The American Saddlebred is a North American breed best known as a show horse. Its impressive action and comfortable gaits make it a great pleasure horse too.

Body Type:

The American Saddlebred is bred to look elegant and refined. The shoulders should be well laid back, allowing the horse to lift its forelegs in high-stepping action easily. The legs are long and slender and pasterns are often a bit longer than in normally sought after in a riding horse.


This length, however lends to the elastic gaits. The are often come under criticism for being weak in the hindquarters making the horse appear ‘all front end’. They have high withers  and a high tail set that regretfully is  exaggerated by nicking muscles on the underside so it stands more upright.

Their backs can suffer from lordosis, causing a ‘dropped back’. Their heads may appear common, but they are well proportioned, and the neck is long and elegant.

 

Size:

American Saddlebreds are tall compared to many gaited breeds. The breed standard allows for horses from 14 – 16.2 hands high. 15hh to 16hh is average.

Color and Markings:

Saddlebreds come in almost every solid color and there are those that are pinto as well. Any facial or leg marking is allowable in the registry. The most common colors are bay and chestnut.

Unique Characteristics:

The American Saddlebred can be either three or five gaited. Whether three of five gaited, though, the high-stepping action is the most attribute of the horse’s way of going.

These horses tend to be taller than many other gaited horse breeds.

History and Origins:

The Amrican Saddlebred is the result of the selective breeding of two now extinct breeds, The Canadian Pacer and the Narrangsset Pacer. Thoroughbreds have also contributed to the breeds height and refinement.  The breed is closely related to the American Standardbred, although it should not have the pacing gait of the Standardbred. The Canadian and Nassagaset Pacer both descended from European breeds that ambled, and this has been preserved in the Amerian Standardbred and other gaited breeds.

The breed was once known as the Kentucky Saddlehorse, and was developed to provide the aristocracy a comfortable and elegant ride. The American Saddlebred also served as an all-purpose riding and driving horse, and a surefooted carriage horse, similar to the endangered Hackney Horse. the breed now lends it’s attributes to a new breed, crossed with Arabians, called the National Show Horse.

Uses:

Once the horse of the rich and military officers, the American Saddlebred is now best known as a show horse, but many people enjoy them as pleasure and trail horses, and both ridden and driven. There are three and five gaited horses within the breed. Three gaited American Saddlebreds walk, trot and canter. Five gaited horses will walk, trot, canter as well as perform a high-stepping, exaggerated slow walk and a rack which is very rapid, high-stepping, animated gait with the similar footfall to a walk.

Outside the show ring, the American Saddlebred can be found working cattle, on the hunt field, in many driving disciplines, and over fences in stadium jumping. they also make very flashy, crowd-pleasing parade horses.

Celebrity American Saddlebreds:

Saddlebreds have shown up in many movies and TV series.

General Lee’s Traveler

General Grant’s Cincinatti

And, they are the breed of choice for many celebrities including Carson Kressly and William Shatner.