Breed Profile: Rocky Mountain Horse

The Rocky Mountain Horse is a breed of horse that originated in the eastern region of Kentucky in the United States of America. It gets its name not from the Rocky Mountain range, but rather from its popularity in the rocky mountain passes of Appalachia. This breed of horse served a multitude of purposes in the past, and today its place in the world is just as varied.

The Rocky Mountain Horse is typically of a medium sized build. They range from 14.2 to 16 hands tall, with a strong yet lean body frame. Its size made it an able and willing companion to families, and its strength helped it with its working duties.

The Rocky Mountain Horse was extremely valuable to the farmers located within the hills outside of the Appalachian Mountains in the American southeast. This breed of horse was used to work the fields and herd livestock. However it was also utilized for transportation, pulling buggies and carrying riders through the hills.

The Rocky Mountain horse has a unique four beat gait that made it especially ideal for navigating the hilly trails. The gait is smoother to ride than a typical trot, yet it is faster than the walk, making it easy to ride and efficient. Its trademark gait is often referred to as ambling.

This breed of horse has a very specific color. The Rocky Mountain Horse’s coat is chocolate in color with a flaxen gold mane and tail. He is known for being very gentle and easy-going in temperament. The Rocky Mountain Horse takes kindly to people, and usually develops a great bond with its owner. One could even say that the Rocky Mountain Horse maintains a great deal of southern charm.

Today the Rocky Mountain Horse is used primarly for riding, no longer for working. However its personality and build have lent it well to competitive events, as well as pleasure riding. The Rocky Mountain Horse Association was founded in 1986 to maintain and progress the breed into the future.