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Cave paintings

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/photogalleries/cave-han…" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; These aren't the paintings with which I'm familiar. I'd say these are definitely a near-leopard pattern, done approximately 30,000 years ago. When was the horse first domesticated? I'm thinking this is a good argument that appaloosa patterning is a natural pattern and not "man-made" as such. Diane

Fledgesflight Tue, 06/30/2009 - 06:39

I think I remember something about that, saying that they couldn't identify if they were really Appaloosa horses depicted- as they had spots on most of their paintings at the time- but yeah- very cool , and I had always thought of Apps being here since the dawn of man.

Off topic...but,
ever read " The heavenly horse from the outermost west"?

Songcatcher Tue, 06/30/2009 - 14:19

Based on the painting shown, I think the arguement could be made just as easily for dapple as for leopard, perhaps more so. Also, the spots continue just as noticeably outside the outline of the horse. Just food for thought.

Morgan Tue, 06/30/2009 - 14:32

Maybe they are horseflies.

[i]*ducks*[/i]

I'm more intrigued by the primitive mane and tail and short fat body with tiny head. I want one. :lol:

Interesting though that they are sepicted with a black neck, would lend itseld mroe to the appy theory than dapples. Unless of course they were just using their imagination (you should see some of the things I drew as a kid....). Or unfinished. I'm looking at other pictures and there are a few with a black neck, maybe he ran out of brown paint and decided to make up a version of crosshaching to fill it in. :P

I did find this one that was interesting http://i37.tinypic.com/2hi2ygy.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Is it me or is that face extremely refined and detailed for cave art?

CMhorses Tue, 06/30/2009 - 18:52

If you think about it, leopard appaloosas would have an advantage similar to zebras in the wild if there was a large herd of them. All those spots would make them hard to be singled out to a predator such as a mountain lion or a wolf, so I think its possible that it could have been paintings of leopard appys.

NZ Appaloosas Tue, 06/30/2009 - 19:46

Yes, the spots are outside the horse as well, but with the one on the right, I'm seeing maybe a suggestion of another horse? At least underneath. Maybe the spots outside the horse represent spirits--anything unusual did seem to have a spiritual aspect to it, and given the various levels of expression now in the spotted breeds, something this spotted would be seen as highly unusual?

My first thought, on seeing the spots over the neck of the horse on the right was that they represented the mane, but that wouldn't explain the spots under the neck...

Diane

rabbitsfizz Wed, 07/01/2009 - 05:09

There are so many more reasons for them not being Appaloosas than for them being Appaloosas....
OK, if those are spotted horses where are the pintos??
This is an old, old argument that I have been having since my school days (yes those pictures have been around that long)
They are possibly dapple greys, they are possibly marks made ceremoniously to depict a kill.
They are possibly aliens..... :rofl

Morgan Wed, 07/01/2009 - 10:06

The problem I have with it being a depiction of a horse color is that every other comparable painting is of a wild type pangere dun. I mean there's not even a sorrel or a black, or even a blaze in sight (that I have seen). You could make arguement that there was a single mutation of a spotted horse or a grey at that time and someone saw it, thought it was cool and painted it. But why are there TWO of them? I think it was just the artist being creative. Ancient art has a lot of similarities to modern abstract, sometimes it can't be takes litterally.
Anyway, even if it was a spotted horse, it wouldn't be the ancestor of today's spotted horses. Those are undomesticated and it would have died right out especially if the rest of the herds were normal wild type color. I think there is enough evidence to show that our modern appy spots have their origin somewhere in the east and was spread through trade since very early.

Heidi Wed, 07/01/2009 - 10:24

What about the spotted horses in Asian artowrk? ...though I'm sure that artwork doesn't date back as far as those cave-paintings.

nerd Wed, 07/01/2009 - 22:38

I think I brought up the whole Chinese painting thing on the old forum but there's a good chance that I purged those files... I'll try to dig them up again, it was interesting. Although they were fairly recent, relatively speaking and all.