- American Saddlebred - |
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The Saddlebred is a very useful and versatile horse. They have excellent temperaments and are very willing and calm as well as energetic with good stamina and endurance. They make wonderful trail riding horse and are used for pleasure and trail riding, for hunting with hounds, and for farm and ranch work, going very well in harness. Characteristically, the American Saddlebred has great presence and spirit, with an extravagant action. Some of them are trained to show in five different gaits: walk, trot, canter, slow gait, and the rack, which is a 'full speed ahead' movement.
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The
American Saddlebred was traditionally known as the Kentucky Saddler,
and originated in the areas around Kentucky in the nineteenth century.
Originally developed by the pioneers of Kentucky, they were bred
to be all-around versatile utility horses using a cross primarily
of Narraganssett Pacer and Canadian Pacer, both of which are now
extinct. The American Saddlebred also exhibits traits from the breeds
of Morgan, Hackney, and Thoroughbred blood. They are, perhaps, the
most famous of gaited horse breeds and have acquired much of their
reputation through showing.
They
are judged under two groupings-one for five-gaited horses and one
for three-gaited horses. In both instances, the gaits are very exaggerated
and flashy which, combined with the artificial tail-nicking to produce
very high tail carriage, have occasionally deflected from the versatility
of the American Saddlebred. For showing purposes they are shod with
very heavy shoes and overgrown horn to accentuate the action of
the feet and legs- and this, combined with some of the training
methods used on these horses, has causes concern in some circles.
Typically
they have small, quality heads set on a muscular neck, which is
set high on the shoulders to aid the elevating action. They also
boast a broad chest, a well-sprung rib cage, and a level croup with
the tail well set and nicked to produce and exaggeratingly high
carriage. These beautiful horses tend to stand with the front thrust
forward and stright-hocked behind. Their legs are slender and long,
with well-defined tendons and sloping pasterns. Any solid color
is permissible, although the predominant color is chestnut. American
Saddlebreds tend to stand between 15 and 16 hands high.