Canalbyn Rocky Mountain Horses

The History
Generations of Kentuckians have stories to tell about their smooth gaited, good dispositioned, hard working, sure-footed, reliable mountain horses.  They were work horses that willingly plowed the rugged foothills of the Appalachians and yet proudly carried their owners to town with their smooth, four beat gait that ate up the miles.  Fancy barns and stalls were not necessary.  Because of its cold blooded nature, it tolerated the winters with a minimum of shelter.

Three different registries have formed with the purpose of maintaining the characteristics of the mountain horse, increasing the number, and expanding the area which has knowledge of this fine horse.  The registries are:  the Rocky Mountain Horse Association, the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association, and the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association.   To get more information on these registries, visit our "Links" page.


The Gait
The distinctive, easy riding gait is difficult to describe, but once you've experienced it, you won't settle for anything else.  The horse does not trot; it absorbs the bounce of a gait in its ankles, rather than passing that bounce along to the rider.
The breed's definition of this gait is "an evenly spaced, four beat lateral gait with moderate forward speed and extension, without exaggerated knee and hock action." 

The gait is natural.  It is bred into these horses and one of the joys of breeders of mountain horses is to see a young foal "hitting a lick" as it keeps up with its mother's long strides.

As a rider gets to know his or her mountain horse, they will find the horse can be ridden at varying speeds while maintaining the same smooth, comfortable gait.  And there's nothing quite like the "pick-a-pock-a" sound of a mountain horse gaiting down a blacktop road.


Versatility
The beauty of the mountain horse is the disposition and gait.  It is an easy keeper and a wonderful riding horse with a strong heart and endurance. Today, gaited mountain horses are being used as a pleasure horses, for trail, competitive or endurance riding, and for show.  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.

Gaited mountain horses are great for all types of riders.  They could be of special interest to seniors who want a reliable horse, people with neck and back injuries who want a smooth, gaited horse, and novice riders who want a gentle, dependable horse.