also have a unique leopard complex gene.
Key Traits:
- Spotted Coat – includes blankets, spots, and leopard patterns
- White Sclera: Whites of the eye is visible, giving them an impressive look similar to human eye.
- Striped Hooves: They have vertical light and dark stripes on hooves
- Mottled Skin: Around the muzzle, eyes, and often displays mottled, pink, and black skin
Special Uses:
- Barrel Racing
- Roping and Cutting
- Reining and Western Pleasure
- Long-Distance Trail Riding
- Endurance Riding
- Mounted Police
- Search and Rescue
- Equine Therapy
- Dressage
- Show Jumping
- Ranch Horses
- Pack Horses
- Parades and Ceremonial
- Showmanship competitions
- Native American Reenactments
- Western History
- Recreational Riding
- 4-H and Youth Programs
- Appaloosa Horse Racing (quarter-mile sprints)
The Cracker Jack Box surprise Appaloosa that I got was one in a million. I have gotten to appreciate the breed, their intelligence, and their gentle way about them. So if sometime in your lifetime you get a Cracker Jack Box–type surprise, take it, you might be pleasantly surprised.
A Note from Nina: Many of the photos used throughout this site come from my own collection and are connected to the experiences, places, animals, projects, and memories I write about.