02/06/2026
The Appaloosa horse is not just an animal to the Nez Perce people.
It is history with a heartbeat.
For generations, the Nez Perce carefully bred these horses for strength, intelligence, endurance, and loyalty. The Appaloosa carried the Nez Perce people across this land, through survival, resistance, and resilience. They were partners in war and peace, in hunting and ceremony, in daily life and sacred tradition. When nearly everything else was taken, the horse remained a living symbol of who the Nez Perce people are and where they come from.
That is why what has come to light is so painful.
For many years, the Nez Perce Horse Program stood as a place meant to honor that legacy, to protect it, teach it to Nez Perce youth, and ensure these horses were treated with the respect they deserve. But in August, a report of a young horse left to suffer and die in the heat of summer, in addition to other deceased horses around the same time, forced a closer look. What began as one heartbreaking concern has since unfolded into something far deeper and far more troubling.
As the trail was followed, more concerns surfaced about the care of the horses, the condition of the facilities, and the true state of a program meant to represent pride and preservation. What was uncovered was not a single mistake or moment of hardship, but patterns that raised serious questions.
Neglected care. Preventable suffering. Horses that should have thrived instead struggled to survive.
Only after Tribal Police, outside professionals, and Washington State University veterinarians became involved did real improvement begin to show. Horses gained weight, received proper medical attention, and showed signs of recovery. That alone speaks volumes.
But weight gain does not erase what came before. And it does not answer the questions that still remain. More recent discoveries have been devastating. Each new piece adds to a growing picture that cannot be ignored. These horses deserve more than quiet fixes behind closed doors.
They deserve honesty.
They deserve accountability.
They deserve dignity.
These horses carry history.
They carry culture.
They carry the spirit of the Nez Perce people.
And the Nez Perce people, along with the donors, grantors, and community members who believed in this program, deserve the full truth about what has happened. Not rumors. Not fragments. The truth.
Behind the scenes, we are working diligently to put together the full story and to ask the hard questions. A detailed timeline is being built, photos and videos are being carefully reviewed, and the reports that have been compiled are being read thoroughly so the most accurate information can be shared.
Because when the horse is failed, the history, culture, and spirit it carries fail as well.
