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The Rocky Mountain horse breed
actually hails from the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky, and it was one
of the foundations from a family of breeds developed there.
The
Rocky Mountain breed is a gaited horse shaped by its early uses. Horses were
expected to be adaptable and versatile, easy keepers, rugged, sure-footed, and
willing in disposition. The Rocky Mountain breed reflects the primitive gaited
horse type and may be ancestral to modern breeds developed later.
As
a landrace breed, the Rocky Mountain is somewhat variable in type. Some horses
have very Spanish features while others appear more like the larger, modern
breeds. Consistent among all is a smooth four-beat gait that replaces the trot,
and a calm, friendly disposition. The horses stand 14.2-16 hands (58-64")
at the withers and weigh 850-1,000 pounds. Most of the solid colors known in
horses occur in the breed; spotted individuals occur occasionally, but they are
not accepted by the registry.
The Rocky
Mountain breed has grown quickly, as it fits the current market for easy riding,
gentle family pleasure horses, and now numbers about 3,000.
Thanks to the Carolina Classic
Horse Expo for this information
For more information on the
Rocky Mountain Horse, check out these websites:
http://equineestates.com/library/breeds/r002.htm
http://www.gaitedhorse.com/rocky.htm
http://www.raresteeds.com/Breeds/rocky_mountain.htm
http://www.rmhorse.com/
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/rockymnt/
http://www.rmhforum.com/history.shtml
http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/rocky.html
http://www.southeasternrockies.com/
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