Rocky Mountain Horse

Origin
United States

History
As with most American Horses, the Rocky Mountain Horse has its origins in the stock that was originally imported from Spain, and in their descendants, the Mustang herds. However, this distinctive animal, which retains something of the character of the early American horses, actually came into being through the initiative of one man, Sam Tuttle of Stout Springs, Kentucky.
Sam Tuttle ran the horse riding concession at the Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Kentucky, and took visitors on trail rides through the rugged foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. A stallion named Old Tobe was a favorite horse with his customers. The horse was notable for his sure-footedness, his calm temperament, the comfortable, natural ambling gait inherited from his distant Spanish ancestor. Old Tobe remained active until he was 37 years old and proved to be a highly prepotent stallion, transmitting to his offspring his own excellent qualities, in particular the ambling gait.
The occurence of this gait suggests that there may be a genetic connection between the the Rocky Mountain Pony and the old Narragancett Pacer who had a profound influence on the American gaited breeds and was highly prized by 19th-century plantation owners.
In the sommer of 1986, the Rocky Mountain Horse Association was formed. Its purpose is to maintain the breed, increase the number of horses, and expand the area of acquaintance with the breed. The association has since grown very quickly.

Description

• Head:
  fine, free from fleshiness through the jowl and has an alert expression
• Conformation:
  -wide chest
  -very well-sloped shoulder
  -hind legs, strong and sufficiently sound to stand up to plenty of work.
  The Rocky Mountain Horse is judged principally on the quality of the ambling gait, which carries a rider very comfortably at a steady 7 mph (11 km/h) over rough ground and can reach speeds of 16 mph (25 km/h) over short distances where the ground surface is good.
• Average height:
  15.2 to 16.2 h.h.
• Colour:
  the coat is chocolate (dark chestnut) and accompanied by a flaxen mane and tail.
• Temperament:
  he is known for his gentleness. He is said to be very hard and well able to tolerate the cold mountain winters. He is an easy keeper and wonderful riding horse with good endurance qualities.
• Today:
  this horse is being used as a pleasure horse, for trail riding, for competitive trail and endurance riding, for local horse show classes, on cattle farms. Trail riding and horse packing are popular leisure pursuits for visitors to the state parks of the US and the wild countryside of states such as Montana and Wyoming. Knowledgeable trail leaders and reliable horses such as the Rocky Mountain Horses are a necessity.