April, 1912 
ancestors of the breeds, and a type of horse, and the pres- 
ence either latent or developed of these gaits, has been 
fixed by breeding, development and training. So that in a 
typical Kentucky saddle horse there is in addition to the 
walk, trot and canter, which are common to all breeds of 
horses, other gaits known technically as the rack, or single 
foot, running, walk, fox trot and stepping pace. To the un- 
trained rider, or one unfamiliar with them, they present at 
first some difficulties, but are found to be, upon acquaintance, 
almost ideal for purposes of the equestrian. In Kentucky 
the glory of a saddle horse is in an extremely spirited and 
brilliant appearance, a graceful waving mane, and a great, 
gorgeous tail floating in the breeze and carried high. 
Kentucky dealers, however, have yielded to the demands 
of the Eastern trade and have curtailed the tendency of 
many of their best horses toward the multi-gaits. They 
have also introduced plucking, docking and restricting the 
movements to three gaits favored by social custom in metro- 
politan centers. Practically all of the champions at Eastern 
horse shows, with but a few exceptions of thoroughbred 
blood, have been Kentucky bred and gaited horses, taught 
to forget their other gaits and shown as walk, trot and 
canter specimens. 
Saddle horses of both kinds, as they are known in this 
country, have always been far fewer than the demand, con- 
sequently they have always had a very considerable value 
and at no time in the past has the average value of the best 
specimens of riding horse been higher than it is just now. 
Dealers in the East and in all large cities are constantly 
visiting Kentucky and other states where these horses are 
numerously bred, in search of specimens suitable for their 
clientage athome. They are generally obliged to pay pretty 
high prices for their purchases at first hand and this is par- 
bg ee Se a TS es a I oe oer a ere 
“ 
a 5 
Saddle horses are undoubtedly the highest development of equine 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
&. 
=, 
intelligence, and are as varied in their moods as are, perhaps, their 
137 
ticularly true if the horses they select have been developed 
to anything like the finer state. A very considerable num- 
ber of Kentucky dealers and those from other parts of the 
country make a regular custom of sending shipments of 
their best animals to the markets two or three times a 
year in the large cities in the East and elsewhere and dis- 
posing of them there at public or private sale. But the suc- 
cessful breeding and developing of saddle horses is of neces- 
sity by no means restricted to Kentucky or any other place, 
though naturally there are certain advantages in the favored 
Bluegrass district, but just as good horses can be bred and 
developed in Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, or almost 
anywhere else as is true of even the most favored districts 
in Kentucky or Missouri. The person who has anything 
like an adequate suburban home anywhere, and who has 
the natural instinct of horsemanship, without which suc- 
cess would be impossible wherever he may be, has all the 
requisites of breeding saddle horses successfully either for 
his pleasure or his business profit. 
The ideal saddle horse is an animal between 15-1 and 
15-3 hands, though horses either smaller or larger are used 
for these purposes according to the person who intends to 
employ them. It is particularly true of saddle horses that 
“there is no good horse of a bad color,” though bays, 
browns and chestnuts are those most highly favored, and 
the question of white markings on feet and face is one de- 
termined by individual preference. A good saddle horse 
must have a good back—short, with strong coupling—and 
must have massive shoulders and, particularly for side- 
saddle purposes, high, sloping withers; good legs and feet 
are indispensable, and a medium amount of action both of 
knees and hocks is a prime requisite. Too high action 
(Continued on page 144) 
EAN ENT SN TEE ATE PEE 
ct, 
riders 
