Horse Breeds

Mountain Pleasure Horse

Country of Origin:United States
Use today:Mostly trail and pleasure riding
Color:Any color is accepted, but breeding and showing are not encouraged among spotted horses.
Height:14.2 to 16 hands
Profile: More than 160 years ago, settlers in the region of present-day eastern Kentucky used the gaited horses thriving in the area to work among the steep hills and in the fields. These "Mountain Horses" were sure-footed, hardy and willing, and from them developed the Rocky Mountain Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse and American Saddlebred. However, these Mountain Horses continued to exist as well, and today their ancestors are known as Mountain Pleasure Horses.
In 1989, the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association (MPHA) was established to preserve the bloodlines of the original Mountain Horses. The registration books are now closed, and in order to be registered, a horse must have a registered dam and sire. .
Characteristics: The gaited Mountain Pleasure Horse is intelligent and known for being easy to train. The MPHA dictates that they should have a deep chest, sloping shoulders and "a face that is neither dished nor protruding." The head should be medium in size, and the neck should be gracefully arched and medium in length.