The Rocky Mountain Breed?

I saw this girl a while ago and I wanted her :biggrin:

They are a gaited breed, fairly rare in this country, mostly come in liver chestnut with flaxan manes and tails.
 
They are not a very established breed. The recorded foundation stallion was Old Tobe who worked in a riding concession in the Natural Bridge State Park (in Kentucky, I think) in the 1960s, but a breed of gaited horses with chocolate flaxen colouring was known in the Appalachians before Old Tobe and the advent of a breed register. It wouldn't really count as a breed in Europe, because like many horse breeds in the US outcrosses are permitted as long as they preserve and improve the desired type (which in the Rocky Mountain horse and pony is basically the gait).
 
Agree with Jane. Do lots of Google searches about this and other gaited horses. I was interested from a historical point of view and there was a thread last year when people helped me and showed me some sites.
It is incredibly difficult to sort out the breeds and the training and the gaits.

Dont be misled by the Rocky Mountain Name. It is a massively long range stretching from California to Canada. OH and I have holidayed twice in the Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado, USA. Mark Rashid comes from the nearest town. We never rode a gaited horse either with him or on trail rides in the Park. Just nice quarter horses, normal USA cow horses. No one even mentioned Rocky Mountain horses!

I love those USA quarter horses but riding seated (as opposed to rising trot and forward seat) is not necessarily good for bad backs, as they claim. And the quarter horses and Iberian horses often have very fine front legs, which dont stand up to heavy mud we get here in winter. Owners on our yard have had trouble, whereas Irish horses stand up to our weather.
 
happyhacker101 said:
Anyone on here know anything about this breed? I'd never heard of it before and it looks quite intersting, not that I need/want another horse!:biggrin:

http://www.adhorse.co.uk/horseforsale_42397.html
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I think there's a user on here who has one, rockymountain where are you ? :biggrin:

Skib said:
I love those USA quarter horses but riding seated (as opposed to rising trot and forward seat) is not necessarily good for bad backs, as they claim. And the quarter horses and Iberian horses often have very fine front legs, which dont stand up to heavy mud we get here in winter. Owners on our yard have had trouble, whereas Irish horses stand up to our weather.
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I'm sorry but I don't agree with this.
Riding seated may not be ideal for a bad back (particularly if the horse isn't very comfy) but there is absolutely nothing stopping you from riding a QH in rising trot and/or half seat, even in western gear.
As for this notion of fine front legs :confused: Are you talking about resistance to mud fever or tendon trouble due to the sticky mud ? Either way I can't see how you can write off a whole breed, surely it's the individual that counts.
 
Stormin said:
I think there's a user on here who has one, rockymountain where are you ? :biggrin:



I'm sorry but I don't agree with this.
Riding seated may not be ideal for a bad back (particularly if the horse isn't very comfy) but there is absolutely nothing stopping you from riding a QH in rising trot and/or half seat, even in western gear.
As for this notion of fine front legs :confused: Are you talking about resistance to mud fever or tendon trouble due to the sticky mud ? Either way I can't see how you can write off a whole breed, surely it's the individual that counts.
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I have to agree with this. If you have a well gaited horse especially - tis very comfy for riders with back problems. Had a Tennessee Walking horse with super smooth gaits - was the most comfortable horse I have ever ridden with my long standing back problems.

He was palomino with 4 white legs - never had a single sign of mud fever despite living out 24/7 in typical, very wet and boggy Irish winter fields. Had no trouble riding through very heavy going either.

On the other hand - I know of several Irish horses who suffer dreadfully in the winter (and some times summer too) with mud fever.

Dont think you can generalise about breeds in such a broad and sweeping way IMO.:smoke:
 
newrider.com
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