Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse
News
2007 International
Grand Championship
Issue
Great Gaits
Breeding a
Good Horse
by: Barbara Weatherwax
The Kentucky
Mountain Saddle Horse Association was born out of the keen
horsemanship and determination of one man, Robert "Jr." Robinson.
His vision and concern for the horse has brought the registry to the
place of strength and health it enjoys today.
Quoting Robinson,
"Well, I’ve been with these horses all my life. I was brought up
with these horses. They were primarily a workhorse. My father and I
worked these horses and used them for all purposes. We pleasure rode
them, worked them, and back then we rode a lot. I rode horses to the
store myself, and just got out on Sunday and rode around."
"We wanted to
preserve this horse, so we started the Kentucky Mountain Registry.
We hope these horses satisfy their owners. We try to breed for
gentle horses, for good temperament, and a good smooth four-beat
gait. If you don’t register a good byproduct, you’re defeating the
purpose. We want the horse to be the winner."
Robinson had
participated in the formation of other Mountain Horse registries.
There was however an area of disagreement that he wished to address
with KMSHA. "In the other registries, the smallest horse they would
register was 14.2 hands tall. But we had so many good four-beat gait
horses that came in under that size."
Robinson’s decision
to embark on the enormous responsibility of forming a registry was
sealed when he bred the horse General Jackson. This gorgeous, well
gaited, flashy stallion stood a sturdy and strong 13.3 hands tall.
Robinson was quick to point out that Jackson is a short horse, not a
small horse. Many of the shorter horses seem to be the most talented
in gaiting.
After Robinson and
his volunteers registered the local native Mountain Horses as a
foundation, the registry was open to receive other horses possessing
the same traits. By grouping horses with like-characteristics, a
gene pool has been formed from which owners of mares and stallions
may review and select compatible matings for their horses.
The response to the
formation and registration of the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse has
been one of enthusiasm and great interest. By June, 1989, a few
months after the KMSHA’s inception, eleven horses had been
registered. By 1996, a mere seven years after the beginning of the
registry, the KMSHA had registered more than 4,000 horses not only
within Kentucky, but throughout the United States and in parts of
Canada, Austria, and Germany. Today the registry just celebrated the
registration of their 20,000th horse, STF Lydia...a testimony to the
growing popularity of the breed.
First time owners of Kentucky
Mountain Saddle Horses are frequently in their upper thirties and
older. Many of them are thrilled at having found these horses, and
purchase one or more for their children or grandchildren. The breed
is well known for it’s kind temperament and ease of gait that makes
it a versatile all-around horse for every discipline.
Please contact
me on my email: softgaits@aol.com with your specific questions or
thoughts about the Mountain Horses. And Happy Gaiting!
