Intro
Also called Country Saddle Horse and Old KY Saddler, the Mountain Pleasure Horse is among the oldest gaited breeds in the US and have been breed in Kentucky for over 160 years.
Origins
Several types of gaited animals made their way to the new world during exploration and colonization. While many of them came from Iberian ancestry, a few owe their genetics to a different source, the British Isles. Settlers brought small, gaited Hobby Horses with them to New England and they became the foundation for Narragansett Pacers. While pacers were appreciated for their speed, they also made comfortable mounts. Possessing a slower smooth gait called ‘single-footed trot’, which made the popular for traveling over rugged terrain between colonies.
By the early 19th century roads in New England were developed enough that there was far more demand for trotters than saddle horses, so pacers became rare in the area. Luckily, small pockets of these smooth mounts remained in the Appalachian regions where roadways were not as developed and smooth mounts were still prized. Not only good for riding, they were adaptable enough for farm work, pulling or carrying loads and delivering mail.
Grand Pappy Gaits
According to the registry, they are ancestral to all American gaited breeds, including Tennessee Walkers, American Saddlebreds and Rocky Mountain horses. Despite it’s contributions to other breeds, enthusiasts have continued the bloodlines of this old-time horse selecting for gait and disposition. This is an old school breeding society that does not encourage breeding for show.
As this is the case, written records about their history are limited. Often a family affair, some studboks can be found passed down through generations, providing traceable bloodlines for centuries. Others would be called a true country bred type, with little documentation or specialized breeding practices. What they do share is their butter smooth lateral gait, which is genetic and can be seen in foals within hours of birth.
Preservation Efforts
In 1994 the Governor of Kentucky (Brereton C. Jones) formally acknowledged the breed as the parent stock of American gaited breeds. This was established after genetic research done by the University of Kentucky and until 2009 the books remained closed to outside horses. At that time they opened to a select few appendix and ‘outstanding’ mountain stallions for registration to increase the breeding pool.
By 2014, board members reviewed the registry and determined that the appendix breeding program was having a negative affect on pure bloodlines. Deciding to create two divisions within the registry, purebred and Appendix. The main difference being that progeny of appendix animals can’t be registered as purebred.
Today they are listed as critical with the Equus Survival Trust and their unique gaited genetics are of interest to many equine genetic studies.
Features
Average height 14.2 – 16 hands
Physique
Head is well proportioned with a straight profile
Neck is medium in length and arched
Chest is wide and deep
Shoulders are sloped
Legs are strong and well formed
Traditional Colors
All solid colors
Temperament
Intelligent and friendly
Quick to learn and easy to train
Use
Riding horse
Trail
Endurance
Helpful Links
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Mountain Pleasure Horse Association
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