THE AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE 



33 



The characteristics of the American saddle horse are similar 

 in many respects to those found in the roadster of superior con- 

 formation. However, he is notable for his beautiful head and 

 expressive eye, a gracefully arched and well-proportioned neck, 

 fairly high and refined withers, a short, strong back, well suited 

 to the saddle, a long, rather level croup, and high-set, arched tail. 

 The body should be round and neatly turned, and the shoulders 

 and pasterns must be long and sloping, as necessary factors in 

 an easy, springy gait. 

 Not infrequently these 

 horses appear to lack 

 in depth of rib and 

 so seem somewhat 

 upstanding. This is 

 essentially a stylish 

 breed, as shown in 

 the jaunty carriage of 

 head, neck, and tail, 

 and as evidenced in 

 the nervous tempera- 

 ment commonly seen 

 in American saddle 

 horses of good breed- 

 ing. " From an artistic 

 point of view," writes 

 Gay, 1 "he is perhaps 

 the most beautiful of 

 all horses, being the 

 extreme embodiment of quality and finish, an ideal which has 

 been fostered by the so-called * model ' classes of Southern shows. 

 Some have been bred so very fine, however, as to be markedly 

 deficient in substance." 



The size of the American saddle horse is comparable with 

 that of the average roadster. In height 15^ to I5f hands may 

 be regarded with favor, while the weight should vary between 

 1000 to 1150 pounds. For ladies the lighter type is preferred, 

 while for heavy weights the larger horse is more desirable. An 



1 Carl W. Gay, Productive Horse Husbandry. Philadelphia, 1913. 



FIG. 9. Woodland Chief 2958, an American saddle 

 horse at twenty-one years of age. From photo- 

 graph by Professor J. J. Hooper 



