by Rena Sherwood

Created on: October 05, 2010

Tiger horses do not get their name because they are striped, but because “tiger” is an English corruption of the Spanish “tigre”, meaning “cats with patterns on their coats.”  A “tigre” could be spotted, which is what the ideal Tiger horse is.  Sometimes the hooves are striped.  There are also solid-colored Tiger horses or El Caballo Tigre.

The other noticeable feature of this breed is that instead of trotting, it gaits.  This is a term for a four-beat fast movement that is far faster than a walk and sometimes faster than another horse’s canter.  Other terms for “gait” include pacing, ambling, Indian shuffle and running walk. 

Brief History

This is an extremely rare American breed with unknown origins, although the Tiger Horse Breed Registry (TIGRE) claims the original Tiger horse became extinct during the late 1800s and the current breed is a recreation.  TIGRE hypothesizes that Tiger horses were originally called “Soulons” and developed in China during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 CE.)

Eventually the Soulon spread into Russia and Siberia and then into North America.  There is a spotted Russian breed still alive today called the Altai.  Whether that breed was introduced to the Native Americans is anyone’s guess.  According to Nez Perce history, the tribe acquired horses from Russian traders on the Northwest Coast.  These horses were called “Ghostwind” horses.

The Nez Perce and just about all other Native American tribes were wiped out by the American government.  As part of their punishment, their swift, nimble horses were removed, stolen, shot or butchered.  Although the Appaloosa is most associated with the Nez Perce, the Tiger horse is also associated with them.  Just whether any modern Tiger horse contains the blood fro any Nez Perce horse is unknown.

There are two breed registries for the Tiger horse, both of which were developed in the 1990s in America.  In 2005, there were only about 50 of these horses registered.  In order to be registered, the horse must exhibit the conformation (not color) and have natural and not taught gaits.  The acceptable gaits include the foxtrot, foxwalk, rack, running walk, stepping pace and flying pace (not to be confused with the hard pace that harness racing horses do.)

General Appearance

Tiger horses tend to range in size from a pony-sized 13 hands to 15 hands high, although up to 16 hands high is acceptable for registry.  They are close-coupled horses with thick necks, deep chests, very rounded hindquarters and short, strong backs.  Unlike the Appaloosa, Tiger horses can have very thick manes and tails.

Tiger horses can be solid colored, solid colored with white markings on the head and lower legs, and carry any of the standard Appaloosa coat patterns.  The only two colors not acceptable are grey and pinto.

References:

“International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds.” Bonnie Hendricks. University of Oklahoma Press; 1995.

“Storey’s Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America.” Judith Dutson. Storey Publishing; 2005.

Horse Art Collection. “Rare Horse Breed – The Tiger Horse.”  http://www.horseartcollection.com/rarebreedtiger.php

Tiger Horse Breed Registry. “History.” http://www.tigrehorse.com/HISTORY/history.html

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