Leopard Appys

[Soggy Bottom Ranch]

Every leopard appy

: that I see is sooooooooo expensive! Why? Is it just because it's such a unique pattern?

 

[Magic]

I'd say so, yes. They are somewhat on the rare side, and highly sought-after. That means that people can generally get more money for them. Supply and demand!

:

 

[susanminiponygirl]

Well, it is a unique pattern and very flashy. Not always easy to breed all that color, Snowcaps and Fewspots are usually the best color producers for it, in my opinion. You can find leopards at reasonable prices, just takes a lot of looking. I've seen a lot of nice leopards in the R range, 34-36", it's just a matter of what you want. The more perfect, the more pricey. I just sold a nice leopard for $1000, he may go over his A papers but he is a definite show colt.

www.wellspringminifarm.com

 

[Jill]

Even with a leopard appy (I own a pretty bay leopard mare), I still pretend the horse is plain brown! If I still like it then I am willing to pay more for the loud spots but it's also a color pattern that for me, one leopard is enough.

I'd always wanted a leopard appy for driving and that's how I plan for my mare to be used. Before getting her, I had a loud red leopard 2yo gelding colt. I never clicked with him the way I need to with a driving horse. He went back to his breeder who will use him for driving. Also, I owned a pretty a silver dapple near leopard mare that for whatever reason, was not ever able to get into the cart with my former trainer. This mare gone on to a nice, new home.

But, yes, they can be more expensive because they are "rare". That said, for me, they still need to have good conformation including straight legs and good bites. And, maybe I have been lucky, but I paid very reasonable amounts for all my of my leopard apps... These are figures many would think of as expensive, but part of that is I was buying from friends in each case.

 

[mgtman]

I think it is because the pattern/color is so hard to breed for. We have Color Champion Appalossa Stallions that we breed but the leopard only shows up about 10% of the time. I am always looking for a bargain in adding a true leopard or blanket app mare to our breeding program but I have never found one in "A". While I love them all, the leopard is my favorite color. We have 19 apps in our herd. :aktion033: This is one of this years apps, T Bar T Braves Warpaint

and this is one of our yearling leopards, T Bar T Braves Araphoe Warrior.

Bob

 

[Jill]

Bob & Sherry (and others who may know),

It seems to me that there are just not many leopard mares in A or B? It seems like most leopards are "boys". That's just my observation, but not deeply researched at all. Have you found that the leopard appys are more often he's vs. she's?

Thanks,

Jill

 

[mgtman]

In our breeding experience about 80 % of our leopard apps are "boys". In searching the web it also seems that there are very few "she's". Have no idea why. Bob

Bob & Sherry,

It seems to me that there are just not many leopard mares in A or B? It seems like most leopards are "boys". That's just my observation, but not deeply researched at all. Have you found that the leopard appys are more often he's vs. she's?

Thanks,

Jill

 

[Jill]

Thanks, Bob. I find it interesting and I also have no idea so many leopards seem to be "boys". For the record, my bay leoard mare is 2yo and 36"+! So absolutely a B (but that's what I'd wanted for driving). BUT the silver dapple near leopard mare I sold was 33" and is A & R. She sold off my website before I had a chance to even advertise her. She went though to a "pet" sort of home.

 

[kaykay]

i agree that you see many more boy leopards then girls. im still kicking myself over one i saw at auction. beautiful double registered leopard mare and she sold for 500.00!!! She was underweight and wild but she was a diamond in the rough if I ever saw one. I always see these when im broke dang it. The thing that struck me with this mare is she was very light boned and pretty headed. I never see these diamonds when i have money LOL. Then again I have gone to a ton of auctions but never purchased a horse at auction

 

[mgtman]

I do go to acutions but have never seen a leopard app at one. I wish you had not told the story about the one you saw at acution. It makes me really sad I was not there. Bob

:

i agree that you see many more boy leopards then girls. im still kicking myself over one i saw at auction. beautiful double registered leopard mare and she sold for 500.00!!! She was underweight and wild but she was a diamond in the rough if I ever saw one. I always see these when im broke dang it. The thing that struck me with this mare is she was very light boned and pretty headed. I never see these diamonds when i have money LOL. Then again I have gone to a ton of auctions but never purchased a horse at auction

 

[Little Wee Horse Farm]

I can tell you that I have read that it was once believed that the color pattern was sex linked as in more boys than girls in loud patterns. This would have, biologically, gone along with the male birds being more brightly colored than the females. But, when serious genetic research went into trying to decipher Lp, the theory was debunked & it was decided that the color pattern was NOT sex linked.

This year -- we had two leopard babies from birth.........one boy & one girl.

 

[bevann]

I was also told that it was thought that leopard color pattern is a sex linked gene, but never proved.I saw a beautiful leopard aged mare many years ago at a Komoko auction &was told to steer clear of her because she had never had a foal.I also saw a leopard Falabella aged mare at a Sweetwater auction many years ago.She also had never produced a foal.Kinda makes you wonder.Those leopards sure are pretty, but I stopped trying to breed Apps due to the percentage of color.I now breed my homozygous tobianos and I know I get color every time.But I still love those spots

 

[Sun Runner Stables]

I have also seen Alot more lep app colts then fillies. Ginny from CCMF and I talked about it in the past and her percentage tends to be about 80/20 colts fillies. Though I have definatly seen plenty of her home bred lep app mares go on to be great producers and decent w/ color. I find that the colts don't throw as much color when lep for some reason...

:

To anwser the original question, yes they are more expensive because of their rarity, esp if they are of decent conformation and w/ a good head.

:

 

[YHFF Miniature Horses]

Yes, I too have always noticed that the males in certain species always seem to be more colorful. I recently purchased a lovely leopard appy colt, extremely refined, with an awesome temperment---he's on my show string for next year. He wasn't cheap either, but he'll be worth even more as he ages. His half sister sold as a weanling at an auction for $3100. Another leopard appy stallion at the same auction went for $10,000. I haven't gotten my colts AMHA papers yet, but I believe his sires name is Comanche Bandit. My colts name (pending) is RBF Comanche Bandit. Also, his dam was a rare mare with the lacing over her back.

Jill---I wish I would have found your silver dapple appy mare. I have one who is the same color/pattern-(B size)-who I'm trying to find a match for a driving team.

Little Wee Horse Farm--I love the stallion in your avatar!! Before I got Bandit and was searching for the perfect appy stallion--I came across a lovely near leopard appy stallion in PA, I just noticed that he is a full brother to your stallion. (Mini Brook Farm---http://hometown.aol.com/ccobane/minibrookfarm.html)

Your stallion is definately going to be a major color producer! I'll be sure to check out your sales page for some of his foals!

I just love the appys--I can't wait for Bandit to be old enough to produce some loud spotted foals! Hopefully, there will be more leopard appy mares in the future for all of us!

Courtney

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Yep, harder to get, been breeding for 5 years, and I finally got a leopard this year from my leopard appy stallion.

Here he is (sire is in my avatar):

 

[jdomep]

Yep, harder to get, been breeding for 5 years, and I finally got a leopard this year from my leopard appy stallion.

Here he is (sire is in my avatar):

KIM he is WOWZA!! If he is still at your place I may have to do a drive by and see if I can see him

 

[mgtman]

Bevann is right, it is hard to breed the app color. I bred a black and white blanket app stallion to a black and white pinto mare and got a solid sorrel! :no: Ouch! Bob

 

[Soggy Bottom Ranch]

Wowza is right Kim! :new_shocked: I've also admired that photo of the sire before......on your website. Beautiful!

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Thanks! He is staying here, conformation is too good, not to mention spots, so I couldn't part with him. :bgrin

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Wow, glad I got my filly that was born this year. She is starting to grey out, getting spots all over her now, I knew she was going to be a leopard.

JMS Midnight's Appy Alert

Cost me only $250 to get that color lol.