- Breeding
- The Missing Equine Link: How the Modern Horse Came to Be
- Horse Breeding, Part 2: Breeding and Gestation
- Breeding Costs: Things to Consider
- Buying a Horse
- Top 3 Ways Using Horse Classifieds Can Save You Money
- When Good Gaits Deteriorate
- The Top 4 Places to Find Horses for Sale
- General Horse Articles
- Selling your Horse with Equine Classifieds
- Using Anti-Discrimnation Laws to Find the Best Employees
- Establishing Rhythm, Don’t Interrupt Me
- Horse Feeding
- You’ve Got the Right Feed, Now What?: Proper Feeding Practices
- A Look at Horse Feed
- 5 Horse Feeding "Don'ts"
- Horse Grooming
- Mane Saving Ideas
- eZall Shine & Detangler Transforms Ratty Manes and Tails Into Flowing Tresses
- An Overview of Horse Grooming
- Horse Training
- Mythunderstandings About Riding the Trot
- Help Your Stiff Horse Bend
- Equestrian Education: Choosing the Right Horse School
- Horses & History
- The Feral Horse and Its Impact
- Horses in Art: An Abridged History
- The History of Horse Breeding
- Horses & Sports
- How to Prepare for Your First Equestrian Competition
- Nearly $7 Million Generated Annually for the District of Columbia
- Ask Chelsie Natural Horsemanship - What Does It Mean To Disengage My Horse?
American Saddlebred
05/27/2008
The Saddlebred is a five-gaited breed. Most Saddlebreds are born with the ability to learn the slow-gait (stepping pace) and the rack—a few can do these gaits naturally.
Breed Description:
The Saddlebred is a five-gaited breed. Most Saddlebreds are born with the ability to learn the slow-gait (stepping pace) and the rack—a few can do these gaits naturally.
Average Height:
15 - 16 hands
Colors:
No color restrictions. Bay, chestnut, brown and black are the most common Saddlebred colors, with grey, roan, palomino and pinto colors seen occasionally.
Conformation:
Saddlebreds are well known for their long, arched necks. The head of the American Saddlebred should be refined with small ears, and the withers should be positioned above the hips.
Temperament:
Saddlebreds are extremely intelligent and very people-oriented.
Members of this breed often excel in the following disciplines:
* Show / Pleasure
* Driving
* Gaited Events
Breed History:
The American Saddlebred is descended from the Narragansett Pacer, a breed that is technically "extinct" in the United States. In the early 1700s, Narragansett mares were crossed with imported English Thoroughbreds, and their descendents were known simply as the "American Horse." Horses of this type had the size and refinement of the Thoroughbred, but retained the ability to learn the pacing gaits that were the forte of their Narragansett ancestors. American Horses were particularly popular as riding horses, since their smooth gaits made them much more comfortable over long distances.
The American Horse played an essential role in the American Revolution, and by the early 1800s these sturdy horses were prized for their endurance and style. They became particularly popular in Kentucky, which claimed the breed as its own. The addition of Morgan and Standardbred blood helped to further refine the breed, and by the Civil War the American Saddlebred was one of the most popular riding horses in America. General Robert E. Lee rode a racking Saddlebred (Traveller), and so did many other Civil War generals.
Today, the American Saddlebred enjoys popularity all over the world, in such diverse places as South Africa, Holland, Australia, and Japan.
US Breed Association:
The American Saddle Horse Association
Kentucky Horse Park4093 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511(859) 259-2742
www.american-saddlebred.com
saddlebred@asha.net
