SPOTTED MOUNTAIN HORSE

    The Spotted Mountain Horse Registry has taken off at a gallop. Within the first months of opening the Registry in 2002, more than a hundred horses were accepted, and the future of this organization was enthusiastically guaranteed.

    As the membership doubles and triples, it is clear there were horses waiting to be recognized by a registry willing to honor them for their special qualities and talents. The characteristics of the Spotted Mountain Horse are identical to those of the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, except for color. To register a horse, the owner must be a current member of the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association.

   To qualify for registration and certification in the SMHA, the horse must meet the following criteria: 1) Show a willing and gentle disposition; 2) Demonstrate to an examiner -either in person or by video - a smooth, natural, even, four-beat gait; 3) Be of good conformation, i.e.: well-proportioned with regard to body, head, hind and legs, of medium structure, not too fine or too coarse; 4) Have white body markings other than the face and legs.

   The Spotted Mountain Horse is also included in the United Mountain Horse (UMH) shows. They can compete for high points in the three divisions, Trail  Pleasure, Classic Pleasure and Park Pleasure. They show under the KMSHA/UMH rules book, which among other things, requires that horses be shown in standard keg shoes.

   The SMHA is the perfect registry for the spotted horse that has a saddle gait. This requires the horse to be smooth and square. The fox trot, and the running walk are not acceptable gaits in the show ring. However many of the horses have the ability to demonstrate these gaits on the trail. Unlike the Spotted Saddle Horse Registries, the head nod and deep over stride are not desirable in the Spotted Mountain Horses. For example, my friend Lynne Peleshuck's horse Todain has lived his life as a Spotted Saddle Horse, and yet he didn't fit the ideal because he is a saddling horse. How joyful we now have an Association that honors him the way he is - a true mountain saddling horse.

   Some people become understandably confused about such a change in a horse's registration. They believe a horse is born to a registry and that is where it should stay. This idea comes from a confusion between registry and pedigree. A horse's pedigree will always be the same, but choosing a registry is not necessarily based on pedigree. Happily this is the 21st  Century, and we have choices. Not arbitrary choices, but actual choices that meet the needs of the horse and horse owner. In Todain's case, he was a successful stallion the the Spotted Saddle Horse Registry. He has shown in their classes and done quite well here on the west coast. But even though the SSHBEA says they accept all 4-beat gaits, the truth is, they look for the Tennessee Walker type now. When the SSHBEA was first formed, the goal was quite different. They were truly a s potted horse registry. But today, they have been all but absorbed by the Tennessee Walkers. And this is fine if you have a spotted Tennessee horse. So to those who have a spotted horse that may fit the SMHA criteria, you might think about adding the SMHA registration to your horse.

   This is a registry that is taking off, big time. The requirements are specific, and the horse must be absolutely natural. The horses that fit this profile are usually found on the trail as true pleasure horses. Why not become a part of this growing category and register with the SMHA?

   For more information: Spotted Mountain Horse Registry - P.O. Box 1405, Georgetown, KY 40324 Phone: 502-863-3545. Email: office@kmsha.com website: www.kmsha.com