Ghost wind stallions
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One of the theories of the Appaloosa horse breed's creation is that of the Ghost Wind Stallions.
Legend has it that three stallions rose from the sea and swam onto America’s coastline. These three stallions, known as the Ghost Wind Stallions were said to have founded the Appaloosa breed. As far fetched as it seems there is some truth in this legend, while the horses did not actually swim to America they did arrive there from the sea. The Nez Percé Indians of America’s northwest made rafts that they used to sail out to the Russian ships to trade with them, seventeenth and eighteenth century Russian coins found in the homelands of many native Americans prove this to be true. Any horses that they acquired would be pushed off of the Russian ships and forced to swim to the Indians’ rafts, if they did not make it then they would drown. Despite being a popular belief that Appaloosas descended from the horses that the Spanish Conquistadors introduced into America it is not entirely true nor is it possible. While it would be foolish to suggest that no Appaloosa has a Spanish ancestry the breed itself did in actual fact descend from Russian horses. The Nez Percé had established a breeding herd of spotted horses long before the Spanish horses had reached the northwest of America. Another supporting fact is that Spain does not have a history of spotted horses whereas Russia does. Breeds such as the Don have spotted strains and the Tiger Horse is, like the Appaloosa, a spotted breed.
Once back in their homelands the Nez Percé would breed these horses. Selected for stamina, speed, temperament and of course for their colour, it was common practise for the Indians to geld unsuitable stallions, and in fact the Nez Percé were among the first people to do so. Known to the Indians as spotted horses, not every stallion was a Ghost Wind Stallion. Thought to be medicine horses and to possess special powers it is only possible to produce a Ghost Wind Stallion by breeding in a direct and unbroken line from the stallion, and even then they are not present in every generation. They were prized so highly among the Indians that their value was far greater than that of any human life.
It is because of this high value that Ghost Wind Horses, the progeny of a Ghost Wind Stallion, still exist today. In 1840 a leopard spotted Ghost Wind Stallion called Fire Eyes, was sired by a horse known as Spotted Walker. Fire Eyes was traded between a Blackfoot Indian and a Nez Percé Indian called Howling Elk. Howling Elk bred mares to Fire Eyes to produce a Ghost Wind Stallion called Spotted Eagle who was foaled in 1860. Spotted Eagle produced three Ghost Wind Stallions, who were entrusted to other Nez Percé Indians. One stallion, named Winged Hawk, was handed to his grandson George Long Grass. While the other two were given to two of Howling Elk’s brothers. All of them, including Howling Elk, were ordered to leave the Nez Percé homelands at the onset of the infamous Nez Percé War to protect these horses. Whilst it is known that the U.S. Cavalry caught up with one of the brothers, killing everybody and ALL of their horses, the other brother disappeared. Though it is not known what actually did happened to him it is thought that he might have escaped to Canada and continued breeding spotted horses. After witnessing the brutal murders of his parents, Howling Elk and Spotted Eagle, George Long Grass fled with Winged Hawk. At only seventeen he did not fully understand the importance of his horse or why his family had died to protect it and its future. Nethertheless he carried out his grandfather’s wishes and started breeding from Winged Hawk. Before producing a Ghost Wind Stallion Winged Hawk was stolen. By this time George Long Grass had realised their value so for two days followed the trail of hoof prints to get his horse back. A number of years later George Long Grass bred the last Indian named Ghost Wind Stallion, Blue Hawk. He was the last Indian named Ghost Wind Stallion because the next one was foaled at the Desert Horse Ranch in California and all of the horses bred there would be out of Desert bred Arabs so would have a desert or Egyptian Arab name. Not there now they bought Blue Hawk from George Long Grass, who needed the money, on the condition that he could visit when he wanted to. George Long Grass had explained to them the value of Ghost Wind Stallions and had also told them how to breed one.
A year before Blue Hawk’s death in 1919 the proprietors of Desert Horse Ranch wrote to tell George Long Grass that a recent colt by Blue Hawk called Pharaoh was believed to be a Ghost Wind Stallion. Pharaoh was by Blue Hawk and out of an unknown Arabian mare. Sending George Long Grass the money to travel from his home in Michigan to California they were keen for him to see Pharaoh. The Desert Horse Ranch bred one more spotted horse, Desert King, who was foaled in 1923 was out of an imported Argentine leopard spotted mare called Tavisheen and by Pharaoh. Desert King who was raffled at Salinas Rodeo, California was not a Ghost Wind Stallion. It was to be many years before the next Ghost Wind Stallion, Arab Toswirah Alkhar, was foaled. He was the first Ghost Wind Stallion to appear in the Appaloosa Horse Club’s stud book. In 1938, before the age of three, Arab Toswirah Alkhar produced another Ghost Wind Stallion called Siri Shiek. They were both foaled at Montero Ranch which is now part of California’s Redwood Park. Like most of the Ghost Wind Stallions before them both Arab Toswirah Alkhar and Siri Shiek were leopard spotted. Being extremely good progenitors of colour and quality Arab Toswirah Alkhar and Siri Shiek helped to produce colourful Appaloosas as well as having a very influential role to play in the development of the Pony of the America’s breed.
When in 1952 George Long Grass died it seemed as if the history of the Ghost Wind Stallions would be lost forever. Until 1983 it looked like this was true. Siri Shiek had died without producing a Ghost Wind Stallion, but it was not the end because one person still knew about them. Before his death at the age of ninety-two George Long Grass had told a teenage boy by the name of Donald LaLonde his entire life story. For many years Donald LaLonde kept the story to himself until he no longer could. He felt compelled to produce a Ghost Wind Stallion of his own. After years of searching he found a suitable stallion that was by Siri Shiek. The stallion, Siri Shiek’s Doubleheart, was not a Ghost Wind Stallion himself. After purchasing Siri Shiek’s Doubleheart, so called because of the two hearts on his hindquarters, from his close friend Fran Davis. Donald LaLonde put Siri Shiek’s Doubleheart to a mare called Ramblin’ Rose W. in 1982. Being a blue roan colour herself Ramblin’ Rose W.’s dam was also blue roan in colour. A month before the foal was born Siri Shiek’s Doubleheart died. If the unborn foal was not a Ghost Wind Stallion then it would be years before it was possible to produce another, and possibly never if the foal was a filly. As if by magic on the 29th April 1983 Ramblin’ Rose W. foaled a beautiful Ghost Wind Stallion, Doubleheart’s Kid. Doubleheart’s Kid, who died in 1990, left behind two colts to carry on the legacy of the Ghost Wind Stallions.
Because of its close connection with and direct ancestry from the horses bred by the Nez Percé it is an obvious conclusion to reach that the Ghost Wind Horses are the only true Appaloosas left as many have now been crossbred with a number of other breeds, namely the Quarter Horse.
The Indian Song of The Ghost Wind Stallions.
I run where the green grass and blue mountains sky meet, I love the softness under my feet, I am free so is all of my kind, This kingdom is ours where we all meet, Where no man has walked and spoiled the ground under his feet.
I am the oldest of them all, Even they signed my name on granite wall, For all to know and see I am the Appaloosa of my dreams. I am spotted from head to toe, A true Appaloosa even He said so. I am one of a kind, my blood doesn’t lie. Can man show the same, by the color of his eye?
21,000 years before Christ came along, I was already here singing my song. Then along came man to kill us on sight or ride us to death or burst our hearts in flight.
My Father lay dead tied to a post, Where soldiers laught and thought this the most. But as you can see I got away, I am the last to this very day. If I am killed or die in fright, My blood will ebb in the blackness of night.
I am a Ghost Wind Stallion, The name is RIGHT, I am the only one left to see morning or night. No more will He and I run or see the brightness of the morning sun.
Nez Percé song about their beloved spotted horses. Translated into English by George Long Grass (1860-1952)
