Horse breeds · from TrotleyAppaloosa weight and height: coat patterns, night vision and eye disease
Appaloosas range widely in size, and the spotted coat pattern that defines them is tied to two eye conditions, recurrent uveitis and night blindness, that every owner should know how to recognize.
Short answer
Most Appaloosas weigh 950 to 1,250 pounds and stand 14 to 16 hands.
The American Appaloosa Association Worldwide gives 950 to 1,250 pounds (431 to 567 kg) and 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches), with 14 hands as the minimum for a mature horse. Virginia Cooperative Extension lists about 15 hands and 950 to 1,100 pounds, and eXtension gives 14.2 to 15.2 hands.
American Appaloosa Association Worldwide (archived), Virginia Cooperative Extension and eXtension Horses
| Source | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| American Appaloosa Association Worldwide | 14 to 16 hands | 950 to 1,250 lb |
| Virginia Cooperative Extension | About 15 hands | 950 to 1,100 lb |
| eXtension Horses | 14.2 to 15.2 hands | Not given |
The association page was copied by the Internet Archive in October 2010.
Why the range is wide
The association sets only a minimum height for a mature Appaloosa, 14 hands at five years or older, with no maximum, and asks that height and weight be proportional. eXtension describes the breed as short coupled and of stock horse type, so a heavier, quarter horse style build sits at the top of the weight range and a lighter one at the bottom.
Daily hay for a 1,100 pound Appaloosa
The arithmetic uses 1,100 pounds, the middle of the association’s range, which keeps the estimate useful for both the stocky and the lighter types.
Merck’s starting point for a healthy adult is 2 to 2.5% of body weight in feed dry matter a day, at least half of it forage, and 1.5% for an obese horse, with a warning that severe restriction can be harmful. These figures are our arithmetic from 1,100 lb, counting hay as 90% dry matter (Merck gives 88 to 90%).
- 1.5% of body weight: 17 lb (7 kg) of dry matter, about 18 lb (8 kg) of hay
- 2% of body weight: 22 lb (10 kg) of dry matter, about 24 lb (11 kg) of hay
- 2.5% of body weight: 28 lb (12 kg) of dry matter, about 31 lb (14 kg) of hay
A weight tape example for an Appaloosa
The horse weight calculator uses the adult equation in the Merck Veterinary Manual: heart girth squared times body length, in inches, divided by 330, gives pounds. A heart girth of 72 inches and a body length of 70 inches gives 72 x 72 = 5,184, times 70 = 362,880, divided by 330 = about 1,100 lb (499 kg). Those measurements are our illustration of the formula, not a real horse.
Merck notes the equation slightly underestimates real weight and that a scale is the only exact method, so measure the same way each time to keep the trend reliable.
Recurrent uveitis
The UC Davis Center for Equine Health calls equine recurrent uveitis, or moon blindness, the most common cause of blindness in horses worldwide. It says Appaloosas are about 8 times more likely to develop it than other breeds and are more likely to lose sight in one or both eyes, and that the leopard complex gene behind the spotted pattern is a risk factor, with the highest risk in horses carrying two copies. Redness, tearing and squinting are early signs, and some horses show no painful episodes at all. There is no cure, and diagnosis needs an eye examination, so call your vet at the first red or squinting eye.
Night blindness
Horses with two copies of the leopard complex gene can also have congenital stationary night blindness. UC Davis describes a horse that is anxious or reluctant to enter dark stalls and trailers, bumps into things at dusk, and sees normally in daylight. A DNA test confirms it at any age. Management is practical: keep stall lights on at night and give the horse time to learn new surroundings in daylight. The UC Davis test list includes two Appaloosa panels and a leopard complex and CSNB test.
Skin and muscle links to the Quarter Horse
UC Davis says HERDA, the inherited skin condition of the back, has been found in Appaloosas with Quarter Horse lineage, and that PSSM1, which causes stiffness and tying up, is more common in Quarter Horses, Paints and Appaloosas. Both have DNA tests, and a horse with a sore or torn back or unexplained stiffness is a question for your vet.
Body condition
Merck advises a score of 4 to 6 on the 9 point Henneke scale. In the University of Minnesota’s measurements, 14% of stock horses, ponies and Arabians scored 7 or more. A tape estimate and a score logged together each month show whether a change in weight is fat or fitness.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Appaloosa weigh?
The American Appaloosa Association Worldwide gives 950 to 1,250 pounds (431 to 567 kg). Virginia Cooperative Extension lists 950 to 1,100 pounds.
How much does an Appaloosa eat a day?
For a 1,100 pound horse, 2% of body weight is 22 pounds of dry matter, about 24 pounds of hay, and 2.5% is 28 pounds, about 31 pounds of hay. Merck gives 2 to 2.5% as the usual range. These figures are our arithmetic.
Can an Appaloosa carry a 200 pound rider?
The University of Minnesota gives about 20% of ideal bodyweight, rider and tack included, as a comfortable load for an average adult light riding horse. For 1,100 pounds that is 220 pounds, so a 200 pound rider with 20 pounds of tack just reaches it. Fitness and conformation change the answer.
Do Appaloosas go blind?
Some do. UC Davis says Appaloosas are about 8 times more likely than other breeds to develop recurrent uveitis and more likely to go blind in one or both eyes, but it does not say every Appaloosa is affected. Early treatment decisions belong to your vet.
Sources
- American Appaloosa Association Worldwide, Characteristics of the Appaloosa (archived 2010)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Horseless Horse Project Unit 2 (4H-931)
- eXtension Horses, Light Horse Breed: Appaloosa
- UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Equine recurrent uveitis
- UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Congenital stationary night blindness
- UC Davis Center for Equine Health, HERDA
- UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Polysaccharide storage myopathy
- UC Davis Center for Equine Health, UC Davis horse tests
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Feeding Practices in Horses and Other Equids
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids
- University of Georgia Extension, Feeding strategies for peak performance in horses (B 1365)
- University of Minnesota Extension, Estimating actual and ideal bodyweight of adult horses
- University of Minnesota Extension, Guidelines for weight-carrying capacity of horses
Checked on October 2, 2026.
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See TrotleyMore in Horse breeds
- American Quarter HorseMost Quarter Horses weigh 1,000 to 1,300 pounds and stand 14.2 to 15.2 hands.
- American Paint HorseA Paint Horse stands 14.2 to 15.2 hands and weighs about what a Quarter Horse does, 1,000 to 1,300 pounds.
- MorganA Morgan weighs 900 to 1,100 pounds and stands 14.2 to 15.2 hands.
- ArabianAn Arabian usually weighs 800 to 1,000 pounds and stands 14.2 to 15.2 hands.
- American SaddlebredAn American Saddlebred weighs 1,000 to 1,200 pounds and stands about 15 to 16.3 hands.
- ClydesdaleA Clydesdale weighs 1,600 to 1,800 pounds and stands 16.2 to 18 hands, and some stallions and geldings reach 2,200 pounds.
- Horse weight calculatorFree tool: Estimate a horse’s weight from heart girth and body length with the formulas in the Merck Veterinary Manual, for adults, yearlings and weanlings.
