- Rocky Mountain Horse -

The Rocky Mountain horse breed actually hails from the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky, and it was one of the foundations from a family of breeds developed there. The Rocky Mountain breed is a gaited horse shaped by its early uses. Horses were expected to be adaptable and versatile, easy keepers, rugged, sure-footed, and willing in disposition. The Rocky Mountain breed reflects the primitive gaited horse type and may be ancestral to modern breeds developed later.

As a landrace breed, the Rocky Mountain is somewhat variable in type. Some horses have very Spanish features while others appear more like the larger, modern breeds. Consistent among all is a smooth four-beat gait that replaces the trot, and a calm, friendly disposition. The horses stand 14.2-16 hands (58-64") at the withers and weigh 850-1,000 pounds. Most of the solid colors known in horses occur in the breed; spotted individuals occur occasionally, but they are not accepted by the registry. The Rocky Mountain breed has grown quickly, as it fits the current market for easy riding, gentle family pleasure horses, and now numbers about 3,000.

Thanks to the Carolina Classic Horse Expo for this information

For more information on the Rocky Mountain Horse, check out these websites:

http://equineestates.com/library/breeds/r002.htm

http://www.gaitedhorse.com/rocky.htm

http://www.raresteeds.com/Breeds/rocky_mountain.htm

http://www.rmhorse.com/

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/rockymnt/

http://www.rmhforum.com/history.shtml

http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/rocky.html

http://www.southeasternrockies.com/

Return to Horse Breeds page