I grew up galloping bareback on a snowflake Appaloosa across the Palouse hills of North Idaho. A gift from my dad when I was 10 years old, this horse fulfilled some of my greatest needs as a small girl and later as a confused teen. My mare Snowflake provided the companionship and quiet understanding I longed for during those impressionable years. She always responded to my ramblings with a gentle eye and attentive ear, and I believed she understood me when no one else did.

Snowflake and I explored the deep tamarack forests, snow-capped mountaintops, rolling hills, and lush ponds of the Palouse. To this day I swear I know every rich secret this beautiful landscape possesses. I will always have an intense feeling of oneness with Snowflake because of our experiences. Not only did I root out the beauty of nature on our adventures, I dug down to my own spirit and discovered how I fit into a world that seemed so bewildering back then. Snowflake was with me through it all.

Snowflake is still as present in my heart as she was powerful in my young life. She lived to be nearly 32 years old, bought by an elderly farmer as a broodmare after I married and moved away from home. Even though I've had horses since then and own several now, there's something about my first horse connection that I'll never forget. I know I am not alone.

This book is for Snowflake and to all who understand what I mean when I say there is something distinctive about an Appaloosa horse. I've experienced it firsthand.

My goal in writing this book was to share with you not just the amazing beauty and story of the Appaloosa, but the majestic place where she originated and her versatile roles in the lives of people worldwide. I hope you discover, like I did, that the Appaloosa horse truly is legendary.

"The Legendary Appaloosa" has over 160 full-color photos of some of the breed's most fascinating horses, including one full chapter dedicated to foals. You'll read some heart-warming stories written by Appaloosa owners, and learn about the origins of the horse, whose name derived from the Palouse country in north Idaho, home of the Appaloosa's international registry. You'll learn about showing, breeding, and trail riding, and the reason why people who own Appaloosas feel so passionately about the breed.

-Cheryl Dudley