The Mountain Saddle Horse

What is a Mountain Saddle Horse? That is the question most often asked by people who call at our farm.

Bred in the hills of Eastern Kentucky since before the time of the Civil War, the Mountain Saddle Horse is a medium-sized horse with a quiet, gentle willing temperament and a natural, smooth "four-beat" gait. They were bred as an all-round farm horse that could be used to pull a plough on steep hillsides, hitched to a buggy for a trip to church, or ridden bareback by children. Today, their endurance, smooth-gliding, sure-footed gait, and quiet nature make them an ideal horse for any purpose, particularly for trail and pleasure riding.

The smooth gait and gentle disposition are the hallmarks of the breed. The four-beat gait (often called a 'rack' or 'single-foot') is naturally occurring and present from birth; it does not require any training aids or devices. In the gait, each foot comes down singly and with great speed, sounding a steady 1-2-3-4 with each beat equal. As a result of this action, the bounce is absorbed in the horse's ankles rather than passed along to the rider, giving the breed its characteristic "rocking-chair" ride. The smoothness of the ride has made the breed a popular choice not only for long-distance endurance riders, but for inexperienced riders, seniors, riders with back problems, disabled riders and others for whom the jarring of a conventional trot can be not only uncomfortable, but potentially injurious. The horse can be ridden at varying speeds while maintaining this gait, from about the speed of a trot to the canter of an ordinary horse.

The breed's gentle nature is perhaps best exhibited by an anecdote about Sam Tuttle, owner of "Old Tobe", one of the foundation sires of the modern Rocky Mountain Saddle Horse. It seems that one day some prospective buyers arrived at the Tuttle farm to look at a four-year-old stallion. Sam was not at home, but his wife directed the visitors to the back pasture and told them to go on back and have a look at him. When they got to the pasture, the stallion stood to be saddled and bridled and then was ridden around the field a few times. When the visitors returned to the Tuttle house, Sam's wife asked what they thought of the horse. "Well, he's a fine-looking stallion", came the reply, "but he sure don't know much about riding." "Riding!", Mrs. Tuttle exclaimed, "That horse has never had a saddle on his back!"

Although it may sound far-fetched, this is highly characteristic of the breed. Visitors to our farm are invariably overwhelmed by how quiet and friendly these horses are. Putting young stock under saddle is a pleasure, not a chore, and can be achieved in a very short time. Their unusually calm temperament also makes them easy to handle in situations where many horses would "spook" or shy away. Unexpected encounters with machinery, cars or sudden loud noises are all taken in stride.

Mountain saddle horses may be of any colour or size, but are usually from 13.1 to 16 hands and of a solid body colour. They generally have a medium, sturdy build with long muscles that give them speed and endurance. There are currently three separate registries in Kentucky for these horses, each with slightly different registration criteria regarding colour and size, but common to all are the requirement that the horse "show a gentle, willing disposition" and "give, under saddle, evidence of a natural, smooth, even four-beat gait". The registries, which were all formed in the 1980's to promote the preservation of the breed, are:

• The Rocky Mountain Saddle Horse Association
• The Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association
• The Mountain Pleasure Horse Association

Though distinct from the Tennessee Walker and American Saddlebred, all of these breeds are descended from the same easy-riding stock found in Kentucky at the time of the Civil War, originally believed to be descended from English and Scottish amblers and later refined with Spanish gaited stock. However, the Mountain saddle horses were bred by practical mountain people who had no use for a high-strung, nervous horse that couldn't "do everything" - a single-use horse being a luxury they couldn't afford.

Mountain saddle horses are tough and easy keepers, a cold-blood that tolerates winters with a minimum of shelter. Our horses are outside 365 days a year. They have the run of the barn, but are seldom in it. In winter they are brought in once a day for grain, and feed on hay from self-feeders in the field. In summer, good pasture is all they require. The mares foal on pasture late in the spring.

These horses live a long time. Charles Kilburn in Ohio bought a mare (Nance) from Sam Tuttle. Nance was fifteen when Charles purchased her and foaled until she was thirty-two. One of her colts (Kilburn's Chocolate Sundown) is a stallion through whom many of today's Rocky and Kentucky Mountain horses trace their lineage to Sam Tuttle's "Tobe". (Tobe, incidentally, had an active breeding life until he was thirty-five.)

So - what is a Mountain Saddle Horse? It is a quiet, gentle, willing, sure-footed, smooth-riding, easy-keeping, family, cart, endurance and trail-riding horse. Be warned - they are also addictive! 

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