Rocky Mountain Horses
Ht. 14.2 - 16 hh
Color: While they can be any solid color, the most desirable is a chocolate brown coat with a flaxen mane and tail.
This rare and striking newcomer makes a wonderful pleasure horse because of their sturdy conformation, calm disposition and smooth "ambling" gait. The Rocky Mountain Horse has a round body, strong legs and hooves, as well as a refined head that harkens back to it Spanish ancestry. Judged by the quality of its naturally occurring four-beated gait, the Rocky Mountain Horse can amble at 7 mph for long distances over rugged ground while reaching speeds of up to 20mph over short distances on good footing.
While some consider the Rocky Mountain Horse to be the world's newest breed, others consider it to simply be a refreshing approach to selective breeding. Since the registry only opened in Kentucky in the mid-1980s it's far too new to be considered a breed by any classical terms, which requires ten generations of animals with a common, well-defined, consistent characteristic that differentiates it from other horses. Even its name is a bit of a misnomer since they actually originated in rural Kentucky.
According to the Rocky Mountain Horse Association (RMHA), there was a gaited colt brought from the Rocky Mountain region of the United States to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Kentucky around 1890. He was referred to as "the Rocky Mountain Horse" because that's where he came from. The color, conformation and distinctive ambling gate of his descendants suggest a connection between the stallion and the now extinct Narragansett Pacer. The stallion was bred to the local Appalachian saddle mares to produce sure-footed, easy-gaited horses. They became the mount of choice for postmen, doctors, and traveling preachers. People used them for plowing small fields, herding cattle, traveling through the steep and rugged trails, and driving the buggy to church on Sunday.
Unlike Kentucky Thoroughbreds that were typically owned by wealthy people, the gaited horses of eastern Kentucky were owned by common folk and received no special care. These horses withstood harsh winters with minimal shelter and were often fed "fodder", a kind of rough silage. Some, like deer, ate the bark off trees when they were hungry. Only the horses that survived these extreme conditions lived to reproduce. Even when the popularity of the gaited horse declined in other parts of the country they remained strong in Appalachia where rough roads made them necessary for travel. By the 1950's, however, the horse population rapidly declined as tractors and farm machinery became readily available. It is largely due to Sam Tuttle and his stallion, Old Tobe that this unique horse survived.
Sam Tuttle was an enterprising man who ran the trail-horse concession of the Natural Bridges State Park in Kentucky. The most prominent breeder of Rocky Mountain Horses at the time, he used them to take visitors on the park's rugged trails in safety and comfort. His stallion, Old Tobe, was a favorite with visitors thanks to his gentle temperament and comfortable gait. It amazed people to think the well-mannered horse they were riding was indeed a breeding stallion. Indeed, as a stud Tobe was as famous in Estill County as Man O' War was in Lexington, Kentucky.
Tobe worked until his death at the age of 37, siring many colts that followed in his "perfectly-timed" footsteps. The modern Rocky Mountain Horse owes its gait, disposition, and other great qualities largely to Old Tobe. Another outstanding trait passed on to his get was longevity, as many of his offspring were still breeding into their late twenties and early thirties.
Although more commonly found in the southern U. S., this "Golden Retriever of horses" is gaining national and international popularity. The emphasis for breeders remains their gentle disposition, comfortable gait and hardiness. Its smooth, sure-footed ride over rough terrain makes the Rocky Mountain Horse popular among novice riders on trail rides in low mountain country. While not your best bet as a jumper or a competitive dressage horse, for a pleasant trail horse the Rocky Mountain Horse is an excellent choice.
