About Us - Goals of the ICAA

The International Colored Appaloosa Association, Inc (ICAA) was founded in 1991 by a small group of Appaloosa enthusiasts who recognized the impact rampant crossbreeding was having on the Appaloosa.   The ICAA is incorporated in Nevada.

The ICAA was conceived by several concerned, long-time breeders and owners for the purpose of saving and restoring the Appaloosa as a breed.  The ICAA's intent is to preserve the blood-breed Appaloosa and its heritage, to promote this versatile and athletic breed throughout the world, and to develop the Purebred Appaloosa.  In great part, this can be accomplished through educational materials, shows, and other programs of interest to owners, breeders, and Appaloosa enthusiasts.
 

A joint statement from the founding ICAA Board of Trustees states:
 

Today the Appaloosa breed is suffering and teeters on the brink of extinction.  We want to go on record with our solution to the otherwise final demise of the Appaloosa breed:

• Return the Appaloosa breed registry to the industry, with the welfare and purity of the breed truly in mind.
• Return to registration rules and regulations that truly preserve not only color, but the breed's distinctive conformation, characteristics, and all Appaloosa breed traits.
• Educate Appaloosa owners and breeders about their own breed.  Quality and all breed traits do not have to be sacrificed for color, nor is the Appaloosa to be considered merely a color breed.
• Truly promote the breed.  Our real market is the everyday horse enthusiast.

We are principled breeders who firmly believe in this breed, and in proper breeding practices that will return the breed to its own conformation, and from otherwise certain extinction.  There is no such thing as "too much Appaloosa" in a pedigree. 

The ICAA is the incorporated blood-breed Appaloosa registry with its books closed to other breeds.  From the ICAA bylaws: "... to preserve the (equine breed of Appaloosa) from undesirable introductions, or influences of equine breeds, or colors, by maintaining stud books closed to other equine breeds, or by declaring ineligible for registry breeding animals of unacceptable colorations."