American Saddlebred / American Saddlebred Horses

Family: Equidae

Description
The American Saddlebred horses typically stand between 15 and 16 hands high and come in a wide variety of colors. They have a small, elegant head with wide-set eyes set on a long neck that is arched and well-flexed at the pole. They have well-defined withers and a short back and flat croup. The legs are long and Saddlebreds are trained to stand with their hind legs camped out behind. The feet are grown unnaturally long and shod with heavy shoes to enhance the high-stepping action for the show ring, and the high-set tail is allowed to grow so long that it drags on theground.

The most distinguishing feature of the American Saddlebred is its high-stepping gaits. The Saddlebred can be either three-gaited or five-gaited. It naturally performs the walk, trot, and canter with some high-stepping action, but it can then be trained to perform these gaits with increased action and the additional ‘slow gait' and ‘rack'.

• Three-gait: The three-gaited variety performs only the walk, trot, and canter with high-stepping action.
• Five-gait: The five-gaited Saddlebreds are trained to perform the additional slow gait and rack.
• Slow-gait: The footfalls of the slow gait and rack begin with the lateral front and hind feet starting almost together, but the hind foot contacts the ground slightly before its lateral forefoot. The slow gait is a highly-collected gait with each of the four feet striking the ground separately. It is executed slowly but with distinct precision, full of style and brilliant restraint.
• Rack: In the rack, each foot meets the ground at equal, separate intervals. It gives a smooth ride and can achieve speeds up to 38 mph!

When they are moving, these gaited horses have their hind end tucked underneath and their withers and shoulders high, with the front legs kicking out in front. It is an amazing sight to see!

Horse Care and Feeding
Keeping an American Saddlebred show-ready is no easy task. They must be groomed regularly and their coats clipped for an even look. Their long tails can be kept in a tail bag for protection.