Breed Spotlight  American Saddlebred
American Saddlebred
Contents
Introduction to The American Saddlebred Horse
Since the dawn of time, there has been a certain type of horse that has been fixed in the mind of man - a proud, high stepping horse, with an arched neck and flaring nostrils. Ancient Greek, Roman, and Oriental artists depicted this animal vividly in their work. Early American horse breeders succeeded in bringing this image to life in the American Saddlebred Horse.
Of all the horses in the world, the Arabian was most noted for his beauty, the Thoroughbred for his speed, the Morgan for his sturdiness. American breeders carefully blended the blood of all of these along with the smooth gaited saddle horses of England and created a horse possessing the finest virtues of them all - the American Saddlebred Horse.
The label "made in America" fits this horse precisely. This American breed exemplifies this country's heritage and it's invincible spirit.
World Champion
To Die For
(Fox Creek x L.L. Amazing Grace)
1996 Chestnut Gelding
Owned by Dr. James and Kristin Campbell, Kettering, Ohio
Ridden by Mr. Gene Boggs
Photo with the kind permission of Stuart Vesty - www.vesty.com
A Brief History of the American Saddlebred Horse
The 1600's
The foundations for the American Saddlebred were laid when Galloway and Hobby Horses were brought to North America by British Colonists. The Galloways and Hobbies were natural pacers; small, hardy, and very comfortable to ride over tough terrain. Through selective breeding, the Narraganset Pacer was developed in Rhode Island of early America, and many of the best and fastest found their way to Virginia and the rest of the colonies.
As the colonies became more settled, the need for the tough Narraganset Pacer was diminished. The development of roads and the need for carriage horses, not pacers was in favor. The infusion of Thoroughbred blood was about to change the nature of the saddle horse.
The 1700's
The first Thoroughbreds were imported in 1706. They had been developed in England by crossing the Galloway and Hobby mares with stallions from the Middle East. By 1776 an all-purpose riding horse, commonly called the American Horse, was recognized as a definite type. These animals retained the easy gaits and stamina of the Narraganset Pacer with the addition of Thoroughbred size and quality.
One Thoroughbred, Messenger, made a particular impact on the American Horse. A gray standing at fifteen hands three inches, he passed on trotting qualities to the American Horse, and is considered to be the foundation sire of the Standardbred.
During the Revolutionary War, American cavalry decisively defeated British regulars at King's Mountain, South Carolina. These farmers and frontiersmen were mounted on American Horses.
Dena Lopez takes the victory pass.
2000 & 2001 World Grand Champion 5-Gaited Horse
Wild-Eyed and Wicked
(My Genius King x Penny's Free Spirt)
1992 Chestnut Gelding
Owned by Ms. Sally McClure Jackson, Overland Park, KS
Bred by Mr. David Mountjoy, Lawrenceburg, KY
Trained and ridden by Ms. Dena Lopez
Photo courtesy of Mr. Howard Schatzberg
The 1800's
American Horses accompanied pioneers west into Kentucky. These animals became seed stock, making Kentucky a major horse producing state.
In the War of 1812, Kentuckians mounted on American Horses and others from Michigan to Illinois joined the fight against the British and their Indian allies.
After the War of 1812, the production of good Saddle Horses became a priority in Kentucky. These animals played a major role in the settlement of the upper Ohio Valley. They went south into Tennessee and beyond, and across the Mississippi into Missouri. Missouri rivaled Kentucky for the best Saddle Horses and Missourians say, "If Kentucky made the Saddle Horse, then Missouri made him better." The first recorded horse show was at Lexington, Kentucky, in 1817, but such competitions undoubtedly took place years before.
Gaines' Denmark, sired by Denmark and whose dam was a natural gaited mare, established the Denmark Family of American Saddlebreds. Over 60% of the horses in the first three registry volumes of the American Saddlebred Horse Association trace to Gaines' Denmark.
In 1991, Harrison Chief was designated as a foundation sire, along with Denmark. The Chief family has a similar background, with a dominance of blood coming from the Thoroughbred Messenger, and his son, Mambrino Chief.
The Denmarks and Chiefs both go back exactly eight generations to the ancient Thoroughbred, Blaze. One theory holds that when these families were crossed back beginning in the late 1800's, the American Saddlebred was permanently fixed as a dominant breed.
By the time of the Mexican War in 1846, the American Saddlebred was a well established breed. Entire companies of American volunteers from Kentucky and Missouri, mounted on these horses, fought in Mexico.
In 1856, St. Louis, the largest city west of the Mississippi, held its first great fair which featured the nation's first major horse show.
The American Saddle Horse gained fame as a breed during the Civil War, 1861-1865. Saddlebreds served as mounts of many famous generals; Lee on Traveller, Grant on Cincinnati, Sherman rode Lexington, and Stonewall Jackson's mount was Little Sorrell. The three aforementioned horses were American type with close Thoroughbred crosses, and the latter was of pacing stock.
The Confederate commands of Generals John Hunt Morgan and Nathan Bedford Forrest were mounted almost exclusively on American Saddlebreds, and these horses performed legendary feats of endurance during the war. Because most Confederate horses were privately owned, General Grant's order at Lee's surrender which allowed the men to keep their horses perhaps saved the breed.
1995 World Grand Champion Fine Harness
Roselawn's Secret Rhythm
(Tijuana Rhythm x The Secret Symbol)
Gelding b.1983
photo courtesy of Stuart Vesty - www.vesty.com
After the war, the St. Louis Fair was revived. All breeds had their day in competition at St. Louis, but in the 1870's the Denmarks became dominant.
Because of the increased popularity and commercial value of the Saddlebred, enlightened breeders began to call for the formation of a breed association and registry in the 1880's. Charles F. Mills of Springfield, Illinois, began compiling pedigrees and formulating rules for a registry. The Farmers Home Journal, a newspaper published in Louisville, Kentucky, called for a meeting April 7, 1891 to organize the association, and the registry was established that day...the first horse breed association in the US.
Despite the fact that during this period of time the American Saddle Horse was still very much a using animal, the rivalry between breeders at horse shows and especially state pride between Kentucky and Missouri, was intense. Gifted horsemen began making a living at training show horses.
A coal black stallion from Missouri, destined to make a great contribution in giving even greater status to shows and the breed, burst onto the show scene at St. Louis in 1893. Rex McDonald was undefeated on but three occasions, was idolized by the public, and visited by Presidents of the US.
One of the most famous Missouri - Kentucky rivalries occurred between Missouri's Miss Rex and Kentucky's Lou Chief, both mares. Miss Rex holds the distinction of being the only mare to have beaten Rex McDonald, handing him one of his three defeats. Miss Rex and Lou Chief had many battles in the show ring, until Lou Chief's new owner tried to dock her tail in 1890. The procedure ruined Lou Chief's appearance, and she was never shown again.
1993 World Champion Five-Gaited Horse
Protege
(Longview's Paladin x Sultan's Cappuccino)
1988 Chestnut Gelding
Bred by Mr. Raymond Danner of Nashville, Tennessee,
and owned by Ms. M.P. Fergusson, Northbrook, Illinois
Mr. Don Harris up
Photo courtesy of Stuart Vesty - www.vesty.com
The 1900's
In Kentucky, a colt of predominantly trotting blood with a dash of Denmark was foaled in 1900. He was a sensation as a five-gaited show stallion, winning the grand championship at the Louisville Horse show as a three-year-old. Living to the age of 30, Bourbon King was the great progenitor of the Chief Family.
In 1903, the American Royal in Kansas City saw Saddlebreds in the show ring for the first time. The man primarily responsible for this event was Tom Bass. A native of Missouri and born into slavery, Tom Bass became one of the greatest horse trainers, and entertained visitors such as President Theodore Roosevelt, Will Rogers, P. T. Barnum, Buffalo Bill Cody, and many others.
The Kentucky State Fair hosted the World's Grand Championship for the first time in 1917. The winner's included Easter Cloud as the Five Gaited champion, Happy Sybil as the Three Gaited champion, and Lady Beautiful as the Fine Harness champion.
Perhaps the greatest Five Gaited Championship class of all time was held at the 1933 Kentucky State Fair. CH Belle Le Rose, Sweetheart on Parade, and CH King's Genius battled it out in the ring and finished in that order. CH Belle Le Rose successfully defended her title again in 1934.
Champion Five Gaited
Callaway's Independence Day
(Sultan's Collector's Item x Callaway's Smell the Roses)
Owned and Shown by Misdee Wrigley, Paris, Kentucky
Trained by Larry Hodge at Kalarama Farm, Springfield, KY.
Photo by Sargent with the kind permission of Ms. Wrigley
In 1948, Wing Commander began an unprecedented winning streak as Grand Champion Five-Gaited Stake horse for each consecutive year until 1953. The next year saw Lady Carrigan begin a similar streak from 1954 until 1958, with a loss of the title in 1956.
The late 1950's saw the dominance of CH The Lemon Drop Kid in the Fine Harness Division. He became a celebrity in his own right, and was undoubtedly the most popular horse in America at that time. By 1959, he had accumulated four consecutive Fine Harness World's Grand Champion titles.
CH My-My, six-time World's Grand Champion Five Gaited horse, won her final title in 1968. A sad note in Saddlebred history, CH My-My's owner watched the show from a hospital bed, dying of cancer, which eventually claimed her life. Ch My-My died of liver failure a few weeks after her final title.
CH Imperator started off the 1980's with a bang by claiming the first of four Five Gaited World's Championships. Retired to the Kentucky Horse Park, he died in 1997.
Country Classic was winner of the Challenge of the Breeds at the St. Louis National in 1984. This contest between selected representatives of the major breeds featured horses in various disciplines, which included jumping, barrel racing, driving, etc. The same year also saw the closing of the American Saddlebred Registry. Horses since then must be sired by a registered stallion and out of a registered mare.
To prove that American Saddlebreds are quite versatile, Artistic Reflection won the advanced singles in combined driving at the USET Festival of Champions in 1994.
The 1900's closed with CH A Sweet Treat winning the Three Gaited World's Grand Championship, CH Garland's Dream claiming the Five Gaited title, and CH Radiant Success taking the blue in Fine Harness.
High Time's Shadow
(Supremacy's High Time x Potpouri)
1997 Chestnut Gelding
Owned by Nancy Leigh Fisher, Oconomowoc,WI
photo courtesy of Stuart Vesty - www.vesty.com
The Rest of the Story . . .
Today finds the American Saddlebred competing in almost every equine activity: from dressage, show jumping, and cross country jumping, to driving, cutting and reining, and high schooling. The breed enjoys a proud history, from the Civil War battlefields to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. A willing and capable partner for all equestrians - The American Saddlebred.
American Saddlebred Horse Conformation
Night of Roses
(Carey's Night of Love x Symbol Song)
Bay Stallion foaled 1980
Owned by Vesty Show Horses
Clarke and Karen Vesty
LaGrange, Kentucky
Photo with the permission of Stuart Vesty - www.vesty.com
The American Saddlebred Horse carries himself with an attitude that eludes description - some call it class, presence, quality, style or charm. This superior air distinguishes his every movement.
The ideal American Saddlebred is well-proportioned and presents a beautiful overall picture. The animal should be in good flesh, with good muscle tone and a smooth, glossy coat. Masculinity in stallions and femininity in mares are important. The average height is 15 to 16 hands and the average weight is 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. All colors are acceptable; the most prominent are chestnut, bay, brown and black, with some grey, roan, palomino and pinto.
HEAD - - well-shaped with large, wide-set expressive eyes, gracefully hooked ears set close together on top of the head and carried alertly; a straight face line with a relatively fine muzzle and large nostrils and a clean, smooth jaw line.The head is the most revealing part of the horse. The proportion of the head is usually a good indication of body proportion. Generally, a long narrow head will be accompanied by a long narrow body, while a coarse head will usually be seen on a thick body that lacks quality. The head should show breeding. By looking at the head alone, one should be able to distinguish a Saddlebred from a Quarter Horse. The head should be lean, in proportion to the body, and it should indicate femininity or masculinity. It is important that the head not be too large because it is a heavy mass of bone. If the head is large in proportion to the rest of the horse, the horse's neck will tire easily in its attempt to carry the head. It should have an angle at the throat latch that allows for sufficient space so that the larynx is not compressed when the neck is flexed. The bones, muscles, and veins should show prominently through the skin. The skin and hair should be fine textured. The horse should have a well developed jaw, which indicates good masticating power (the Quarter Horse is noted for having an exceptionally well developed jaw). It is very important that the horse be wide and clean between his jaws so he can flex without interfering with his throat latch area.
The space between the eyes should be broad. Usually, there is a concavity in profile, beginning just below the eyes. This concavity should be only slight, and should not suggest a dished face unless you are critiquing an Arabian.
The horse is known for having exceptionally good hearing. The ears should be of a size in proportion to the head and body. They should be pointed, closely set, alert, and active; however, ears that are too thin and pointed are called "pin ears" by Quarter Horse people. Many breeders are partial to mares with large ears and stallions with small ones. Ears that clearly show the blood vessels are a characteristic of a quality horse. Ears that are constantly moving might indicate a nervous disposition or impaired eyesight, while ears that are seldom forward and alert can indicate a lazy, sluggish temperament.
The eye should be full, clear, bright, intelligent, and kind. Some families of Saddlebreds are noted for an eye that shows a lot of the white, or sclera, at all times. This makes the horse appear somewhat bug-eyed and very alert; it does not signify that the horse has a nasty temperament. The eyelids should be reasonably thin and give an appearance of good health.
The nostrils should be large but thin, a characteristic that denotes good breathing capacity. They should be fine, sensitive, and stand well open. The muzzle should be fine and soft with the lips sensitive and closed naturally over the teeth. The muzzle should be reasonably suggestive of the square shape. The mouth should be firmly chiseled and reasonably tight. The lips should be thin, long, and firm. The teeth should meet evenly, making the mouth as a whole have a good bite. One should avoid an overreaching of the upper teeth, known as parrot mouth. Also undesirable is the undershot jaw called monkey mouth. Both impair the horse's ability to eat.
NECK -- long, arched and well-flexed at the poll with a fine, clean throat latch. Whether a horse is considered long necked or short necked, he has seven cervical vertebrae. The shape of the neck is a result of the muscular development. The neck should be long, muscular, and elegant. When seen from the side it should appear light, slender, and graceful. However, when seen from above the line of the crest, it should be rather thick, firm, and muscular to touch. The neck should be arched, but not crested to the extreme of being thick.
Two main faults in the conformation of the neck are the ewe neck and the turkey neck. In the former the neck curves downward from the withers and then has a flat, straight appearance to the head, like a sheep's neck. The turkey neck curves upward to the head giving the horse a cocky look. With this neck the anterior, or the front of the neck, is extremely convex.
It's Hammertime
1990 Black Stallion
(THE MANIPULATOR x LOVE TRILOGY)
Owned by TONY C. DIAMOND of AUGUSTA, GA
Bred by Ms. Sheila Fisher of Simpsonville, KY
and Mr. Tom Lee at the whip
photo courtesy of Mr. Howard Schatzberg
WITHERS & SHOULDERS -- well-defined and prominent, shoulders deep and sloping The withers should extend well into the back and they should be reasonably lean and prominent. They should not be low, heavy, thick, or round. A horse with low thick withers usually travels with a low head and is awkward with the movement of his front legs, making him predisposed to forging. (Forging is when the toe of the hind shoe strikes the underneath surface or the heel of the front shoe).
The shoulders should be long, sloping, flat, and smooth. A horse with a long sloping shoulder has greater extension of the forearm and the front leg can be raised higher. A horse with a good sloping shoulder will have a more graceful way of going and will stay sound longer. A good shoulder gives the appearance of being lean and muscular, not beefy. A long, sloping shoulder generally allows for the higher neck carriage desired of horses who will be ridden under saddle seat tack.
BACK & CROUP -- strong and level with well sprung ribs, level croup with tail coming out high.A short back and loin, combined with a long underline and deep well sprung ribs, make for a correctly conformed horse. However, if the back is too short, combined with long legs, the horse will be predisposed to forging. If the back arches, or is convex, the horse is said to have a roach back. A horse that is low in the back is said to be sway backed. The back should carry out the appearance of a "straight top line."
The croup should be long, muscular, broad, and level. A reasonably level croup adds to the ease of structure, and helps to place the legs in the proper place. A croup that is too horizontal, however, will place the hind legs too far behind the horse. The opposite condition, called "goose rumped," is when the croup slopes downward from the hip to the dock. This conformation places the hind limbs too far underneath the horse. Saddlebred trainers often prefer the latter for a five gaited horse so that he can get his hind legs underneath him, making it easier to slow-gait and rack correctly.
World Champion
Wall Street Week
(The New York Times x Flight Time's Kitty Hawk)
1997 Chestnut Gelding
Owned by Ellen Scripps Davis/Michele MacFarlane
San Diego, California
photo courtesy of Stuart Vesty - www.vesty.com
LEGS -- the front leg should - set well forward under the shoulder. The line of the hind leg, in a natural stance, should be vertical from the point of the buttock to the back edge of the cannon bone. The forearms and hindquarters are well-muscled to the knees and hocks. Legs are straight with broad flat bones, sharply defined tendons and sloping pasterns. The arm should be short in comparison to the shoulder. If the length of the arm is excessive in comparison with a short straight upright shoulder, the front leg will cover less ground with each stride. The elbow should not be tied down against the body of the horse, nor should it be bucked out. The forearm should be long and powerful. Because the forearm carries the knee forward and upward, the longer the forearm the longer the stride will be. The leg should be longer from the elbow to the knee than from the knee to the ankle.
The knee, when viewed from the side, should be straight, broad, and smooth. The knee should be well supported and it should taper smoothly into the cannon bone. One of the most undesirable conformation faults if calf knees, also known as back at the knees or sheep knees. Calf kneed horses have a predisposition to knee fractures because there is so much concussion on the knee joint, since it is somewhat bent backwards when the hoof strikes the ground.
The opposite condition of calf knees is buck knees, which is also known as over at the knees, shaky in the knees, knee sprung, goat kneed, or easy in the knees. This fault is not as serious since the knee is simply over-bent in the direction that it is supposed to bend. Some jumper trainers actually look for a horse that is somewhat over at the knees because it is easier for the horse to get his knees up over the top of a fence and there is less concussion on the landing side.
When viewed from the front, the knees should be straight. An offset knee is known as a bench knee. Knees that are too close together are called knock knees, while knees that are too far apart are bow knees.
The cannon bone should be short, flat, and strong. It should be equipped with smooth tendons that are well-placed and parallel to the bone. These tendons should stand out and give a lean appearance to the bone. The fetlock should be large and strong in order to provide plenty of room for the attachment of ligaments and tendons. The pastern should be fairly long and sloping, but strong. It should have enough angle to be able to reduce concussion. The shoulder, pastern and hoof generally have the same degree of slope. This slope should be a forty five degree angle to the ground.
FEET -- good and sound, open at the heel, neither toed in nor toed out. The feet should be as wide apart at the ground as the space between the limbs at their origin in the chest. The size of the feet should be in proportion to that of the horse. The hoof wall should be hard, smooth, and flat without any ridges, dryness, or flaking. The sole of the foot should be firm, strong, concave and not dropped. The bars should be firm, strong, and well defined. The frog should be elastic yet firm.
The horse's feet should be planted squarely underneath him and should point to the front, neither turning out nor turning in. A horse whose toes point outward is called splay footed. A splay footed horse often interferes when he travels, and is predisposed to developing splints. A horse whose toes point inward is said to be pigeon toed. The pigeon toed horse is predisposed to side bones, but will not interfere when he moves. Winging, or the milder form called paddling, often occurs with the pigeon toed horse.
Portions contributed by the ASHA, with commentary provided by Gayle Lampe. Please visit the ASB Bookstore ( www.American-Saddlebred.com ) to order Miss Lampe's Book - "Riding for Success."
Copyright © 1996 - 2001 American-Saddlebred.Com
Useful Saddlebred Links
American-Saddlebred.com
#1 Source of Saddlebred Information
Saddle and Bridle.com
The oldest name in Show Horse Magazines
National Horsemen.com
A traditional show horse magazine since 1865
SaddlehorseReport.com
Complete information source in the American Saddlebred, Morgan Horse, and Hackney pony industries.
The Bluegrass Horseman.com
A traditional equine magazine: a division of Saddle Horse, Inc.
Gaited Horse.com
The ONE magazine dedicated to ALL gaited horses
Trot.org
A portal to all Saddlebred information on the World Wide Web
Vesty.com
Stuart Vesty-equine photographer
Howard Schatzberg.com
Howard Schatzberg - equine photographer
And finally THANK YOU . . .
A very special thanks to the people who helped make this American Saddlebred feature so very special.
* Lisa Ashford of the American-Saddlebred.com who granted permission for use of material from their website ( www.American-Saddlebred.com )
* Stuart Vesty, photographer, for the use of his exceptional show horse photos ( www.vesty.com )
* Mr. Howard Schatzberg for his always exciting photos ( HowardSchatzberg.com )
* Ms. Misdee Wrigley for her kind permission of the use of her photo. |
