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Tradition has it that around the turn of the century a young horse appeared in eastern Kentucky that gave rise to a line of horses that have been prized and treasured in this part of the country ever since.
On the farm of Sam Tuttle, these horses found a nurturing ground. Sam, who had the concession for horseback riding at the Natural Bridge State Park, used these horses for many years to haul green and inexperienced people over rough and rugged trails. Old Tobe, his most treasured stallion, who fathered fine horses up until the ripe old age of 37, was a sure footed and as gentle a horse as any could be found. He was the one that carried the young, the old, or the unsure over the mountain trails of Kentucky without faltering, even though a breeding stallion. Everyone who rode the stallion fell in love with him. He has the perfect gait and termperament. Many of the present Rocky Mountain Horses carry his bloodline.
The basic characteristics are a medium-sized horse of gentle temperament with an easy ambling four-beat gait. This gait made it the horse of choice on the farms and the rugged foothills of the Appalachians. It was a horse for all seasons. It could pull the plows in the small fields, work cattle, be ridden bareback by four children to the fishing hole, or to town comfortably on Saturday. They even performed well hitched to the buggy Sunday morning to go to church. Fancy barns and stalls were not necessary. Because of its cold-blooded nature, it tolerated the winters in Kentucky with a minimum of shelter. Naturally, out crossing with local horses did occur but the basic characteristics of a strong genetic line have continued.
The breed is best known for gentleness. It is an easy keeper and a wonderful riding horse with a strong heart and endurance. Today the Rocky Mountain Horse is being used as a pleasure hores, for trail, and competitive or endurance riding. As show horses, the breed is rapidly gaining in popularity because of its beauty and unique way of moving in the ring. These horses have a lot of natural endurance, they are sure-footed on rough ground and, because of their gait, they require a minimum of effort by both horse and rider so that together they can cover a greater distance with less tiring. It is obvious that a haphazard and unorganized maintenance of this breed would eventually result in its dissipation and loss. For this reason, in the summer of 1986, those who were interested in the breed got together to form the Rocky Mountain Horse Association. The purpose of this association is to maintain the breed, to increase the number of horses in the breed and expand the area which has knowledge of this fine horse. The association has established a registry which as shown steady and well-regulated growth in the number of horses registered.
The Rocky Mountain Horse Association is incorporated in the state of Kentucky as anon profit corporation. It is the goal of the Rocky Mountain Horse Association that the characteristics that are so desirable in this horse be enhanced by selective breeding. The Association is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, breeding and development of the Rocky Mountain Horse. It is one of the finest natural occurring breeds; it may be trained to compete in any horse related activity and probably represents the most ideal horse for the family, for the trail ride and for endurance purposes.
To learn more about the Rocky Mountain Horse, check out the RMHA website, http://www.rmhorse.com
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