Horse
Pronunciation:
Sad'-del-bred
Breed Description:
The Saddlebred breed of horse is a gaited riding horse breed, developed in the 1800's in the United States. It is best known its flamboyant high stepping paces, which have been developed through breeding and training to be extravagant to watch but smooth to ride. The Saddlebred is most known for being a 'five gaited' horse. In addition to the standard gaits of walk, trot, and canter, the Saddlebred can perform - either naturally or through training - the slow-gait and the rack. The slow gait is a four-beat gait performed in a prancing motion, lifting the legs very high. The rack is a fast, ground-covering four-beat gait, with the horse snapping their knees and hocks up quickly. These flamboyant paces have earned the Saddlebred the nickname 'the peacock of horses'.
The Saddlebred is a light horse breed, with a large head, often with a slightly roman nose, on a very high set arched neck. A long, strong shoulder and slender legs enable the high stepping paces, and many Saddlebreds appear 'uphill', in that their wither is often much taller than their hindquarters.
Purebred Saddlebreds come in most solid colors (although gray is rare), but part-bred pinto Saddlebreds are very popular. Saddlebreds today are used mainly for pleasure riding and saddle-seat or park-seat showing and carriage driving, although Saddlebreds are finding increasing popularity as endurance and western riding horses too.
Temperament:
The Saddlebred breed of horse has a very quiet and trainable temperament, despite its flamboyant show ring style.
Height:
The Saddlebred breed of horse stands 15 to 16 hands.
Weight:
The Saddlebred breed of horse weighs 850 to 1150 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Saddlebred breed of horse is associated with some hoof and lower leg problems, which are not inherent in the breed but are a consequence of extreme hoof treatments to accentuate the horse's paces.
Living Conditions:
The Saddlebred breed of horse is a fine skinned horse that prefers stabling in harsh weather.
Exercise:
The Saddlebred breed of horse is a show and riding horse and requires regular exercise.
Life Expectancy:
The Saddlebred breed of horse lives into its late twenties.
Grooming:
The Saddlebred breed of horse, when shown saddle-seat, will have a long flowing mane and forelock, a long clipped bridle path, and occasionally some braids at the top of the mane. The tail is commonly 'set' in a special harness from a young age to give it a unique high arched appearance, but this practice has come under some scrutiny in recent years. The Saddlebred has a very fine coat, and needs regular grooming.
Origin:
The Saddlebred breed of horse was first developed in Kentucky in the 18th century, from crossing Narragansett Pacers with Thoroughbreds. This early breed was called the American Horse, and was popular as a cavalry horse during the Revolutionary War. In the 1800s, the breed become known as the Kentucky Saddler. It was used on plantations because of its comfortable, ground-covering gaits, and because it could place its feet in front of each other and pass down the rows of crops without trampling any. In the 1830s, Morgan and Thoroughbred blood was added to give the breed more substance and action, producing today's American Saddlebred. Most Saddlebreds today can trace their ancestry to one foundation stallion, Denmark, born in 1839. During the American Civil war, Saddlebreds gained recognition from General Robert E. Lee's Saddlebred named Traveler; Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Stonewall Jackson also rode Saddlebreds. After the American Civil War ended, the Saddlebred was further developed as a show horse. Saddlebreds today are popular as riding, driving and show horses, and are used to cross with other show breeds like the Arabian to create more riding horse breeds such as the National Show Horse. 