Welcome to my very own Fantasy Breed's page! These horses, instead of being housed at one of Atlantis Equestrian's facilities, are housed at their very own fantasy facility - Sirens' Song Fantasy Equines. Sirens' Song is a derivative of Atlantis Equestrian so you can use the same breeding request form for these horses as all my other horses!
About the Breed
The Blue Appalachia horse is thought to be a strain of Mystic Fantasy horses. The Blue Appalachia horse has a complicated history, as it originates from an area that is very diverse geographically and culturally. The most notable feature of the Blue Appalachia horse is the rich blue color. This color is most often a "true royal blue" but can range from a light Columbia Blue to a dark navy. The grey gene is also sometimes seen in all types of the Blue Appalachia horse but most commonly in the "Grandfather" type. Blue Appalachia horses are often reflective in some way. Many seem metallic, glossy, pearly or even glow under black light. There are several types of the Blue Appalachia horse, all spanning across the area now recognized as the Appalachian Mountains. Sirens' Song focuses on three of these types. A group of draft-type Blue Appalachia horses is theorized to exist somewhere near the Adirondack mountains, likely in Adirondack Park, but we have yet to confirm its existence. This type is currently being researched and more information will be available soon
Where it began: The "Grandfather" Type
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These horses have strong Spanish influence, especially from Criollos. The influence from Criollos makes this type often very stocky. This type is the most researched by Sirens' Song as it exists in our own backyard! These horses originated in North-Western North Carolina, where Grandfather Mountain is. Grandfather Mountain is home to the Highland Games so it is likely a Draft-type and/or pony-type group of Blue Appalachia horses may have originated in this area as well. The "Grandfather" type is thought to be the foundation of all Blue Appalachia horses because of the strong Scottish influence in the area. Scottish colonization in North Carolina dates back to 1684, when Stuarts Town was settled. Scots from this area eventually moved west into the Grandfather Mountain (between the Holston River Valley and the Great Somkies, see map) region, and likely brought their Spanish-influenced horses with them. With these Scottish settlers came their tradition. While these Scottish settlers were Presbyterian, the history and folklore of Scotland followed them. Will-o'-Wisps have often been seen in this area as a result. This is an odd phenomena because Will-o'-Wisps are more often seen in swamps or marshes, however, they are known to be seen in areas with lots of fog, which is very common at higher altitudes. The Will-o'-Wisps seen in this region are almost always blue and, unlike the traditional Scottish folklore, seem to be friendly and often help guide travelers, miners, and lost children (which aligns better with the folklore originating from Latin-America). As the story goes, working horses in the region encountered Will-o'-Wisps one night and started illuminating blue from their heart. This light was so bright that it helped guide their owners back to their land at night. The same occurrence is thought to have happened while horses were working in mines in the area as well. As these horses bred, a genetic mutation eventually happened creating the first Blue Appalachia horse, Grandfather. The genetic mutation is now known to be dominant and every horse bred from Grandfather had the mutation.
The "Helderberg" Type
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These horses are of light breed type, most often looking to be of Morgan descent. Morgans are a commonly used breed in the New England area, which is where this type is thought to have originated from. These horses likely came from an area from the Champlain Valley down to the Cumberland Valley (see map above). All of these horses trace back to a mare named "Clarity" who is thought to have bred with Justin Morgan's horse "Figure" to produce a colt named "Glass Figurine." This has not been confirmed. Eventually, a Helderberg type Blue Appalachia horse named Gemini was born, who seems to be the foundation for all Blue Appalachia horses with pinto patterns.
Racing History: The "Louisville" Type
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These horses most definitely originated in Eastern Kentucky, within the Appalachian Plateaus (see map). These horses show the least amount of "mountain" influence and are very much American. American Eclipse is often credited with the formation of this type. It is unknown when or how but it is believed that this notable racing stallion covered a Blue Appalachia mare of Helderberg type, Luna. Luna gave birth to twins and unfortunately died in the process. These two foals were named Lunar Eclipse and Solar Eclipse. Lunar Eclipse was much darker than the average Blue Appalachia horse, likely because the chestnut color of American Eclipse mixed with Luna's blue color and darkened Lunar Eclipse's color to almost be violet. Solar Eclipse was a much more "normal" color, as she was the "true royal blue" this breed is often credited to having.
Wallops Ponies
NOTE: Wallops Ponies are not currently bred at Siren's Song Fantasy Equine. To start your own herd, please contact me or one of the stables below.
As Blue Appalachia Horses gained popularity, they quickly began to be captured, domesticated, and brought to all different areas in and around the Appalachian Mountains. One area of great importance is right outside the New River Valley of South-Western Virginia. An unknown hunter-jumping instructor had brought a few Blue Appalachia Horses from the mountains towards the coast and eventually over to Assateague Island. The Blue Appalachia Horses brought to the island were meant to breed with the Chincoteague Ponies and try to keep population numbers up. However, a new herd was formed separate from the Chincoteague Pony herd and turned into a new type of Blue Appalachia Horses that we now call Wallops Ponies. As the new herd developed, the ponies began to swim across the Chincoteague bay on their own and reestablish themselves on Wallops Island. Legend says that the blood of the Blue Appalachia Horses has such a strong connection to humans, and more specifically children, that they kept swimming until they found someone to bond with. There was a small horse ranch on the island that a few of the ponies stayed at but most travelled further inland and can now be seen at horse stables all over coastal Virginia. These ponies are well known for their calm temperament and protective behavior towards children, so they are often seen at children's camps and kid's trail riding barns. Wallops Ponies have a body type very similar to that of Chincoteague ponies. Although, with recent introduction of different breeds to the Chincoteague herd, the Blue Appalachia horse that remain on the island become more and more diverse with every generation, allowing for a very diverse type within the breed. A large number of Wallops Ponies also display tobiano patterning.
Early Blue Appalachia Horses
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Naming
There are no naming requirements for Blue Appalachia horses but crediting the sire's name is common. Grandfather Blue Appalachia horses often have Scots Gaelic or Spanish names and horses named after minerals/rocks/gemstones likely were captured and not bred in captivity.
Other Stables
Silver Wolf Farm (no website) - Herd of Wallops Ponies captured and sent to Texas where they were bred forward and now reside. This herd is now known as Bluebonnets.
Part-Bred horses are denoted by the word "Cross" in their breed name. Part-bred horses have one Blue Appalachia parent and one non-fantasy parent. These horses typically display characteristics of both Blue Appalachia horses and non-fantasy horses. Breyer's Newmarket and Boudicca are great examples of horses that could be considered Blue Appalachia crosses.