Some folks think the "Indian shuffle" is as much a birthright of
the Appaloosa as its spots and striped hooves. Others have never heard of it.
Is this Indian shuffle a skeleton in the Appaloosa closet or a valuable asset
to the breed?
The Indian shuffle, like the pace, is a lateral gait: the legs on the same
side of the horse move together. In the shuffle, the pace is broken as each
hoof hits the ground a fraction ahead of the other which results in four beats
as in the walk. The shuffle is sometimes called the "running walk,"
but the true walk, like the trot, is a diagonal gait.
The shuffle, as its name implies, does not have much elevation. The horse
moves with a rolling motion of the shoulders and hips, the motion of the horse
is absorbed in its back and loins giving the rider a smooth, gliding ride.
Also, because the pace is broken, it lacks the side-to-side motion of the true
pace.
The Spanish were the first to bring horses to the Americas. Among their
horses were many the Spanish called "paso fino," which simply means
smooth-gaited. These horses were not a breed but were prized for their natural
broken pace that forced any other horse to trot or lope to keep up.
These horses are still prized by the Spanish descendents in South America
where selective breeding for the gait has been maintained for hundreds of
years. You may recognize the names: The Paso Fino, the Peruvian Paso, the
Columbian Paso. All are now true breeds, descendents of the easy-gaited horse
brought to the Americas by the Spanish.
What happened to the Spaniards paso fino in North America? The Spanish
established settlements in New Mexico, taking local Pueblo Indians to work as
serfs, farming and taking care of the large numbers of horses the Spanish kept
to herd their cattle.
From the Spanish the Indians learned how to care for horses, and though it
was forbidden, they also learned to ride. Occasionally a stable boy would run
away with one of his charges, or some of the plains Indians would capture the
runaway serfs and bargain with the Spanish for horses. But the Indians
acquired many of their horses in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
Under the leadership of Pope, a deposed medicine man, Indians all over New
Mexico arose on the same day, killing some 400 Spanish. The rest of the
Spanish fled leaving behind their settlements and their herds of horses. The
Pueblo Indians, being a sheep-herding people, traded most of the horses to the
buffalo hunters of the plains.
Slowly the horses moved northwards and were eventually claimed by the Nez
Perce and other tribes.
The Nez Perce learned to recognize good horseflesh and, almost from the
start, practiced selective breeding. Many of their horses were spotted and
many had the enduring, smooth pace so prized by the Spanish. It is not known
whether the Nez Perce bred specifically for the gait. It is known that they
valued horses that could move out well, and rode with a quirt to urge their
horses to take the shuffle gait. It has also been said they were pleased with
the shuffle because they could move their households quickly without shaking
things up.
The Nez Perce horse eventually became the horse of the rancher who noticed
its unique gait and dubbed it the Indian shuffle. It is said cowboys would pay
up to 50 dollars more for a horse that had the gait: it saved a lot of wear
and tear on the cowboy, just as it had on the Indian and Spaniard before him.
Robert L Peckinpah, in the "Appaloosa Heritage," had this to say:
"Rough country cowmen are unanimous, today, in praising the remarkable
lack of leg trouble in the colorful, ground-covering horse. They are quick to
point out that his natural traveling gait, the Indian shuffle, a seemingly
tireless running walk, is a characteristic of this cleanlegged horse in all
but a few animals."
When the breed registry was formed by Claude Thompson and Dr. Francis
Haines in 1938, many of the foundation horses came by this gait naturally, as
their ancestors had before them. It has been said that Gene Autry used to show
off the gait of his Appaloosa El Morroco F-18 by putting a roping saddle on
him, placing a glass of water on the horn and riding off at full speed without
spilling a drop.
The closer a breeder stays to foundation stock, the greater the likelihood
that a percentage of his herd will have the shuffle. The greatest instance
would occur from strict Appaloosa to Appaloosa crosses.
The paso horses claim nearly 100 percent heritability. Appaloosas with the
gait come nowhere near that figure, though it appears to be a dominant trait
in Appaloosa to Appaloosa crosses where one parent has it. Crosses to other
breeds tend to erase the gait quickly. In Fact, as years go by, it is
increasingly difficult to find the Indian shuffle, and many breeders have
never even heard of it. Will the shuffle eventually be lost to the Appaloosa?
Perhaps not. many breeders find the ride so comfortable that they encourage it
in their stock. One Ohio man, Don Ulrich, is actually breeding for it. He has
chosen the difficult task of gathering Appaloosas with the shuffle from across
the United States for this breeding program. Ulrich plans to breed a horse
with the shuffle for endurance and long distance riding and has had very
interesting reactions to his search. One breeder suggested sending such horses
to slaughter, while others were very enthusiastic about the idea, including
those who have ridden the horses he has purchased.
In the show ring the shuffle is not an asset. A horse that deviates from
the walk, trot and canter is disqualified. Although a horse with the shuffle
can trot, the horse will often insist on shuffling under saddle. Breeders with
their eyes on the "blues" would not keep a shuffler for long.
Where does the shuffle belong? At this moment, not in the show ring.
Perhaps one day it might be allowed in costume classes where one strives to be
authentic to the Nez Perce tradition. Today it appears that this gait was made
for the endurance enthusiast and pleasure rider. The shuffle requires a
minimum effort on the part of the horse, and those who ride it say it is the
perfect sure-footed gait for hilly country.
Liability or asset? It's up to you to decide. Everyone interested in the
Appaloosa should be familiar with the Indian shuffle. As part of our American
history, the shuffle could provide extra enjoyment for many Appaloosa
enthusiasts today.
