. The American Saddlebred horse can trace its
roots to the easy gaited Galloway and Hobbie horses which were
shipped to North America from the British Isles in the 1600s. These
hardy little horses thrived and grew in the new environment; through
selective breeding the Narragansett Pacer was developed and named
for Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay area where many were raised.
These were also found up and down the eastern seaboard, including
Virginia where they were also produced in large numbers. These
animals moved their legs in concert on the same side of their
bodies, contacting the ground in a broken cadence. The ride was
comfortable, compared to the jolt of a trot. These horses are now
"extinct" in the U. S. and in mane, because they were exported to
the West Indies by the thousands. The Paso Fino is a direct
descendant of the Narragansett and is probably almost the same
horse.
Before they were all gone, Narragansett mares
were crossed with Thoroughbreds, which the colonists began importing
from England in the early 1700s. By 1776 during the American
Revolution, a horse simply called the American horse had become a
recognized type. It had the size and beauty of the Thoroughbred, but
retained the ability to learn the easy riding gaits. These animals
were used for riding, to pull the plow during the week, the carriage
on Saturday night and for other work. They were prized for a
pleasant temperament, eagerness, strength and stamina. |