Horses can use various gaits (patterns of leg movement) during locomotion across solid ground , either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans.
84-754: The American Saddlebred is a horse breed from the United States. This breed is referred to as the "Horse America Made". Descended from riding-type horses bred at the time of the American Revolution , the American Saddlebred includes the Narragansett Pacer , Canadian Pacer , Morgan and Thoroughbred among its ancestors. Developed into its modern type in Kentucky, it was once known as the "Kentucky Saddler" and used extensively as an officer's mount in
168-434: A mare . A related hybrid, the hinny , is a cross between a stallion and a jenny (female donkey). Most other hybrids involve the zebra (see Zebroid ). With rare exceptions, most equine hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce. A notable exception is hybrid crosses between horses and Equus ferus przewalskii , commonly known as Przewalski's horse . Horse gait Gaits are typically categorized into two groups:
252-471: A "piggy-pace". With one exception, a fast pace is uncomfortable for riding and very difficult to sit, because the rider is moved rapidly from side to side. The motion feels somewhat as if the rider is on a camel , another animal that naturally paces. However, a camel is much taller than a horse and so even at relatively fast speeds, a rider can follow the rocking motion of a camel. A pacing horse, being smaller and taking quicker steps, moves from side to side at
336-674: A South African breed registry had started in 1935, it was not until 1949 that the Saddle Horse Breeders' Society of South Africa was formed. The 1950s saw continued growth of the Saddlebred breed, and The Lemon Drop Kid, a fine harness horse, became the first, and only, Saddlebred to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated . In the late 1950s, the Saddle Horse Capital became centered in Shelby County, Kentucky , largely due to
420-448: A breed registry. An early example of people who practiced selective horse breeding were the Bedouin , who had a reputation for careful breeding practices, keeping extensive pedigrees of their Arabian horses and placing great value upon pure bloodlines. Though these pedigrees were originally transmitted by an oral tradition , written pedigrees of Arabian horses can be found that date to
504-429: A degree of collection and balance in the horse. The switch from one lead to another without breaking gait is called the "flying lead change" or "flying change". This switch is also a feature of dressage and reining schooling and competition. If a horse is leading with one front foot but the opposite hind foot, it produces an awkward rolling movement, called a cross-canter, disunited canter or "cross-firing". The gallop
588-414: A full tail , often augmented with an artificial switch , and a full mane . Three-gaited horses may be shown with a shaved off "roached" mane and a full tail, though the trend of the three-gaited horse being presented with the hair at the top of their tails, an area called the dock , trimmed short, has fallen out of style over the past several decades. The use of a set tail in certain types of competition
672-482: A hereditary basis in Saddlebreds and a recessive mode of inheritance. The precise mutation has not yet been located, but researchers believe it to be somewhere on horse chromosome 20. Researching this condition may help more than just the Saddlebred breed as it may "serve as a model for investigating congenital skeletal deformities in horses and other species." Horses with lordosis are generally healthy and unaffected by
756-457: A higher proportion of pacers among their get than pacing sires do of trotters. A slow pace can be relatively comfortable, as the rider is lightly rocked from side to side. A slightly uneven pace that is somewhat between a pace and an amble is the sobreandando of the Peruvian Paso . On the other hand, a slow pace is considered undesirable in an Icelandic horse , where it is called a lull or
840-406: A horse's legs follow this sequence: left hind leg, left front leg, right hind leg, right front leg, in a regular 1-2-3-4 beat. At the walk, the horse will alternate between having three or two feet on the ground. A horse moves its head and neck in a slight up and down motion that helps maintain balance. In detail, a horse starts a walk by lifting its left front leg (the other three feet are touching
924-627: A jump to strike off into the next stride. The pace is a lateral two-beat gait. In the pace, the two legs on the same side of the horse move forward together, unlike the trot, where the two legs diagonally opposite from each other move forward together. In both the pace and the trot, two feet are always off the ground. The trot is much more common, but some horses, particularly in breeds bred for harness racing , naturally prefer to pace. Pacers are also faster than trotters on average, though horses are raced at both gaits. Among Standardbred horses, pacers breed truer than trotters – that is, trotting sires have
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#17328546037361008-493: A large collection of Saddlebred-related items and artwork, as well as a 2,500-volume library of breed-related works. There are many magazines which focus on the American Saddlebred: Show Horse Magazine , Bluegrass Horseman , The National Horseman , Saddle and Bridle , and Show Horse International . As a show horse, Saddlebreds were exhibited in Kentucky as early as 1816, and were a prominent part of
1092-489: A mare named Great Belles of Fire, in his role as James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations . Numerous other celebrities besides Shatner have been owners and exhibitors of the breed, including Clark Gable , Will Rogers , Joe Louis , and Carson Kressley . Horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses , often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry . However,
1176-475: A moderately paced gallop for longer distances before they become winded and have to slow down. The gallop is the gait of the classic race horse . Modern Thoroughbred horse races are seldom longer than 1.5 miles (2.4 km), though in some countries Arabian horses are sometimes raced as far as 2.5 miles (4.0 km). The fastest galloping speed is achieved by the American Quarter Horse , which in
1260-555: A now-extinct breed called the Narragansett Pacer , a riding and driving breed known for its ambling and pacing gaits. When colonists imported Thoroughbreds to America, beginning in 1706, they were crossed with the Narragansett Pacer, which, combined with massive exports, ultimately led to the extinction of the Narragansett as a purebred breed. To preserve important bloodlines, Canadian Pacers were introduced instead. By
1344-465: A rate that becomes difficult for a rider to follow at speed, so though the gait is faster and useful for harness racing, it becomes impractical as a gait for riding at speed over long distances. However, in the case of the Icelandic horse, where the pace is known as the skeið, "flying pace" or flugskeið , it is a smooth and highly valued gait, ridden in short bursts at great speed. A horse that paces and
1428-488: A registered Thoroughbred be a product of a natural mating, so-called "live cover". A foal born of two Thoroughbred parents, but by means of artificial insemination or embryo transfer , cannot be registered in the Thoroughbred studbook. However, since the advent of DNA testing to verify parentage, most breed registries now allow artificial insemination, embryo transfer, or both. The high value of stallions has helped with
1512-412: A rider must spend long periods of time in the saddle. There are two basic types: lateral, wherein the front and hind feet on the same side move in sequence, and diagonal, where the front and hind feet on opposite sides move in sequence. Ambling gaits are further distinguished by whether the footfall rhythm is isochronous (four equal beats in a 1–2–3–4 rhythm) or non-isochronous (1–2, 3–4 rhythm) created by
1596-431: A rigorously defined standard phenotype, or for breeds that register animals that conform to an ideal via the process of passing a studbook selection process. Most of the warmblood breeds used in sport horse disciplines have open stud books to varying degrees. While pedigree is considered, outside bloodlines are admitted to the registry if the horses meet the set standard for the registry. These registries usually require
1680-545: A role in the development of the Saddlebred in the 19th century include the Morgan , Standardbred and Hackney . The Canadian Pacer had a particularly significant impact. The breed, originally of French origin, was also influential in the development of the Standardbred and Tennessee Walking Horse . The most influential Canadian Pacer on Saddlebred lines was Tom Hall, a blue roan stallion foaled in 1806. After being imported to
1764-518: A selection process involving judging of an individual animal's quality, performance, and conformation before registration is finalized. A few "registries," particularly some color breed registries, are very open and will allow membership of all horses that meet limited criteria, such as coat color and species, regardless of pedigree or conformation. Breed registries also differ as to their acceptance or rejection of breeding technology. For example, all Jockey Club Thoroughbred registries require that
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#17328546037361848-405: A short sprint of a quarter mile (0.25 miles (0.40 km)) or less has been clocked at speeds approaching 55 miles per hour (88.5 km/h). The Guinness Book of World Records lists a Thoroughbred as having averaged 43.97 miles per hour (70.76 km/h) over a two- furlong (0.25 miles (402 m)) distance in 2008. Like a canter, the horse will strike off with its non-leading hind foot; but
1932-427: A slight pause between the ground strike of the forefoot of one side to the hind foot of the other. Not all horses can perform an ambling gait. However, many breeds can be trained to produce them. In most "gaited" breeds, an ambling gait is a hereditary trait. A 2012 DNA study of movement in Icelandic horses and mice have determined that a mutation on the gene DMRT3, which is related to limb movement and motion, causes
2016-461: A variation of the gallop. All four gaits are seen in wild horse populations. While other intermediate speed gaits may occur naturally to some horses, these four basic gaits occur in nature across almost all horse breeds. In some animals the trot is replaced by the pace or an ambling gait. Horses who possess an ambling gait are usually also able to trot. The walk is a four-beat gait that averages about 7 kilometres per hour (4.3 mph). When walking,
2100-404: Is a controlled three-beat gait that is usually a bit faster than the average trot but slower than the gallop. The average speed of a canter is 16–27 km/h (10–17 mph), depending on the length of the stride of the horse. Listening to a horse canter, one can usually hear the three beats as though a drum had been struck three times in succession. Then there is a rest, and immediately afterwards
2184-470: Is a two-beat gait that has a wide variation in possible speeds and averages about 13 kilometres per hour (8.1 mph). A very slow trot is sometimes referred to as a jog. An extremely fast trot has no special name, but in harness racing , the trot of a Standardbred is faster than the gallop of the average non- racehorse . The North American speed record for a racing trot under saddle was measured at 48.68 kilometres per hour (30.25 mph) In this gait,
2268-439: Is called a "gallop in hand" or a hand gallop . In complete contrast to the suspended phase of a gallop, when a horse jumps over a fence, the legs are stretched out while in the air, and the front legs hit the ground before the hind legs. Essentially, the horse takes the first two steps of a galloping stride on the take-off side of the fence, and the other two steps on the landing side. A horse has to collect its hindquarters after
2352-408: Is not used in harness is often taught to perform some form of amble, obtained by lightly unbalancing the horse so the footfalls of the pace break up into a four beat lateral gait that is smoother to ride. A rider cannot properly post to a pacing horse because there is no diagonal gait pattern to follow, though some riders attempt to avoid jostling by rhythmically rising and sitting. Based on studies of
2436-416: Is the main way horses travel quickly from one place to the next. Depending on the horse and its speed, a trot can be difficult for a rider to sit because the body of the horse drops a bit between beats and bounces up again when the next set of legs strike the ground. Each time another diagonal pair of legs hits the ground, the rider can be jolted upwards out of the saddle and meet the horse with some force on
2520-472: Is very much like the canter, except that it is faster, more ground-covering, and the three-beat canter changes to a four-beat gait. It is the fastest gait of the horse, averaging about 40 to 48 kilometres per hour (25 to 30 mph), and in the wild is used when the animal needs to flee from predators or simply cover short distances quickly. Horses seldom will gallop more than 1.5 to 3 kilometres (0.9 to 2 mi) before they need to rest, though horses can sustain
2604-934: The American Civil War . In 1891, a breed registry was formed in the United States. Throughout the 20th century, the breed's popularity continued to grow in the United States, and exports began to South Africa and Great Britain. Since the formation of the US registry, almost 250,000 American Saddlebreds have been registered and can now be found around the world, with separate breed registries established in Great Britain, Australia, continental Europe, and southern Africa. Averaging 15 to 16 hands (60 to 64 inches, 152 to 163 cm) in height, Saddlebreds are known for their sense of presence and style, as well as for their spirited, yet gentle, temperament. They may be of any color , including pinto patterns, which have been acknowledged in
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2688-777: The Clydesdale and the Shire developed out of a need to perform demanding farm work and pull heavy wagons. Ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments. However, by the 20th century, many pony breeds had Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding. Other horse breeds developed specifically for light agricultural work, heavy and light carriage and road work, various equestrian disciplines, or simply as pets. Horses have been selectively bred since their domestication . However,
2772-604: The Golden Age of Hollywood were also Saddlebreds, including the horses used in lead roles in My Friend Flicka , National Velvet , Fury and one version of Black Beauty . A part-Saddlebred played the lead role in the TV series Mr. Ed , and a Saddlebred was used in a prominent role in Giant . In the 1990s, William Shatner , an actor and Saddlebred breeder, rode one of his own horses,
2856-729: The Golden Age of Hollywood . Saddlebreds are mainly known for their performance in the show ring, but can also be seen in competition in several other English riding disciplines and combined driving , as well as being used as a pleasure riding horse. American Saddlebreds often compete in five primary divisions: Five-Gaited , Three-Gaited, Fine Harness, Park and Pleasure. In these divisions they are judged on performance, manners, presence, quality, and conformation. American Saddlebreds stand 15 to 17 hands (60 to 68 inches, 152 to 173 cm) high, averaging 15 to 16 hands (60 to 64 inches, 152 to 163 cm), and weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds (450 and 540 kg). Members of
2940-536: The "amble". In the United States, horses that are able to amble are referred to as "gaited". In almost all cases, the primary feature of the ambling gaits is that one of the feet is bearing full weight at any one time, reflected in the colloquial term, "singlefoot". All ambling gaits are faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter. They are smoother for a rider than either a trot or a pace, and most can be sustained for relatively long periods, making them particularly desirable for trail riding and other tasks where
3024-576: The "natural" gaits that most horses will use without special training, and the " ambling " gaits that are various smooth-riding, four-beat footfall patterns that may appear naturally in some individuals. Special training is often required before a horse will perform an ambling gait in response to a rider 's command. Another system of classification that applies to quadrupeds uses three categories: walking and ambling gaits, running or trotting gaits, and leaping gaits. The British Horse Society dressage rules require competitors to perform four variations of
3108-511: The "world's most beautiful horse" by admirers, and is known as the "peacock of the horse world". The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) describes the Saddlebred as follows: "He carries himself with an attitude that is elusive of description—some call it "class", presence, quality, style, or charm. This superior air distinguishes his every movement." Saddlebreds are popularly known as show horses, with horses being shown saddle seat in both three-gaited and five-gaited classes. The former are
3192-556: The 14th century. In the same period of the early Renaissance , the Carthusian monks of southern Spain bred horses and kept meticulous pedigrees of the best bloodstock; the lineage survives to this day in the Andalusian horse . One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for Thoroughbreds, which began in 1791 and traced back to the Arabian stallions imported to England from
3276-459: The 1940s, organized the first "All-Negro" horse show in Utica, Michigan, allowing greater opportunities for African-American people to exhibit horses at a time when there was significant racial segregation in the United States . Gas shortages in the 1970s and 1980s put pressure on the recreational dollar, and saw the growth of single breed shows at the expense of the multi-breed traditional horse show. At
3360-497: The American Saddlebred began to be exported to South Africa, and it is now the most popular non-racing breed in that country. Saddlebred horse show standards continued to evolve through the 1920s, as the popularity of the breed grew. The Saddlebred industry slowed during World War II , but began to grow again post-war, with Mexico, Missouri earning the title "Saddle Horse Capital of the World". Exports continued, and though attempts to begin
3444-773: The British affiliate of the ASHA. Since the founding of the American registry, almost 250,000 horses have been accepted, with almost 3,000 new foals registered annually. It is the oldest still-functioning breed registry in the US. Most common in the eastern US, the breed is also found throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and in South Africa. Located at the Kentucky Horse Park is the American Saddlebred Museum, which curates
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3528-401: The Icelandic horse, it is possible that the pace may be heritable and linked to a single genetic mutation on DMRT3 in the same manner as the lateral ambling gaits. There are a significant number of names for various four-beat intermediate gaits. Though these names derive from differences in footfall patterns and speed, historically they were once grouped together and collectively referred to as
3612-481: The Middle East that became the foundation stallions for the breed. Some breed registries have a closed stud book , where registration is based on pedigree, and no outside animals can gain admittance. For example, a registered Thoroughbred or Arabian must have two registered parents of the same breed. Other breeds have a partially closed stud book, but still allow certain infusions from other breeds. For example,
3696-615: The Morgan, as early as 1857, but the NSHBA was the first national association for an American-developed breed of horse. A member of Morgan's Raiders, General John Breckinridge Castleman , was instrumental in forming the NSHBA. In 1899, the organization name was changed to the American Saddle Horse Breeders Association, clarifying the breed's name as the "American Saddle Horse," not simply "Saddle Horse." After World War I ,
3780-481: The United States from Canada, he was registered as an American Saddlebred and became the foundation stallion of several Saddlebred lines. The American Horse was further refined in Kentucky, where the addition of more Thoroughbred blood created a taller and better-looking horse that became known as the Kentucky Saddler. There were originally seventeen foundation stallions listed by the breed registry, but by 1908
3864-407: The United States, sometime based on state law and sometimes based on antitrust laws. Horses can crossbreed with other equine species to produce hybrids . These hybrid types are not breeds, but they resemble breeds in that crosses between certain horse breeds and other equine species produce characteristic offspring. The most common hybrid is the mule , a cross between a "jack" (male donkey) and
3948-404: The acceptance of these techniques because they allow a stallion to breed more mares with each "collection" and greatly reduce the risk of injury during mating. Cloning of horses is highly controversial, and at the present time most mainstream breed registries will not accept cloned horses, though several cloned horses and mules have been produced. Such restrictions have led to legal challenges in
4032-536: The beginning of the 21st century, the number of women showing Saddlebreds increased, with female competitors winning several world championships. Today, the Saddlebred is exhibited in the United States in multiple divisions, including assorted in-hand classes; ridden in saddle seat classes for three- and five-gaited horses in both Park and pleasure classes, hunter country pleasure , and western pleasure ; plus pleasure driving , fine harness , roadster harness classes. In five-gaited competition, they are shown with
4116-477: The breed have well-shaped heads with a straight profile, long, slim, arched necks, well-defined withers , sloping shoulders, correct leg conformation , and strong level backs with well-sprung ribs. The croup is level with a high-carried tail. Enthusiasts consider them to be spirited, yet gentle, animals. Any color is acceptable, but most common are chestnut , bay , brown and black . Some are gray , roan , palomino and pinto. The first-known pinto Saddlebred
4200-460: The breed since the late 1800s. They are considered a gaited breed, as some Saddlebreds are bred and trained to perform four-beat ambling gaits, one being a "slow gait" that historically was one of three possible ambling patterns, and the much faster rack. They have attracted the attention of numerous celebrities, who have become breeders and exhibitors, and purebred and partbred American Saddlebreds have appeared in several films, especially during
4284-425: The concept of purebred bloodstock and a controlled, written breed registry only became of significant importance in modern times. Today, the standards for defining and registration of different breeds vary. Sometimes, purebred horses are called "Thoroughbreds", which is incorrect; " Thoroughbred " is a specific breed of horse, while a "purebred" is a horse (or any other animal) with a defined pedigree recognized by
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#17328546037364368-576: The condition, and are eligible to compete in many divisions, but a swayback must be penalized as a fault at shows, in addition to other conformation flaws. The Saddlebred has origins in the Galloway and Hobby horses of the British Isles, animals sometimes called palfreys , which had ambling gaits and were brought to the United States by early settlers. These animals were further refined in America to become
4452-548: The conflict include John Hunt Morgan and Basil W. Duke during his time with Morgan's Raiders . Kentucky Saddlers were used during brutal marches with the latter group, and the historical record suggests that they held up better than horses of other breeds. The American Saddlebred Horse Association was formed in 1891, then called the National Saddle Horse Breeders Association (NSHBA). Private individuals had produced studbooks for other breeds, such as
4536-480: The correct lead provides the horse with better balance. The rider typically signals the horse which lead to take when moving from a slower gait into the canter. In addition, when jumping over fences, the rider typically signals the horse to land on the correct lead to approach the next fence or turn. The rider can also request the horse to deliberately take up the wrong lead (counter-canter), a move required in some dressage competitions and routine in polo , which requires
4620-455: The counter-canter, it is desirable for a horse to lead with its inside legs when on a circle. Therefore, a horse that begins cantering with the right hind leg as described above will have the left front and hind legs each land farther forward. This would be referred to as being on the "left lead". When a rider is added to the horse's natural balance, the question of the lead becomes more important. When riding in an enclosed area such as an arena,
4704-446: The first documented example of high-speed photography and they clearly show the horse airborne. According to Equix , who analyzed the biometrics of racing Thoroughbreds, the average racing colt has a stride length of 24.6 feet (7.5 m); that of Secretariat , for instance, was 24.8 feet (7.6 m), which was probably part of his success. A controlled gallop used to show a horse's ground-covering stride in horse show competition
4788-725: The first national horse show in the United States, held at the St. Louis Fair in 1856. The Kentucky State Fair began running a World Championship show in 1917, offering a $ 10,000 prize for the champion five-gaited horse. Also in 1917, the American Horse Shows Association, now the United States Equestrian Federation, formed and began to standardize show formats and rules. In 1957, the American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Association
4872-686: The first three volumes of the breed's studbook. A second foundation sire was recognized in 1991, Harrison Chief . This sire was a descendant of the Thoroughbred Messenger , who is also considered a foundation stallion for the Standardbred breed. During the American Civil War , American Saddlebreds were commonly used by the military, and known for their bravery and endurance. Many officers used them as mounts, and included in their numbers are General Lee's Traveller , General Grant's Cincinnati , General Sherman's Lexington, and General Jackson's Little Sorrell. Other generals who used them during
4956-629: The fourth beat. Contrary to the old "classic" paintings of running horses, which showed all four legs stretched out in the suspension phase, when the legs are stretched out, at least one foot is still in contact with the ground. When all four feet are off the ground in the suspension phase of the gallop, the legs are bent rather than extended. In 1877, Leland Stanford settled an argument about whether racehorses were ever fully airborne: he paid photographer Eadweard Muybridge to prove it photographically. The resulting photos, known as The Horse in Motion , are
5040-473: The ground). It then lifts its right hind leg (while being supported by the diagonal pair right front and left hind). Next, the left front foot touches the ground (the horse is now supported by all but the right hind leg); then the horse lifts its right front leg (it is now supported laterally on both left legs), and shortly afterwards it sets down the right hind leg (only the right front leg is now lifted). Then it lifts its left hind leg (diagonal support), puts down
5124-433: The horse moves its legs in unison in diagonal pairs. From the standpoint of the balance of the horse, this is a very stable gait, and the horse need not make major balancing motions with its head and neck. The trot is the working gait for a horse. Horses can only canter and gallop for short periods at a time, after which they need time to rest and recover. Horses in good condition can maintain a working trot for hours. The trot
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#17328546037365208-411: The horse's hips as each hind leg reaches forward. The fastest "walks" with a four-beat footfall pattern are actually the lateral forms of ambling gaits such as the running walk, singlefoot, and similar rapid but smooth intermediate speed gaits. If a horse begins to speed up and lose a regular four-beat cadence to its gait, the horse is no longer walking but is beginning to either trot or pace. The trot
5292-480: The lateral pairs of legs leave the ground together, but strike the ground at different times, the hind foot connecting slightly before the forefoot. In the show ring, the gait should be performed with restraint and precision. The rack is also a four-beat gait, but with equal intervals between each footfall. In the show ring, the gait is performed with speed and action, appearing unrestrained. Lordosis , also known as swayback, low back or soft back, has been found to have
5376-541: The modern Appaloosa must have at least one Appaloosa parent, but may also have a Quarter Horse , Thoroughbred, or Arabian parent, so long as the offspring exhibits appropriate color characteristics. The Quarter Horse normally requires both parents to be registered Quarter Horses, but allows "Appendix" registration of horses with one Thoroughbred parent, and the horse may earn its way to full registration by completing certain performance requirements. Open stud books exist for horse breeds that either have not yet developed
5460-439: The next beat the horse catches itself on the left hind and right front legs while the other hind leg is still momentarily on the ground. On the third beat, the horse catches itself on the left front leg while the diagonal pair is momentarily still in contact with the ground. The more extended foreleg is matched by a slightly more extended hind leg on the same side. This is referred to as a " lead ". Except in special cases, such as
5544-400: The registry decided to list only one and the remainder were identified as "Noted Deceased Sires." Today, two foundation sires of the breed are recognized, both Thoroughbred crosses. The first was Denmark , son of an imported Thoroughbred, who for many years was the only recognized foundation stallion. His son, Gaines' Denmark , was in the pedigrees of over 60 percent of the horses registered in
5628-492: The result of a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods aimed at producing horses for specific tasks. Certain breeds are known for certain talents. For example, Standardbreds are known for their speed in harness racing . Some breeds have been developed through centuries of crossings with other breeds, while others, such as the Morgan horse , originated from a single sire from which all current breed members descend. More than 300 horse breeds exist in
5712-473: The right front (lateral support), lifts the left front, puts down the left hind, and the pattern repeats. Ideally, the advancing rear hoof oversteps the spot where the previously advancing front hoof touched the ground. The more the rear hoof oversteps, the smoother and more comfortable the walk becomes. Individual horses and different breeds vary in the smoothness of their walk. However, a rider will almost always feel some degree of gentle side-to-side motion in
5796-401: The second stage of the canter becomes, in the gallop, the second and third stages because the inside hind foot hits the ground a split second before the outside front foot. Then both gaits end with the striking off of the leading leg, followed by a moment of suspension when all four feet are off the ground. A careful listener or observer can tell an extended canter from a gallop by the presence of
5880-557: The success of breeders Charles and Helen Crabtree , the latter a renowned equitation coach. Although individual Saddlebreds had been exported to Great Britain throughout the breed's history, the first breeding groups were transported there in 1966. For the next three decades, enthusiasts worked to establish a breeding and showing platform for the breed in the UK. In 1980, the name of the American Saddle Horse Breeder's Association
5964-957: The term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected . Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies , suitable for slow, heavy work; and " warmbloods ," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe . Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation , color, performance ability, or disposition. These inherited traits are usually
6048-413: The three common gaits seen in most breeds, the walk, trot and canter . The latter includes the three regular gaits, plus two four-beat ambling gaits known as the slow gait and the rack. Historically, the slow gait could be either a running walk, the stepping pace, or the fox trot, however, the modern five-gaited Saddlebred typically performs a stepping-pace. The stepping pace is a four-beat gait in which
6132-416: The three-beat occurs again. The faster the horse is moving, the longer the suspension time between the three beats. The word is thought to be short for "Canterbury gallop". In the canter, one of the horse's rear legs – the right hind leg, for example – propels the horse forward. During this beat, the horse is supported only on that single leg while the remaining three legs are moving forward. On
6216-609: The time of the American Revolution , a distinct type of riding horse had developed with the size and quality of the Thoroughbred, but the ambling gaits and stamina of the Pacer breeds. This animal was called the American Horse. Its existence was first documented in a 1776 letter when an American diplomat wrote to the Continental Congress asking for one to be sent to France as a gift for Marie Antoinette . Other breeds which played
6300-478: The trot are specially trained in advanced dressage horses: the piaffe and the passage . The piaffe is essentially created by asking the horse to trot in place, with very little forward motion. The passage is an exaggerated slow motion trot. Both require tremendous collection, careful training and considerable physical conditioning for a horse to perform. The canter, or Lope as it is known in Western circles of riding,
6384-418: The trot is such a safe and efficient gait for a horse, learning to ride the trot correctly is an important component in almost all equestrian disciplines. Nonetheless, "gaited" or "ambling" horses that possess smooth four-beat intermediate gaits that replace or supplement the trot (see " ambling gaits " below) are popular with riders who prefer for various reasons not to have to ride at a trot. Two variations of
6468-408: The trot. Most riders can easily learn to sit a slow jog trot without bouncing. A skilled rider can ride even a powerfully extended trot without bouncing, but to do so requires well-conditioned back and abdominal muscles, and to do so for long periods is tiring for even experienced riders. A fast, uncollected, racing trot, such as that of the harness racing horse, is virtually impossible to sit. Because
6552-400: The walk, six forms of the trot, five leaping gaits (all forms of the canter ), halt, and rein back , but not the gallop. The British Horse Society equitation examinations also require proficiency in the gallop as distinct from the canter. The so-called "natural" gaits, in increasing order of speed, are the walk, trot, canter, and gallop. Some consider these as three gaits, with the canter
6636-472: The way back down. Therefore, at most speeds above a jog, especially in English riding disciplines, most riders post to the trot, rising up and down in rhythm with the horse to avoid being jolted. Posting is easy on the horse's back and once mastered is also easy on the rider. To not be jostled out of the saddle and to not harm the horse by bouncing on its back, riders must learn specific skills in order to "sit"
6720-512: The world today. Modern horse breeds developed in response to a need for "form to function", the necessity to develop certain physical characteristics to perform a certain type of work. Thus, powerful but refined breeds such as the Andalusian or the Lusitano developed in the Iberian Peninsula as riding horses that also had a great aptitude for dressage , while heavy draft horses such as
6804-485: Was a stallion foaled in 1882. In 1884 and 1891, two additional pintos, both mares , were foaled . These three horses were recorded as "spotted", but many other pinto Saddlebreds with minimal markings were recorded only by their base color, without making note of their markings. This practice continued into the 1930s, at which time breeders came to be more accepting of "colored" horses and began recording markings and registering horses as pinto. The Saddlebred has been called
6888-617: Was changed to the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA), membership was opened to non-breeders, and the group began to focus on breed promotion. In 1985, the ASHA became the first breed registry to have their headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky . A decade later, in 1995, the United Saddlebred Association – UK was formed to register Saddlebreds in Great Britain, and acts as
6972-785: Was common, today, tail sets are generally not allowed on the show grounds for horses in the Pleasure divisions, and horses with unset tails are not penalized in any division. Gingering is prohibited and not used. Outside of breed-specific shows, the Saddlebred is also promoted as suitable for competitive trail riding , endurance riding , dressage , combined driving , eventing , and show jumping . Because they are so closely affiliated with their traditional show ring competition, they are sometimes mistaken for warmbloods or Thoroughbred crosses when participating in other equine events. They are also suitable family horses used for trail , pleasure riding , and ranch work. Many film and television horses of
7056-678: Was formed to regulate English pleasure classes. Today, the most prestigious award in the breed industry is the American Saddlebred "Triple Crown": winning the five-gaited championships at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show , the Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show , and American Royal horse show; a feat that has only been accomplished by six horses. The breed's show history also paralleled major historical developments. Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis , who owned and exhibited Saddlebreds into
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