Misplaced Pages

#439560

34-635: The Spotted Saddle Horse is a horse breed from the United States that was developed by crossing Spanish-American type gaited pinto ponies with gaited horse breeds, such as the Tennessee Walking Horse . The result was a colorful, smooth-gaited horse, used in the show ring and for pleasure and trail riding . Two registries have been created for the breed, one in 1979 and the other in 1985. The two have similar registration requirements, although one has an open stud book and

68-410: A mare . A related hybrid, the hinny , is a cross between a stallion and a jenny (female donkey). Most other hybrids involve the zebra (see Zebroid ). With rare exceptions, most equine hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce. A notable exception is hybrid crosses between horses and Equus ferus przewalskii , commonly known as Przewalski's horse . Rump (animal) The tailhead or dock

102-453: A breed registry. An early example of people who practiced selective horse breeding were the Bedouin , who had a reputation for careful breeding practices, keeping extensive pedigrees of their Arabian horses and placing great value upon pure bloodlines. Though these pedigrees were originally transmitted by an oral tradition , written pedigrees of Arabian horses can be found that date to

136-931: A broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected . Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies , suitable for slow, heavy work; and " warmbloods ," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe . Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation , color, performance ability, or disposition. These inherited traits are usually

170-494: A registered Thoroughbred be a product of a natural mating, so-called "live cover". A foal born of two Thoroughbred parents, but by means of artificial insemination or embryo transfer , cannot be registered in the Thoroughbred studbook. However, since the advent of DNA testing to verify parentage, most breed registries now allow artificial insemination, embryo transfer, or both. The high value of stallions has helped with

204-431: A rigorously defined standard phenotype, or for breeds that register animals that conform to an ideal via the process of passing a studbook selection process. Most of the warmblood breeds used in sport horse disciplines have open stud books to varying degrees. While pedigree is considered, outside bloodlines are admitted to the registry if the horses meet the set standard for the registry. These registries usually require

238-518: A selection process involving judging of an individual animal's quality, performance, and conformation before registration is finalized. A few "registries," particularly some color breed registries, are very open and will allow membership of all horses that meet limited criteria, such as coat color and species, regardless of pedigree or conformation. Breed registries also differ as to their acceptance or rejection of breeding technology. For example, all Jockey Club Thoroughbred registries require that

272-938: Is recognized as a "Horse Industry Organization" (HIO) under the HPA, and occasionally sees violations of the HPA at their shows. Violations of the HPA are addressed in the SSHBEA rulebook, and violations can result in disqualifications from individual shows or extended suspensions from Spotted Saddle Horse showing. Today, the Spotted Saddle Horse is seen at horse shows , as well as being used for pleasure and trail riding. Spotted Saddle Horses are light riding horses . They average 14.3 to 16  hands (59 to 64 inches, 150 to 163 cm) high and weigh 900 to 1,100 pounds (410 to 500 kg). The NSSHA will register horses that are shorter, down to 13.3  hands (55 inches, 140 cm), although it considers taller horses to be

306-651: Is required, with white spots on a background any equine coat color . Overo and tobiano are the two most common patterns, and the coverage of the white spots can range from minimal to almost complete. To be registered with the NSSHA, Spotted Saddle Horses must display an ambling gait (they cannot trot ) and have pinto coloration. As long as they meet these two requirements, they can have any breeds in their pedigree . Even if already registered as Racking Horses , Tennessee Walking Horses , Missouri Fox Trotters or other breeds, or from undocumented parentage, registration with

340-473: Is the beginning of the tail, where the tail joins the rump. It is known also as the base or root of the tail, and corresponds to the human sacrococcygeal symphysis . In some mammals the tail may be said to consist of the tailbone (meaning the bony column, muscles, and skin) and the skirt (meaning the long hairs growing from the tailbone). In birds, similarly, the tail consists of tailbone and tailfan ( tail fan ). Some animals are subjected to docking ,

374-447: Is traditional for tails to be cut off ( docked ) at the dock. In bird anatomy , the rump is the body immediately above the tail. The color of plumage on the rump is a characteristic widely used by ornithologists to distinguish between related species, and sometimes also between males and females of the same species. Similarly, the silhouette of the tailfan is a characteristic widely used for purposes of identification, particularly in

SECTION 10

#1732790744440

408-787: The Clydesdale and the Shire developed out of a need to perform demanding farm work and pull heavy wagons. Ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments. However, by the 20th century, many pony breeds had Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding. Other horse breeds developed specifically for light agricultural work, heavy and light carriage and road work, various equestrian disciplines, or simply as pets. Horses have been selectively bred since their domestication . However,

442-466: The amputation of the tailbone at or near the dock. These include dogs , cats , sheep , pigs , and horses . Humans have a remnant tail, the coccyx , and the human equivalent of docking is coccygectomy . Usage varies from animal to animal. Birds and cattle are said to have a rump and tailhead. Dogs are said to have a rump and dock. Horses are said to have a croup (sometimes rump), thigh or haunch, buttock, and dock. In some breeds it

476-450: The coccygeal vertebrae begin). Below the croup is the thigh or haunch. Behind the thigh is the buttock . On horses appearing in parades and other public ceremonies, the croup may be decorated with quarter marks , a grooming pattern made in the horse's hair by applying hair gel or spray, then brushing patches of hair in opposite directions. Applied to horses, the term "dock" has two additional uses. Its meaning may be extended to either

510-573: The 14th century. In the same period of the early Renaissance , the Carthusian monks of southern Spain bred horses and kept meticulous pedigrees of the best bloodstock; the lineage survives to this day in the Andalusian horse . One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for Thoroughbreds, which began in 1791 and traced back to the Arabian stallions imported to England from

544-487: The Middle East that became the foundation stallions for the breed. Some breed registries have a closed stud book , where registration is based on pedigree, and no outside animals can gain admittance. For example, a registered Thoroughbred or Arabian must have two registered parents of the same breed. Other breeds have a partially closed stud book, but still allow certain infusions from other breeds. For example,

578-412: The NSSHA is allowed. If a foal who has one or both parents registered with the NSSHA displays solid coat color (without pinto markings), it can be listed as having "identification" registration, and any spotted foals it has are considered to have NSSHA-documented parentage. Solid-colored, gaited mares and stallions can be registered as breeding stock, but are not considered to have full registration with

612-684: The National Spotted Saddle Horse Association (NSSHA) was organized in Murfreesboro, Tennessee . The association focuses on promoting naturally- gaited saddle horses with pinto coloration. The NSSHA is adamant about disallowing cruel and inhumane training and showing practices, including soring , sometimes seen in other elements of the Spotted Saddle Horse industry, and prohibited by the Horse Protection Act of 1970 (HPA). The NSSHA also bans

646-402: The Spotted Saddle Horse breed can also perform the rack, stepping pace, fox-trot, single-foot or other variations of ambling gaits, all intermediate gaits, but differentiated by the pattern of foot-falls. Horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses , often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry . However, the term is sometimes used in

680-407: The United States, sometime based on state law and sometimes based on antitrust laws. Horses can crossbreed with other equine species to produce hybrids . These hybrid types are not breeds, but they resemble breeds in that crosses between certain horse breeds and other equine species produce characteristic offspring. The most common hybrid is the mule , a cross between a "jack" (male donkey) and

714-404: The acceptance of these techniques because they allow a stallion to breed more mares with each "collection" and greatly reduce the risk of injury during mating. Cloning of horses is highly controversial, and at the present time most mainstream breed registries will not accept cloned horses, though several cloned horses and mules have been produced. Such restrictions have led to legal challenges in

SECTION 20

#1732790744440

748-431: The breed ideal. The head is refined, with a straight or slightly convex facial profile. The neck is muscular, with a slight arch, leading into long, sloping shoulders and a muscular chest. The back is short and the hindquarters muscular and broad. The croup is slightly sloping and rounded, with a high-set tail. The ideal Spotted Saddle Horse resembles a "smaller, slightly stockier Tennessee Walking Horse". Pinto coloration

782-425: The concept of purebred bloodstock and a controlled, written breed registry only became of significant importance in modern times. Today, the standards for defining and registration of different breeds vary. Sometimes, purebred horses are called "Thoroughbreds", which is incorrect; " Thoroughbred " is a specific breed of horse, while a "purebred" is a horse (or any other animal) with a defined pedigree recognized by

816-503: The entire tail minus the skirt (i.e., synonymous with tailbone) or the tailhead only. In other equidae, it encompasses most of the tailbone, as most of that portion of the tail does not have long hairs. A lack of long hairs can be natural, as in zebras , donkeys , and the Przewalski horse , or artificial, the result of pulling, trimming, or shaving part of the skirt (see Horse grooming and Tail (horse) ). A sponge used to wash

850-412: The field. Some birds have a food reservoir pouch in the esophagus that is known as a croup (or crop), which should not be confused with the croup (rump) of a horse. In equine anatomy , the croup refers specifically to the topline of the horse's hindquarters and surrounding musculature, beginning at the hip, extending proximate to the sacral vertebrae and stopping at the dock of the tail (where

884-596: The gaits of walk and canter , performed by all breeds. The Spotted Saddle Horse developed from small gaited pinto ponies of Spanish ancestry. These were crossed with larger American breeds such as the Morgan and Standardbred , developed after the American Revolution , to increase size while retaining coloration and the desired gait . After the American Civil War , additional gaited blood

918-541: The modern Appaloosa must have at least one Appaloosa parent, but may also have a Quarter Horse , Thoroughbred, or Arabian parent, so long as the offspring exhibits appropriate color characteristics. The Quarter Horse normally requires both parents to be registered Quarter Horses, but allows "Appendix" registration of horses with one Thoroughbred parent, and the horse may earn its way to full registration by completing certain performance requirements. Open stud books exist for horse breeds that either have not yet developed

952-456: The organization. Requirements for the SSHBEA are similar with regard to color and gait, including identification-only registration for solid colored foals of registered parents. However, one difference is that it is a semi- closed stud book , as a foal must have one or both parents listed with the SSHBEA to be registered by the SSHBEA. The Spotted Saddle Horse is a gaited breed, meaning that they perform an intermediate-speed ambling gait instead of

986-404: The other is slightly more strict with regard to parentage requirements, having a semi- closed stud book . The Spotted Saddle Horse is a light riding horse , always pinto in color. Solid-colored foals from registered parents may be registered for identification purposes, so their pinto-colored foals have documented parentage. They always perform an ambling gait, rather than a trot , in addition to

1020-492: The result of a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods aimed at producing horses for specific tasks. Certain breeds are known for certain talents. For example, Standardbreds are known for their speed in harness racing . Some breeds have been developed through centuries of crossings with other breeds, while others, such as the Morgan horse , originated from a single sire from which all current breed members descend. More than 300 horse breeds exist in

1054-438: The trot. The flat walk, or show walk, is a regular four-beat walk , covering 4 to 8 miles per hour (6.4 to 12.9 km/h). The show gait is also a four-beat gait, similar to the flat walk with the exception of the speed. Horses traveling at a show gait can cover 10 to 20 miles per hour (16 to 32 km/h), with an extremely smooth motion. The third main gait is the canter, a three-beat gait performed by all breeds. Some members of

Spotted Saddle Horse - Misplaced Pages Continue

1088-570: The use of action devices (such as chains or other weights around the pasterns ) and performance packages (stacks of pads attached to the shoe, sometimes weighted or used to conceal abusive shoeing practices) in their shows, which goes beyond the protection afforded by the HPA. In 1985, the Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (SSHBEA) was formed, headquartered in Shelbyville, Tennessee . The SSHBEA

1122-525: The world today. Modern horse breeds developed in response to a need for "form to function", the necessity to develop certain physical characteristics to perform a certain type of work. Thus, powerful but refined breeds such as the Andalusian or the Lusitano developed in the Iberian Peninsula as riding horses that also had a great aptitude for dressage , while heavy draft horses such as

1156-477: Was added, with contributing breeds including the Tennessee Walking Horse , Missouri Fox Trotter , Paso Fino and Peruvian Paso . Mustangs from the American West were also incorporated. Originally developed in central Tennessee, and selectively bred for pinto coloration, they were used for general pleasure and trail riding . There are two breed registries for the Spotted Saddle Horse. In 1979,

#439560