Rocky Mountain Horse
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[-]Many Rocky Mountains share the same bloodline with a stallion named "Old Tobe." He fathered many Rocky Mountain Horses until the age of thirty-seven in 1964. When the Rocky Mountain Horse Association was formed in 1986, it has over 10,000 horses registered with the Association. A horse by the name of "Yankee" was the last remaining son of Old Tobe at the time of the development of the registry. The Rocky Mountain Horse Association celebrated their eighteenth anniversary in 2005. [...]
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Anterior Segment Dysgenesis, more simply known as ASD, is an inherited, genetic condition that most often occurs in horses that are dark or chocolate brown in color and have a white or cream colored mane and tail. Typically horses with ASD are part of the Rocky Mountain Horse breed, which is the gaited horses bred and developed in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States.
ASD is present at birth and does not become progressively worse with age; rather it remains constant throughout the life of the horse. Screening by a veterinary ophthalmologist when the foal is approximately four months old can confirm the presence or absence of the condition, and foals can then be cleared for breeding stock if the problem is not present at that age. Horses cannot develop ASD as they mature so it is relatively easy to keep affected foals from being produced if owners are diligent with testing before breeding. [...]
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As with many of the horse breeds developed in the United States the Rocky Mountain Horse is a uniquely developed, naturally gaited horse. There is only one registry for the Rocky Mountain Horse that is exclusive to the breed although some other registries such as the Gaited Horse Registry will, of course, register a Rocky Mountain Horse.
The Rocky Mountain Horse, beside its gait, also has several unique features that set it apart from the other gaited breeds from the southern United States. One of the major color characteristics of the Rocky Mountain Horse that distinguishes it from other gaited breeds is that the horse cannot have excessive white above the knees or any white spotting or patterns on the body, neck or rump. The horse may have white markings on the face but they cannot be excessive such as a bald face or any other type or predominantly white markings on the face. This is really a distinguishing feature of the Rocky Mountain Horse and one that sets it apart from many other gaited breeds where all color combinations and patterns are considered acceptable. [...]
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The earliest documented history of the Rocky Mountain Horse all rests on one foundation stallion by the name of "Old Tobe". Old Tobe was descended from the horses bred by farmers and ranchers in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. These horses were naturally gaited, and were bred to be excellent all round horses that could safely and comfortably carry their riders long distances across challenging terrain. The late 1800s and the early 1900s was a period of time when the Appalachian area was largely isolated, so the horses were relatively free from any outbreeding with other horses. The breed, not then even given a name, gradually became the major utility horse in the area, ideally suited to the terrain and riding needs of the people.
The first Rocky Mountain Horse that was credited with the start of the breed was a silver dapple, having the chocolate body and the flaxen mane and tail. This stallion was to produce a large number of gaited foals, many which were bought by a local horseman by the name of Sam Tuttle. Tuttle continued to raise these medium sized gaited horses and refine the breed. [...]
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Many owners and breeders of the Rocky Mountain Horse consider them to be some of the easiest and most even dispositioned horses to work with a train. They are very affectionate towards humans and seem to naturally understand what the rider is asking, even with only minimal training. The traditional methods of training the Rocky Mountain Horse which includes lots of handling and attention when the foals are young and then halter training yearlings and working on desensitization training, then moving in to saddle breaking when the horse is about two are still considered to be the most effective methods. Rocky Mountain Horses, like most breeds of horses, thrive on positive, routine and consistent training methods that are designed with the horse's abilities and training progression in mind. Emphasis in all training programs with the Rocky Mountain Horse is to increase the horse's trust and affection towards the rider while also allowing the horse to understand how to use its own natural intelligence when on the trail or when being ridden. [...]
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Rocky Mountain Horse
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