Saddlebred
Horse History
The American
Saddlebred horse can trace its roots to the easy gaited
Galloway and Hobbie horses which were shipped to North
America from the British Isles in the 1600s. These hardy
little horses thrived and grew in the new environment;
through selective breeding the Narragansett Pacer was developed
and named for Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay area where
many were raised. These were also found up and down the
eastern seaboard, including Virginia where they were also
produced in large numbers. These animals moved their legs
in concert on the same side of their bodies, contacting
the ground in a broken cadence. The ride was comfortable,
compared to the jolt of a trot. These horses are now "extinct" in
the U. S. and in mane, because they were exported to the
West Indies by the thousands. The Paso Fino is a direct
descendant of the Narragansett and is probably almost the
same horse.
Before
they were all gone, Narragansett mares were crossed with
Thoroughbreds, which the colonists began importing from
England in the early 1700s. By 1776 during the American
Revolution, a horse simply called the American horse had
become a recognized type. It had the size and beauty of
the Thoroughbred, but retained the ability to learn the
easy riding gaits. These animals were used for riding,
to pull the plow during the week, the carriage on Saturday
night and for other work. They were prized for a pleasant
temperament, eagerness, strength and stamina.
It was
the American horse that carried colonial cavalry to victory
over the British at King's Mountain in South Carolina.
After the Revolution, they carried their masters through
the Cumberland Gap to the frontier of Kentucky. These animals
were the immediate precursors of the American Saddlebred.
There
was continual crossing with Thoroughbreds, and over time
some Morgan and Standardbred blood was added. When the
first horse shows were held in Kentucky, Virginia and Missouri
in the early 1800s, American Saddlebreds were frequently
judged the winners because of their beauty, style and utility.
The first "national" horse show was held in 1856
at the St. Louis Fair and Saddlebreds were prominent.
Horses
became a major commercial commodity in Kentucky, and "Kentucky
saddlers" were particularly prized and achieved national
prominence. Thousands were shipped to the eastern market
and throughout the south. This is the first breed of horse
claimed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky as its own.
By the
time of the Civil War, Saddlebreds were among the most
popular riding animals in America. They were used in great
numbers by the Confederate cavalry and demonstrated incredible
endurance and dependability on long marches and under fire.
The men of John Hunt Morgan and Nathan Bedford Forest were
exclusively mounted on these horses. Generals on both sides
proudly rode Saddlebreds. Traveller, General Robert E.
Lee's mount and the most famous horse of the war had breeding
typical of an early Saddlebred. His sire was the Thoroughbred
Gray Eagle and his dam a mare of mixed breeding. Traveller
possessed a smooth rack.
After
this terrible strife, American Saddlebred horses went to
all parts of the nation with returning soldiers. They could
be seen on the bridle paths of Central Park in New York
City and on the plains of Texas herding cattle. Today,
American Saddlebreds are found in all 50 states, Canada,
England, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, Italy, Greece,
Australia, Japan and many other countries. The Saddlebred
is the most popular of the non-racing breeds in South Africa,
which began importing them after World War I. A five gaited
stallion bred and raised in South Africa won the World's
Grand Championship at the 1997 Kentucky State Fair. |
