Saddlebred Horses
15hh - 17hh
Colors: Usually chestnut, bay, brown, black or grey. They can also be palomino, spotted and occasionally roan.
Originally called the Kentucky Saddler, this elegant moving breed was developed early in the 19th century by plantation owners who needed a good quality horse that was comfortable to ride all day. By crossing Thoroughbreds with a Narragansett Pacer, they got a horse with an amiable disposition, speed, stamina and natural balance that could perform a variety of duties including working cows!
The Saddlebred's neck is always long and elegantly arched while their backs are short and muscular. Some have a very high tail setting; it is not natural to the breed but rather achieved through an operation and then kept in a tail set. For showing purposes their naturally strong hooves are grown long and shod with heavy shoes for exaggerated action.
Easy to train, the Saddlebred makes an excellent all-round riding horse. They are shown both under saddle and pulling a carriage, at either three gaits walk, trot and canter) or five, with the addition of a show gait and the rack. The show gait is a high-stepping, four-beat in a slow, restrained manner. The rack is a flashy, faster four-beat gait in which each hoof strikes the ground at equal intervals but is free from any lateral movement or pacing.
