 Tradition has it that around the turn of the century a young horse appeared in eastern Kentucky that gave rise to a line of horses that have been prized and treasured in Kentucky and abroad ever since. His name was Old Tobe and he was brought into Kentucky from the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. His chocolate color and his way of going lead us here at Mountain Magic Ranch to believe that he descended from the old four-beat gaited Spanish Mustang. The thought is that the Spanish Mustang arose from the Spanish Barb crossed with the Iberian horse and assorted draft breeds. They had a ground covering, easy way of going that was comfortable. Columbus and later the Conquistadors brought this horse over to the Americas in their ships from Spain. Eventually a feral herd established which gave rise to the North American Spanish Mustang. The characteristics of this horse closely resemble the Rocky Mountain Horse in character, stature, intelligence, and endurance. The mustang however, is somewhat smaller than the present day Rocky Mountain Horse. The basic characteristics of the Rocky Mountain Horse are a medium-sized horse of gentle temperament with an easy ambling four-beat gait. This gait made it the horse of choice on the farms and the rugged foothills of the Appalachians. It was a horse for all seasons. It could pull the plows in the small fields, work cattle, be ridden bareback by four children to the fishing hole, or to town comfortably on Saturday. They even performed well hitched to the buggy Sunday morning to go to church. Fancy barns and stalls were not necessary. Because of its cold-blooded nature, it tolerated the winters in Kentucky with a minimum of shelter. Naturally, out crossing with local horses did occur but the basic characteristics of a strong genetic line has continued.  | |  | Established Characteristics for the Breed- The horse must be of medium height from 14-2 to 16 hands, a wide chest sloping 45 degrees on the shoulder with bold eyes and well-shaped ears.
- The horse must have a natural ambling four-beat gait (single foot or rack) with no evidence of pacing. When the horse moves you can count four distinct hoof beats which produce a cadence of equal rhythm, just like a walk: left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore. Each individual horse has its own speed and natural way of going, traveling 7-20 miles per hour. This is a naturally occurring gait present from birth that does not require any training aids or action devices (i.e. chains, soring or built up shoes.)
- It must be of good temperament and easy to manage.
- All Rocky Mountain Horses® have a solid body color. Facial markings are acceptable so long as they are not excessive. There may not be any white above the knee or hock.
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The breed is best known for gentleness. It is an easy keeper and a wonderful riding horse with a strong heart and endurance. Today the Rocky Mountain Horse® is being used as a pleasure horse, for trail riding and competitive or endurance riding. As show horses, the breed is rapidly gaining in popularity because of its beauty and unique way of moving in the ring. These horses have a lot of natural endurance, they are sure-footed on rough ground and, because of their gait, require a minimum of effort by both horse and rider so together they can cover a greater distance with less tiring. When it comes right down to it, the Rocky is well suited for almost any equestrian discipline. We are fortunate to have this breed in existence today as it was on the Department of Agriculture’s Endangered Species list for a time. In the time of the Great Depression, the horse was sold for as little as one dollar to allow an owner to feed his family rather than his horse. It is obvious that a haphazard and unorganized maintenance of this breed would eventually result in its dissipation and loss so in the summer of 1986, those who were interested in the breed formed the Rocky Mountain Horse Association®. The purpose of this association is to maintain the breed, to increase the number of horses in the breed and expand the area that has knowledge of this fine horse. The association has established a registry that has shown steady and well-regulated growth in the number of horses registered. The Rocky Mountain Horse Association® is incorporated in the state of Kentucky as a non-profit corporation. It is the goal of the Rocky Mountain Horse Association that the characteristics that are so desirable in this horse be enhanced through selective breeding. The Association is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, breeding and development of the Rocky Mountain Horse. It is one of the finest natural occurring breeds; it may be trained to compete in any horse related activity and probably represents the most ideal horse for the family, for the trail ride and for endurance purposes. |
