MISSOURI FOX TROTTER Horses
Ht. 14 - 16 hh
Color: The predominant color is any shade of chestnut or sorrel with white markings but any color is acceptable.
The Missouri Fox Trotter is one of the oldest and most popular of the American Breeds. In 1821 the first settlers crossed the Mississippi River into the rugged foothills of Missouri from Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky. Clearly, they were a sporting people and brought with them their Thoroughbreds, Arabs and Morgans. But they soon recognized the urgent need for a sure-footed, easy traveling horse for the Ozark Mountains, a plateau covering Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas. The Ozarks are known to be a very rocky and rough country. Farmers selectively bred their horses with American Saddle Horses, Standardbreds, and Tennessee Walkers. The result was a breed that is characterized by a comfortable gait, surefootedness, great stamina, soundness, and a gentle disposition.
The Fox Trotter did whatever was needed around the homestead; from plowing, hauling logs, and working cattle as well as doubling as a stylish buggy horse or riding horse for the family the Fox Trotter did it all. They were also extremely popular with local doctors, the sheriff and anyone who spent long hours in the saddle. While other breeds faded with the introduction of tractors and trucks, the Fox Trotter survived because ranchers found it to be irreplaceable.
The breed association was formed in 1948, and was recognized in 1958 as the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breeders' Association (MFTHBA). In 1982, all horses were required to have at least one parent registered with the MFTHBA to be registered themselves. This changed in 1983, when both parents were required to be registered in order for the foal to be registered, thus closing the stud book.
The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse has three naturally gaits: the long and easy-going flat foot walk, the smooth and comfortable fox trot characteristic of its name, and the "rocking horse" canter. No special shoeing or training is required for these horses to perform their gaits and their good disposition and trainability are among their many desirable characteristics making them one of the most versatile and loved of horse breeds within the equine registries.
Characteristics of the Fox Trot
The Missouri Fox Trot gait is basically a four-beat diagonal gait. The horse walks in front and trots behind with reach in each stride. The back feet must exhibit a sliding action in order to keep beat of the gait. The head and tail are slightly elevated, giving the animal a graceful carriage. The rhythmic beat of the hooves along with the nodding action of the head give the animal an appearance of relaxation and poise. The step should be springy, consistent and smooth. The up and down motion should not be noticeable, but rather a smooth gliding gait without swinging.
The fox trot can be maintained for great stretches of time, reaching speeds up to 12 mph. A Fox Trotter can also perform a speed fox trot at 12-18 mph.
The Fox Trotter is animated but not a high stepping horse. He's extremely sure-footed and, because of the gliding action of the rear feet rather than the hard step of other breeds, the rider experiences little jarring action and is quite comfortable in the saddle for long periods a time.
Conformation
Well-conformed horses have a graceful neck, a neat, clean, intelligently shaped head, large, bright eyes and a tapered muzzle.
They should have sloping shoulders, a short back with a rounded croup, and a slender body with a deep chest. Their legs should be muscular with powerful hindquarters and strong, well-made feet.
Today, the breed is still popular in Missouri, as well as elsewhere. There are over 52,000 registered horses in the USA, Canada, Austria, and Germany. Sometimes called the "Cowboy Cadillac" or "Cowboy Rolls Royce", in 1960 the US Forest Rangers found out about the unbeatable advantages of this breed and now there is no other horse for them to cover the huge Yellowstone-Park or other National Parks.
Loved as a trail horse, the Fox Trotter is also acclaimed for its beauty and style in the show ring. The horses are typically shown in western-style performance classes, Western and English Pleasure, show jumping, and halter classes. The new versatility classes show the Ranch type Fox Trotter with natural gaits, a natural gallop, cow sense, reining and cutting abilities. Their even, gentle disposition and versatility also makes them great for long-distance competitive trail riding. They are also increasingly used in the sport of driving.
When shown, horses are not allowed to have any artificial devices to accentuate their action, such as heavy shoes or chains around the fetlock. They have a natural tail set, and, unlike the American Saddlebred, are not allowed to be nicked.
Surefooted in mountainous terrain, gentle in disposition, and smooth of gait for the comfort of both horse and rider, it's easy to understand why the Missouri Fox Trotter Horse Breed motto is "Every rider's pleasure horse".
