Spotted Mountain Horse
By Rhonda Hart Poe

Seeing spots? You might just be in on one of the hottest trends in gaited horses in years.

By now the naturally gaited horses of the Appalachians are pretty much legendary in the hearts of gaited horse aficionados. Easy-gaited saddle horses have been bred and raised in this part of the world since before the mid-nineteenth century, but only until the last 20 years or so have there been registries to keep centralized records and dictate breed standards. While not uncommon, breed standards that dictate color requirements, or limitations, often leave good horses – horses that otherwise reflect the desired character of the breed - out in the cold.

By 2002, several registries for Mountain Horse breeds existed, including the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association (KMSHA), founded in 1989.

However, they all disqualified horses with “high white” (white above the hock or knee, and or excessive white facial markings) for registration. The owners of KMSHA realized that an arbitrary color line was excluding perfectly acceptable horses – an entire color group prized by many horsemen – and decided to accommodate those horses and owners by forming the Spotted Mountain Horse Association® (SMHA) as a subsidiary of the KMSHA.

Though the registries are under the same “umbrella” organization, the two Mountain horse breeds are considered separate and distinct from one another.

The breed standard for the Spotted Mountain Horse is essentially identical to that of the solid colored Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse – with the added requirement of a “spotted” or pinto coat pattern.

Horses must pass a certification evaluation by two examiners for the following:

• gentle temperament and willing disposition;
• smooth four-beat gait under saddle, specified as the stepped rack;
• 11 hands or more in height at maturity (11 to 13.3 hands are registerable as Class B; 14 hands and over are registered as Class A; there is no upper height limit);
• conformation that shows “an above average degree of beauty and refinement.”

Conformation requirements include:

• structure of medium bone, an “appearance of athleticism and the ability to perform useful work”. More specifically, the SMHA breed standard states that a traditional “compact, well-muscled and close-coupled frame”;
• attractive, cob-sized head, “not too long or wide in appearance, proportional, with a broad flat forehead, well defined jaw and a face in profile that is neither severely Roman nor dished” with an overall pleasing “facial composure.”
• The neck should be of “medium length and thickness, with the top line of the neck longer than the underline, and meet the back behind the shoulder,” showing an ability to flex at the poll “and not be tied into the body too low in the chest.”
• Little to “no” withers are considered desirable.
• Legs should be straight without extreme defect.“
• Viewed from the side, horses should have near equal proportions between the forequarter, body and hindquarter with proper angulations of the shoulder and humerus;” a strong, short-coupled topline, rounded croup and “natural” tailset round out the picture of the ideal Spotted Mountain Horse.

A tobiano-patterened, sabino grey and white spotted foal. Many SMHA horses have the sabino coloration with distinct roaning effects within their spots.

Tobiano
Pattern of white markings that commonly take the form of large splashes - may be either predominantly dark or white. Dark color usually covers one or both flanks. Generally, all four legs are white, at least below the hocks and knees. The head is usually dark except for a facial marking pattern. Tail is often two colors. Eyes are usually dark.

Overo
The white originates on the underside of the horse (belly) and rarely crosses the back of the horse between withers and tail. The white can be irregular, scattered or splashy, horse may be either predominantly dark or white. Generally, legs are dark. Head predominately white, often bald, apron, or bonnet-faced. Tail usually one color. Eyes are commonly blue.

Sabin
Color and markings similar to the roan, markings usually on belly extending outward as ragged-edged, flecked and roaned patches. Can be all or nearly pure white, though usually retains a patch of pigmented skin. Legs often have white extending upward in peaks or points along the front or back of the leg bones; disconnected white leg markings are common. Face commonly has a lot of white with abundant white hairs beneath chin. Eyes often blue or partially blue and brown.

Tovero
Show characteristics of both overo and tobiano color patterns. Chest spot(s) in varying sizes may extend up the neck. Flank spot(s) with possibly smaller spots extending forward across the barrel, and up over the loin. Spots at the base of tail. Dark pigmentation around ears may expand to cover the forehead and/or eyes, and around mouth, which may extend up the sides of the face. One or both eyes blue.

The SMHA foundation books are currently open to stallions, mares and geldings that meet the above requirements and can pass the certification process. The SMHA prefers that breeding practices maintain strong ties to Mountain Horse lines, with at least one parent being of at least 50% registered Mountain Horse blood. To enlarge the gene pool, the SMHA will consider gaited, spotted horses from other registries, provided they specifically meet the breed standard as Foundation stock.

As of January 1, 2007 all SMH horses are required to have DNA analysis on record. Foals from certified/registered SMHA parents are issued a temporary certificate of registration pending final certification after evaluation by examiners. Solid colored foals with one or both SMHA registered parents can also be issued a temporary certificate. Qualified foals not from registered/certified SMHA parents may be issued a temporary certificate of registration if filmed gaiting and approved by two licensed KMSHA/SMHA examiners.

The final registration process requires that horses be put under saddle and gaiting before the age of four, as a “Certified to Breed” (for mares or stallions) registration must be attained before the horse is bred and prior to the age of four.

Spotted Mountain Horses can be shown at open shows and at Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse shows. Nothing heavier than keg shoes is allowed in the show ring. Artificial alteration of gait is not tolerated. The Spotted Mountain International Grand Championship Horse Show is held annually in October at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

For more information contact:
Spotted Mountain Horse Association
PO Box 1405
Georgetown, KY 40324
502) 863-3545 office@kmsha.com

Or visit:
www.kmsha/smha