Rocky Mountain Horse
Encyclopedia
Around the turn of the 20th century, a young horse soon to be called the Rocky Mountain Horse appeared in eastern Kentucky
that gave rise to a line of horses prized by North America
n and Europe
an owners. On the farm of Sam Tuttle in Spout Springs Kentucky
, there stood a stallion
"Old Tobe". This sure footed, gentle horse
carried young, old, and inexperienced riders over the rugged mountain trails of Natural Bridge State Park where Sam held the concession for horse-back riding. Even though Old Tobe was a breeding stallion, he carried riders without faltering. He fathered many fine horses up until the age of 37, and many of the present Rocky Mountain Horses carry his bloodline.
are a medium-sized horse
of gentle temperament with an easy-ambling
, four-beat gait
. This gait made it the horse of choice on the farms and rugged foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
. It was a horse for all seasons. It could pull the plows in the small fields, work cattle, be ridden bareback, or be hitched to a buggy
. Because of its rugged upbringing, it tolerated winters in Kentucky
with a minimum of shelter. Naturally, outcrossing with local horses did occur, but the basic characteristics of a strong genetic line have continued.
In the summer of 1986, as a way of preserving the breed
, a number of people got together to form the Rocky Mountain Horse Association (RMHA) as a non-profit corporation in the state of Kentucky
. The association established a breed registry and formed a panel of examiners to provide vigorous supervision for the growth and development of the breed.
The established characteristics of the breed
are:
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
that gave rise to a line of horses prized by North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an owners. On the farm of Sam Tuttle in Spout Springs Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, there stood a stallion
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
"Old Tobe". This sure footed, gentle horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
carried young, old, and inexperienced riders over the rugged mountain trails of Natural Bridge State Park where Sam held the concession for horse-back riding. Even though Old Tobe was a breeding stallion, he carried riders without faltering. He fathered many fine horses up until the age of 37, and many of the present Rocky Mountain Horses carry his bloodline.
History
The basic characteristics of the breedBreed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
are a medium-sized horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
of gentle temperament with an easy-ambling
Ambling
The term amble or ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. All are faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter or gallop...
, four-beat gait
Horse gait
Horse gaits are the various ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans.-Classification:...
. This gait made it the horse of choice on the farms and rugged foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. It was a horse for all seasons. It could pull the plows in the small fields, work cattle, be ridden bareback, or be hitched to a buggy
Horse and buggy
A horse and buggy or horse and carriage refers to a light, simple, two-person carriage of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn usually by one or sometimes by two horses...
. Because of its rugged upbringing, it tolerated winters in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
with a minimum of shelter. Naturally, outcrossing with local horses did occur, but the basic characteristics of a strong genetic line have continued.
In the summer of 1986, as a way of preserving the breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
, a number of people got together to form the Rocky Mountain Horse Association (RMHA) as a non-profit corporation in the state of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The association established a breed registry and formed a panel of examiners to provide vigorous supervision for the growth and development of the breed.
Characteristics
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
are:
- The horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
must be of medium height from 14.2 to 16 handsHand (unit)The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
. It must have a wide chestChestThe chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...
sloping 45 degrees on the shoulderShoulderThe human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
with bold eyeEyeEyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
s and well shaped earEarThe ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
s. The breed is best-known for its characteristic coloration: chocolate-brown body color and flaxen mane and tail, an expression of the uncommon silver dapple geneSilver dapple geneThe silver dapple gene is a dilution gene that affects the black base coat color. It will typically dilute a black mane and tail to flaxen, and a black body to a shade of brown or chocolate. It is responsible for a group of coat colors in horses called "silver dapple" in the west, or "taffy" in...
. But Rocky Mountain Horses can be any solid coat colorEquine coat colorHorses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. A specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them.While most horses remain the same color throughout life, a few, over the course of several years, will develop a different coat color from that with which they were born...
. - The horse must have a natural amblingAmblingThe term amble or ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. All are faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter or gallop...
four-beat gait (single foot or rack) with no evidence of pacing. When the horse moves you can count four distinct hoof beats which produce a cadence of equal rhythm, just like a walk: left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore. Each individual horse has its own speed and natural way of going, travelling 7 to 20 miles per hour. This is a naturally occurring gait, present from birth, that does not require any training aids or action devices. - The horse must be of good temperament and must be easy to manage.
- All Rocky Mountain Horses have a solid body color. Facial markings are acceptable so long as they are not excessive. There may not be any white above the knee or hock.
- The breed is best known for its gentleness, often being compared to the Golden Retriever dog as a means of describing their unusual enjoyment of human company. It is an easy keeperEasy keeperAn easy keeper, easy doer or good doer is a livestock animal that can live on relatively little food. The opposite of an easy keeper is a hard keeper , an animal that is prone to be too thin and has difficulty maintaining adequate weight.Easy keepers tend to be found most often in breeds...
and a wonderful riding horse with a strong heart and lots of endurance. Today the Rocky Mountain Horse is being used as a pleasure horse, for trail riding, in the show ring and for endurance riding.