My beautiful horse is four years old today. His registered name is DCA Toby's Picasso and he is a foundation bred Appaloosa gelding. What's all that mean? Well, he is registered with the Appaloosa Horse Club, which means at least one of his parents had to be registered with the same club. To be eligible for registration, the horse has to display the coat, skin or hoof characteristics  of an Appaloosa horse. The other parent has to also be registered with a purebred horse club, but doesn't have to be an Appaloosa.

When his breeder, Dream Catcher Appaloosa  (DCA) registered him at birth, she chose the name Toby's Picasso. "Toby" is for the famous Toby line of Appaloosas coming from the Palouse  Indian tribe of Washington/Idaho/Oregon. "Picasso" is because he is a work of art.

The term "foundation bred" used when describing an Appaloosa horse is a very special designation. To qualify, the horse must  be 7/8ths Appaloosa, by pedigree, in the fourth generation, and 75% Appaloosa in the fifth generation. My guy is even more Appy than that. He has nothing but the breed in his pedigree. His sire, Toby's Nootka (http://dreamcatcherappy.tripod.com/id116.htm, and his dam, Krystal Moon , have the famous Toby line all the way back to the beginning. (Oh, and "gelding" means he has been castrated.)

My Toby is a goofy, inquisitive, affectionate and calm sweetie who loves to eat! His best friend is Dave's 35 year-old horse, Sonny, and Hamish, our 12 year-old sheep, is his favorite playmate. They chase each other around the pasture every chance they get. I'm really looking forward to having a chance to ride Toby this summer and getting some good trail miles on him. I've included a couple of pictures of him below.