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American Saddlebred
An American Saddlebred and rider in saddle seat tack and attire
Other namesSaddlebred, American Saddle Horse, American Saddler
Country of originUnited States
Traits
Weight
  • 900 to 1,000 lb (410 to 450 kg)
Height
  • 15 to 16 hands (60 to 64 inches, 152 to 163 cm)
ColorAny color permissible
Distinguishing featuresHigh stepping with exaggerated action
Breed standards

The American Saddlebred is a horse breed from the United States. Descended from riding-type horses bred at the time of the American Revolution, the American Saddlebred includes the Narragansett Pacer, Canadian Pacer, Morgan and Thoroughbred among its ancestors. Developed into its modern type in Kentucky, it was once known as the "Kentucky Saddler" and used extensively as an officer's mount in the American Civil War. In 1891, a breed registry was formed in the United States. Throughout the 20th century, the breed's popularity continued to grow in the United States, and exports began to South Africa and Great Britain. Since the formation of the US registry, almost 250,000 American Saddlebreds have been registered and can now be found around the world, with separate breed registries established in Great Britain, Australia, continental Europe, and southern Africa.

Averaging 15 to 16 hands (60 to 64 inches, 152 to 163 cm) in height, Saddlebreds are known for their sense of presence and style, as well as for their spirited, yet gentle, temperament. They may be of any color, including pinto patterns, which have been acknowledged in the breed since the late 1800s. They are considered a gaited breed, as some Saddlebreds are bred and trained to perform four-beat ambling gaits, one being a "slow gait" that historically was one of three possible ambling patterns, and the much faster rack.

They have attracted the attention of numerous celebrities, who have become breeders and exhibitors, and purebred and partbred American Saddlebreds have appeared in several films, especially during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Saddlebreds are mainly known for their performance in the show ring, but can also be seen in competition in several other English riding disciplines and combined driving, as well as being used as a pleasure riding horse. American Saddlebreds often compete in five primary divisions: Five-Gaited, Three-Gaited, Fine Harness, Park and Pleasure. In these divisions they are judged on performance, manners, presence, quality, and conformation.[1]

Characteristics

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High-stepping action is typical of the Saddlebred, as seen in this "five-gaited" horse, performing the rack.

American Saddlebreds stand 15 to 17 hands (60 to 68 inches, 152 to 173 cm) high,[2] averaging 15 to 16 hands (60 to 64 inches, 152 to 163 cm),[3] and weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds (450 and 540 kg). Members of the breed have well-shaped heads with a straight profile, long, slim, arched necks, well-defined withers, sloping shoulders, correct leg conformation, and strong level backs with well-sprung ribs. The croup is level with a high-carried tail.[4] Enthusiasts consider them to be spirited, yet gentle, animals.[2] Any color is acceptable, but most common are chestnut, bay, brown and black. Some are gray, roan, palomino and pinto.[4] The first-known pinto Saddlebred was a stallion foaled in 1882. In 1884 and 1891, two additional pintos, both mares, were foaled. These three horses were recorded as "spotted", but many other pinto Saddlebreds with minimal markings were recorded only by their base color, without making note of their markings. This practice continued into the 1930s, at which time breeders came to be more accepting of "colored" horses and began recording markings and registering horses as pinto.[5] The Saddlebred has been called the "world's most beautiful horse" by admirers, and is known as the "peacock of the horse world".[6] The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) describes the Saddlebred as follows: "He carries himself with an attitude that is elusive of description—some call it "class", presence, quality, style, or charm. This superior air distinguishes his every movement."[4]

Saddlebreds are popularly known as show horses, with horses being shown saddle seat in both three-gaited and five-gaited classes. The former are the three common gaits seen in most breeds, the walk, trot and canter. The latter includes the three regular gaits, plus two four-beat ambling gaits known as the slow gait and the rack.[2] Historically, the slow gait could be either a running walk, the stepping pace, or the fox trot,[7] however, the modern five-gaited Saddlebred typically performs a stepping-pace.[2] The stepping pace is a four-beat gait in which the lateral pairs of legs leave the ground together, but strike the ground at different times, the hind foot connecting slightly before the forefoot. In the show ring, the gait should be performed with restraint and precision. The rack is also a four-beat gait, but with equal intervals between each footfall. In the show ring, the gait is performed with speed and action, appearing unrestrained.[8]

Lordosis, also known as swayback, low back or soft back, has been found to have a hereditary basis in Saddlebreds and a recessive mode of inheritance. The precise mutation has not yet been located, but researchers believe it to be somewhere on horse chromosome 20. Researching this condition may help more than just the Saddlebred breed as it may "serve as a model for investigating congenital skeletal deformities in horses and other species."[9] Horses with lordosis are generally healthy and unaffected by the condition, and are eligible to compete in many divisions, but a swayback must be penalized as a fault at shows, in addition to other conformation flaws.[4]

History

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19th century

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John B. Castleman, the "father" of the modern American Saddlebred

The "American Saddle Horse", as a horse breed, was originally devised by John Breckinridge Castleman (June 30, 1841 – May 23, 1918), a Confederate officer; and later, a United States Army brigadier general, as well as a prominent landowner and businessman in Louisville, Kentucky.[10] In his 1917 memoir, Active Service, Castleman claimed to have come up with the concept of the breed as a child (1840s-1850s), and continued his work with horses and horse breeding into his teenage and adult years.[11]

"In early boyhood, I had already begun to take an intelligent interest in the breeding and development of a horse which, in after life, became one of my public interests and personal pleasures, and co-operating with others finally accomplished a result that is now known throughout the world as the 'American Saddle Horse', an achievement thus referred to by the singularly gifted William R. Goodwin, editor of the Breeders' Gazette, in an article concerning the writer: 'As the foremost advocate of the most beautiful creation of the breeder's art—The American Saddle Horse. For nearly a quarter of a century, as president, he has guided the destinies of the American Saddle Horse Breeders' Association, inviting and compelling attention to the matchless beauty, finish and service of the saddle horse as developed under the auspices of that association, and he has lived to see the complete triumph of the type in America.'"[11]
— John B. Castleman, Active Service (1917)
Gaines' Denmark, a 70% Thoroughbred black gaited stallion who Castleman chose as a foundation sire for his American Saddle Horse breed

In 1857, at the age of 16, Castleman purchased a 3-year-old, "three-fourths Thoroughbred" gelding named Lightfoot that was sired by Gaines' Denmark, a stallion owned and bred by Edward P. Gaines, a breeder of "saddle horses" who lived near Georgetown, Kentucky and Lexington, Kentucky,[12] out of "a mare by Boston", a Thoroughbred stallion. With the assistance of Isaac Byrd (c. 1808 - June 30, 1904),[11] an enslaved African American who was owned by Castleman's family, Castleman trained Lightfoot to be a "saddle" show horse, and entered him into a local horse show. The horse fetched an "unprecedented price", and Castleman became interested in Gaines' Denmark as a foundational sire for the "American Saddle Horse".[11] Gaines' Denmark inherited gaitedness from his grand-dam, a Canadian Pacer.[13]

When the American Civil War began 1861, a 20-year-old Castleman joined the Confederate States Army, where he formed the Second Kentucky Cavalry company under John Hunt Morgan and Basil W. Duke. After the end of the Civil War, and after being exiled to France, and subsequently pardoned by President Andrew Johnson for a treason conviction, Castleman returned to Kentucky in 1866. Upon his return, he revived the Louisville Legion, a militia unit, in 1878 and became adjutant general of Kentucky in 1883. The unit became the 1st Kentucky Volunteers in the Spanish–American War, and Castleman was commissioned a colonel in the U.S. Army. His unit participated in the invasion of Puerto Rico; he was promoted to brigadier general; and, after the war, he was appointed the military governor of the island.

Traveller, a gray Thoroughbred and Morgan cross stallion with Pacer blood, foaled in 1857. He was considered to be an earlier example of an "American Saddle Horse" by John B. Castleman.

As a Confederate horse cavalry captain and officer, Castleman sought to create a fine cavalry and "saddle horse" mount to represent his home state of Kentucky, as well as to represent the ideal "Southern, or Confederate, horse".[14] To this end, Castleman used General Robert E. Lee's war mount, Traveller, as an early example for his "American Saddle Horse". Traveller was sired by Grey Eagle (b. 1835), a prominent gray Thoroughbred stallion and Kentucky sire who stood at stud from 1840 to 1856; later appeared in several Saddlebred bloodlines; and "helped establish Kentucky’s reputation as a premier source of great horses".[15]

Other breeds which played a role in the development of the Saddlebred in the 19th century include the Morgan, the Standardbred, the Hackney, and the Canadian Pacer.[16] Aside from the maternal line of Gaines' Denmark, the most influential Canadian Pacer was Tom Hal, a blue roan stallion foaled in 1802, who was later recognized as a foundation stallion of several Saddlebred lines.[6][17]

The American Saddle Horse was further refined in Kentucky, where the addition of more Thoroughbred blood created a taller and better-looking horse that became known as the "Kentucky Saddler".[16] There were originally 17 foundation stallions listed by the breed registry, but by 1908, the registry decided to list only one - Denmark, the Thoroughbred sire of Gaines' Denmark - and the remainder were identified as "Noted Deceased Sires".[6] Today, two foundation sires of the breed are recognized, both Thoroughbred crosses.[2] Gaines' Denmark, on account of being personally selected by Castleman as a foundation sire, is in the pedigrees of over 60% of the horses registered in the first three volumes of the breed's studbook.[16] A second foundation sire was recognized in 1991, Harrison Chief. This sire was a descendant of the gray Thoroughbred stallion Messenger (1780 – January 28, 1808), who is also considered a foundation stallion for the Standardbred breed, and who also shows up frequently in Morgan horse bloodlines.[16]

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) was founded by Castleman in 1891,[18] and was initially called the "National Saddle Horse Breeders Association" (NSHBA). Castleman also served as president of the organization for 25 years.[19] Private individuals had produced studbooks for other breeds, such as the Morgan, as early as 1857, but the NSHBA was the first national association for an American-developed breed of horse.[16][20] In 1899, the organization name was changed to the American Saddle Horse Breeders' Association, clarifying the breed's name as the "American Saddle Horse", not simply "Saddle Horse".[16]

20th century to present

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American Saddlebred mare, c. 1906

After World War I (1914 - 1918), the American Saddle Horse began to be exported from the United States to South Africa, and it is now the most popular non-racing breed in that country.[21] Saddle Horse horse show standards continued to evolve through the 1920s, as the popularity of the breed grew. The Saddle Horse industry slowed during World War II, but began to grow again post-war, with Mexico, Missouri earning the title "Saddle Horse Capital of the World".[22] Exports continued, and though attempts to begin a South African breed registry had started in 1935, it was not until 1949 that the Saddle Horse Breeders' Society of South Africa was formed.[23]

The 1950s saw continued growth of the Saddle Horse breed, and "The Lemon Drop Kid", a fine harness horse, became the first, and only, Saddle Horse to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[22] In the late 1950s, the "Saddle Horse Capital" became centered in Shelby County, Kentucky, largely due to the success of breeders Charles and Helen Crabtree,[22] the latter a renowned equitation coach. Although individual Saddle Horses had been exported to the United Kingdom throughout the breed's history, the first breeding groups were transported there in 1966. For the next 30 years, enthusiasts worked to establish a breeding and showing platform for the breed in the UK.[5]

In 1980, the name of the American Saddle Horse Breeder's Association was changed to the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA);[16] the breed name changed to "American Saddlebred"; membership was opened to non-breeders; and the group began to focus on breed promotion. In 1985, the ASHA became the first breed registry to have their headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.[21] A decade later, in 1995, the United Saddlebred Association was formed to register Saddlebreds in the UK, and acts as the British affiliate of the ASHA.[5] Since the founding of the American registry, almost 250,000 horses have been accepted, with almost 3,000 new foals registered annually. It is the oldest still-functioning breed registry in the United States. Common in the eastern U.S., the breed is also found throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and in South Africa.[2]

Located at the Kentucky Horse Park is the American Saddlebred Museum, which curates a large collection of Saddlebred-related items and artwork, as well as a 2,500-volume library of breed-related works.[24] There are many magazines which focus on the American Saddlebred: Show Horse Magazine, Bluegrass Horseman, The National Horseman, Saddle and Bridle, and Show Horse International.[25][26]

Show ring history

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U.S. boxing champion Joe Louis owned and showed American Saddlebred horses in the 1940s.

Horses were exhibited in Kentucky as early as 1816,[16] and were a prominent part of the first national horse show in the United States, held at the St. Louis Fair in 1856.[21] In 1857, breed founder John B. Castleman also began training, showing, and selling what he called "American Saddle Horses", with the assistance of Isaac Byrd, an African-American slave who was more experienced in horse training.[11]

The Kentucky State Fair began running a World Championship show in 1917, offering a $10,000 prize for the champion five-gaited horse.[22] Also in 1917, the American Horse Shows Association, now the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), formed and began to standardize show formats and rules. In 1957, the American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Association was formed to regulate English pleasure classes.[22] Today, the most prestigious award in the breed industry is the American Saddlebred "Triple Crown": winning the five-gaited championships at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show; the Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show; and American Royal horse show, a feat that has only been accomplished by six horses.[27]

The breed's show history also paralleled major historical developments. Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, who owned and exhibited Saddlebreds into the 1940s, organized the first "All-Negro" horse show in Utica, Michigan, allowing greater opportunities for African-American people to exhibit horses at a time when there was significant racial segregation in the United States.[18] Gas shortages in the 1970s and 1980s put pressure on the recreational dollar, and saw the growth of single breed shows at the expense of the multi-breed traditional horse show.[22] At the beginning of the 21st century, the number of women showing Saddlebreds increased, with female competitors winning several world championships.[27]

Uses

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A Saddlebred showing in fine harness

Today, the Saddlebred is exhibited in the United States in multiple divisions, including assorted in-hand classes; ridden in saddle seat classes for three- and five-gaited horses in both Park and pleasure classes, hunter country pleasure, and western pleasure; plus pleasure driving, fine harness, roadster harness classes.[4] In five-gaited competition, they are shown with a full tail, often augmented with an artificial switch, and a full mane. Three-gaited horses may be shown with a shaved off "roached" mane and a full tail,[28] though the trend of the three-gaited horse being presented with the hair at the top of their tails, an area called the dock, trimmed short, has fallen out of style over the past several decades. The use of a set tail in certain types of competition was common,[28] today, tail sets are generally not allowed on the show grounds for horses in the Pleasure divisions, and horses with unset tails are not penalized in any division. Gingering is prohibited and not used.[4]

Film and celebrity affiliation

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William Shatner on the cover of American Saddlebred magazine

Many film and television horses of the Golden Age of Hollywood were also Saddlebreds, including the horses used in lead roles in My Friend Flicka, National Velvet, Fury[29] and one version of Black Beauty.[28] A part-Saddlebred played the lead role in the TV series Mr. Ed,[30] and a Saddlebred was used in a prominent role in Giant.[28] In the 1990s, William Shatner, an actor and Saddlebred breeder, rode one of his own horses, a mare named Great Belles of Fire, in his role as James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations.[28] Numerous other celebrities besides Shatner[31] have been owners and exhibitors of the breed, including Clark Gable,[29] Will Rogers, Joe Louis,[18] and Carson Kressley.[32]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "American Saddlebred Horse Association".
  2. ^ a b c d e f Dutson, Judith (2005). Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America. Storey Publishing. pp. 68–70. ISBN 1580176135.
  3. ^ "About Saddlebreds". United States Equestrian Federation. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "2013 United States Equestrian Federation Rule Book - Saddlebred Horse Division" (PDF). United States Equestrian Federation. pp. Rule SB102. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 19, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c "History of the Saddlebred in the UK". United Saddlebred Association – UK. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Hendricks, Bonnie (2007). International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 23–25. ISBN 9780806138848.
  7. ^ Bailey, Liberty Hyde (1908). Cyclopedia of American Agriculture: Animals. Cyclopedia of American Agriculture: A Popular Survey of Agricultural Conditions, Practices and Ideals in the United States and Canada. Vol. III. Macmillan. p. 492.
  8. ^ Behling, Hugh B. (1999). "Considerations of the American Saddlebred Horse for Purchase Examination" (PDF). AAEP Proceedings. 45: 19–21.
  9. ^ Oke, Stacey (December 20, 2010). "Genetics of Swayback in Saddlebred Horses Examined". The Horse. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  10. ^ Burnette, Eric (May 26, 2017). "Thank Andrew Cowan for Louisville parks, not Castleman". Courier-Journal.
  11. ^ a b c d e Castleman, John B. (1917). Active Service (PDF). Louisville, Kentucky: Legare Street Press. ISBN 978-1015639072. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "James Gaines House". National Park Service. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Esther, Janet. "Missouri Fox Trotters From the Past…Nancy Ann". Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  14. ^ Miller, Keith (November 26, 2019). "The Southern Horse". HistoryNet. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  15. ^ Peters, Anne (January 9, 2015). "Pedigree Analysis: Grey Eagle". BloodHorse Magazine. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h "Breed History 1800s". American Saddlebred Horse Association. Archived from the original on September 21, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  17. ^ "Tom Hal (3237S*)". American Saddlebred Horse Association. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Kemper, James Millard (2007). Kentucky's Saddlebred Heritage. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 84–85. ISBN 978-0738544403.
  19. ^ "Castleman, John Breckinridge (1841-1918) Papers, 1854-1911". The Filson Historical Society. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  20. ^ Curler, Elizabeth A (1993). "History of the American Morgan Horse Register: 1894-1994". American Morgan Horse Association. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  21. ^ a b c "American Saddlebred". International Museum of the Horse. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  22. ^ a b c d e f "Breed History 1900s". American Saddlebred Horse Association. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  23. ^ "Society History". Saddle Horse Breeders' Society of South Africa. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  24. ^ "About the American Saddlebred Museum". American Saddlebred Museum. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  25. ^ "About Us". Saddle and Bridle. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  26. ^ "History of The National Horseman". The National Horseman. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  27. ^ a b "Breed History 2000s". American Saddlebred Horse Association. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  28. ^ a b c d e Harris, Moira C.; Langrish, Bob (2006). America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A. Globe Pequo. pp. 42–43. ISBN 9781592288939.[permanent dead link‍]
  29. ^ a b "Celebrities, Saddlebreds and Personalities From the Silver Screen, Cinema and History at Kentucky Horse Park". Equine Chronicle (Press release). January 14, 2011. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  30. ^ "Mr. Ed makes hay with Hollywood Remake". The Guardian. October 5, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  31. ^ "Celebrity Equestrians: William Shatner". horsenation.com. June 12, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  32. ^ "ASHA Individual Award winners announced; Aikman, Stonecroft Farm, Rowland, Kressley, Durant, Courts and Harris to receive honors at American Saddlebred Ball in February". Saddlebred News. American Saddlebred Horse Association. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
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