{"id":44697,"date":"2025-01-22T10:38:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T15:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/?post_type=horse-breed&#038;p=44697"},"modified":"2025-01-22T10:38:40","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T15:38:40","slug":"rocky-mountain-horse","status":"publish","type":"horse-breed","link":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocky Mountain Horse"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"44697\" class=\"elementor elementor-44697\" data-elementor-post-type=\"horse-breed\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"penci-section penci-disSticky penci-structure-22 elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2a5b5fec elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2a5b5fec\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"penci-ercol-66 penci-ercol-order-1 penci-sticky-ct    elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-68aed866\" data-id=\"68aed866\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2198a586 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2198a586\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<link rel='preconnect' href='https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com' \/>\n<link rel='preconnect' href='https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com' \/>\n<meta http-equiv='x-dns-prefetch-control' content='on'>\n<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='\/\/fonts.googleapis.com' \/>\n<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='\/\/fonts.gstatic.com' \/>\n<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='\/\/s.gravatar.com' \/>\n<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='\/\/www.google-analytics.com' \/>\n\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Rocky Mountain Horses are not as well-known as some of America\u2019s famous horse breeds, such as the Quarter Horse or Saddlebred. However, to those with experience of their friendly temperaments and surefooted gaits, Rocky Mountain Horses, or RMHs, are a special horse breed indeed!<\/strong><\/p><p><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7fa4ce90 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7fa4ce90\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>History and Origins<\/h2><p>Despite the name, the Rocky Mountain Horse is a Kentucky breed. They are, nonetheless, true mountain horses that are nimble enough to negotiate narrow, tricky trails, and they have a<strong> kind and generous spirit<\/strong>. There is a mystery about the founding stallion of this breed, who is simply known as \u201cThe Rocky Mountain Horse.\u201d He did, indeed, come from Colorado in the Rocky Mountains to Eastern Kentucky, around the year 1900.<\/p><p>\u00a0The Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky are also a tough environment, so Colorado stock would be at home here. It is also a landscape of<strong> talented horse breeders<\/strong>, where different types and breeds of horses from north and south, Spanish and European, west and east, met and interbred. Some of the country\u2019s finest horses were produced as a result. Along with the Rocky Mountain Horse foundation stallion, the RMHs had Tennessee Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, and American Saddlebred ancestry.\u00a0<\/p><p>Ultimately, they would trace back to the Narragansett Pacer. Horse breeders admired the beauty and good nature of their horses. They also needed <strong>versatile horses<\/strong> that were able to work cattle, draw plows, and travel the mountain trails safely. Since every member of the family needed to ride, the horses had to be equally good with <strong>children and the elderly<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p><p>The best horses for spending long hours in the saddle were gaited horses. Rocky Mountain Horses soon had an excellent reputation for <strong>calmness and willingness<\/strong>. It\u2019s said they would happily carry several children at one time on their strong backs! They did well in the harsh environment of the mountains.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e500f59 elementor-position-inline-start elementor-view-default elementor-mobile-position-block-start elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-box\" data-id=\"5e500f59\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-wrapper\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<span  class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-info-circle\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-icon-box-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span  >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat are Rocky Mountains Horses good for?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-icon-box-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRocky Mountain Horses make great mounts for all kinds of equestrian activity, from trail riding to Western classes. They excel at endurance riding and are still used for working cattle today.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"penci-ercol-33 penci-ercol-order-2 penci-sticky-sb penci-sidebarSC   elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6218b9bc\" data-id=\"6218b9bc\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-171bbfc0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"171bbfc0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Rocky mountain horses for sale<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/js\/ehorses.gethorses.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"getHorses\"><script>\r\n\t\tgetHorses(jQuery(\"#getHorses\"), 5, 394, 0, 'com');\r\n\t<\/script><\/div><\/center>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-849965d elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"849965d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/buy-horse\/rocky-mountain-horse.html\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Rocky Mountain Horse for sale<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"penci-section penci-disSticky penci-structure-10 elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-752510c8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"752510c8\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"penci-ercol-100 penci-ercol-order-1 penci-sticky-ct    elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e3da7d7\" data-id=\"e3da7d7\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2fb94719 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2fb94719\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Old Tobe and his Legacy<\/h3><p>The RMHs already had a great reputation for carrying travelers safely through the mountains when Old Tobe came on the scene. <strong>Old Tobe was a son of the Rocky Mountain Horse<\/strong>; the founder of the breed. Like his sire, Old Tobe was gaited and had the rich liver chestnut coat and light mane and tail that would become a feature of the breed.\u00a0<span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );\">Old Tobe\u2019s owner, Sam Tuttle, had a trail riding concession at the Natural Bridge State Park in Powell County, Kentucky.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );\">In Sam\u2019s selection of some fifty horses, Old Tobe was outstanding. This stallion was <strong>kind, gentle, and intelligent<\/strong>. He would carry beginners and inexperienced riders just as capably as experienced ones. Tuttle used Tobe as a stud stallion, discovering that he passed on his superb temperament and gaits to his youngstock. Thus, other breeders began to use Old Tobe as a stud for their mares, too. Old Tobe lived to be 37 and was still siring foals at the grand old age of 34.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );\">This meant that there was a great legacy of<strong> offspring from this stallion<\/strong>, and it was Old Tobe and five of his many sons who became foundation stallions for the RMH breed. The Rocky Mountain Horse Association was formed in 1986. While the majority of RMHs are in America, there are now studs elsewhere, too, including in the United Kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-43da1c5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"43da1c5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"attachment_44703\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44703\" class=\"wp-image-44703 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Moutain Horse: two horses grazing on a field\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-two-horses-grazing-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-44703\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The breed standard sets a minimum height of 14 hands (56 inches\/142 cm) high and a maximum of 16.0 hands (64 inches\/163 cm) high<\/p><\/div><h2>Rocky Mountain Horse &#8211; Conformation<\/h2><p>The breed standard sets a minimum height of <strong>14 hands<\/strong> (56 inches\/142 cm) high and a maximum of <strong>16.0 hands<\/strong> (64 inches\/163 cm) high. Rocky Mountain Horses are light to <strong>medium-sized<\/strong> riding horses, with legs and feet that are in proportion to the body. The chest is deep, wide, and powerful. The shoulders slope notably, with an ideal angle of 45 degrees to give the excellent gaits of this breed. They have well-shaped heads and amiable yet confident expressions. The face should not be dished. Only solid coat colors are permitted. The classic coat color is a liver chestnut that is close to deep, rich, chocolate.\u00a0<\/p><p>This appealing color results from the influence of the silver dapple gene on a black base coat. <strong>Bay, black, palomino, and chestnut<\/strong> colors are also found. Flaxen or lighter colored manes and tails frequently occur, contrasting with the darker body color. Pinto and Appaloosa coloring is not allowed. There are limitations to the amount of white any Rocky Mountain Horse can have. No white above the knee is permissible, and only a small amount of white is allowed on the face. Bald-faced horses are not eligible for entry into the register.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1242ee42 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1242ee42\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Characteristics of the Rocky Mountain Horse<\/h2><p>Rocky Mountain Horses are known for their superb <strong>temperaments, willingness, and nimbleness<\/strong> in rough mountainous terrain. They are easy-keepers. They are also famous for their smooth gaits, which carry riders over the ground at speed with great ease. They are very comfortable horses to ride<\/p><h3>Gaits of the Rocky Mountain Horse<\/h3><p>This breed is a naturally ambling horse. The gait it uses is also called the single-foot. This is because one foot, and one foot only, is always in contact with the ground. It is a <strong>four-beat gait<\/strong> in which each foot follows in succession evenly. Single-foot is an intermediate speed gait, which in this breed, replaces the trot used by other breeds. The single-foot is far more comfortable to ride than the trot since the trot is a two-beat diagonal gait with a moment of suspension.<\/p><p>\u00a0Anyone who has ridden a trot will realize that this diagonal gait gives the rider a bump each time the pair of feet hit the ground. In gaited horses, the four-beat alternative is <strong>much smoother and more comfortable<\/strong> to ride. It\u2019s also much more energy-conserving for the horse. The single-foot can also cover the ground at a remarkable speed. 7 mph (11 kmh) is achievable over short distances, while over long distances, horses can reach 16 mph (26 kmh)! The faster version is sometimes called racking.<\/p><div id=\"attachment_44707\" style=\"width: 730px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44707\" class=\"wp-image-44707 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-720x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Horse: Portrait of the horse\" width=\"720\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-720x1024.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-211x300.jpg 211w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-768x1093.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-1079x1536.jpg 1079w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-1439x2048.jpg 1439w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-1170x1665.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-585x833.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Portrait-scaled.jpg 1799w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-44707\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This appealing color results from the influence of the silver dapple gene on a black base coat. Bay, black, palomino, and chestnut colors are also found.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1aff1315 elementor-position-inline-start elementor-view-default elementor-mobile-position-block-start elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-box\" data-id=\"1aff1315\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-wrapper\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<span  class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-info-circle\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-icon-box-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span  >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAre Rocky Mountains good for beginners?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-icon-box-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRMHs are an excellent choice for beginners, less able, and elderly riders. Their steady temperaments, easy keeping, and comfortable gaits put them high on the list of horses that people new to horse-keeping should consider.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76c3ba77 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"76c3ba77\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Breeding and Uses<\/h2><p>Rocky Mountain Horses are easy to breed, keep, and train. They make superb <strong>trail and endurance horses<\/strong>. They have kept the versatility, which originally made them so popular with Appalachian farmers. Due to their smooth gaits, reliability, and willingness, these horses are known as an excellent choice for elderly or less able riders. While interest has grown in the breed since the breed association\u2019s foundation, they have been given &#8220;Watch&#8221; status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.\u00a0<\/p><p>They have come a long way, though. From just 26 horses originally registered, there are now thousands, though there are just 800 or so annual registrations in the USA. There are <strong>strict rules, including DNA testing<\/strong>, which apply to the registration of these horses. There is an inspection for youngstock to ensure that they meet the breed standards of the registry.<\/p><div id=\"attachment_44708\" style=\"width: 829px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44708\" class=\"wp-image-44708 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Horse: Foal \" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-1639x2048.jpg 1639w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-1170x1462.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-585x731.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-Foal-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-44708\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There are strict rules when registering a Rocky Mountain horse.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73566771 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73566771\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Diet and Nutrition<\/h2><p>Rocky Mountain Horses are known to be easy keepers, capable of surviving challenging conditions and bitterly cold winters. They will thrive best on adequate but <strong>not too rich grazing and good quality fodder in winter<\/strong>. Care should be taken not to overfeed these horses, which are also used to being ridden for long hours over long distances. Even when in hard work, these horses are not likely to need the levels of feed that other competition horses would require<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2410c7b elementor-position-inline-start elementor-view-default elementor-mobile-position-block-start elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-box\" data-id=\"2410c7b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-wrapper\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<span  class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-info-circle\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-box-content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-icon-box-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span  >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Are Rocky Mountain Horses rare?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-icon-box-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYes, Rocky Mountain Horses are considered to be a rare breed and are on the watch list of rare breed organizations. There are under 15,000 of these lovely, versatile horses globally\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4de0d20 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4de0d20\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Health and Behavior<\/h2><p>These horses are generally healthy and have no behavioral issues. However, they are believed to be at higher risk from genetic ocular syndrome <strong>multiple congenital ocular anomalies<\/strong> (MCOA), originally called equine <strong>anterior segment dysgenesis<\/strong> (ASD) than many other breeds. This can cause problems with their vision, though it is often not so bad that it prevents them from being ridden. Generally, it is a mild form that is not progressive. This condition may be linked to the silver dapple gene that gives them their distinctive coats.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4677ef57 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"4677ef57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\r\n{\r\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\r\n  \"mainEntity\": [{\r\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n    \"name\": \"What are Rocky Mountains Horses good for?\",\r\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n      \"text\": \"Rocky Mountain Horses make great mounts for all kinds of equestrian activity, from trail riding to Western classes. They excel at endurance riding and are still used for working cattle today. <a href=\\\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breeds\/rocky-mountain-horse\/\\\">Learn more \u25b6<\/a>\"\r\n    }\r\n  },{\r\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n    \"name\": \"Are Rocky Mountains good for beginners?\",\r\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n      \"text\": \"RMHs are an excellent choice for beginners, less able, and elderly riders. Their steady temperaments, easy keeping, and comfortable gaits put them high on the list of horses that people new to horse-keeping should consider. <a href=\\\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breeds\/rocky-mountain-horse\/\\\">Learn more \u25b6<\/a>\"\r\n    }\r\n  },{\r\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n    \"name\": \"Are Rocky Mountain Horses rare?\",\r\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n      \"text\": \"Yes, Rocky Mountain Horses are considered to be a rare breed and are on the watch list of rare breed organizations. There are under 15,000 of these lovely, versatile horses globally <a href=\\\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breeds\/rocky-mountain-horse\/\\\">Learn more \u25b6<\/a>\"\r\n    }\r\n  }]\r\n}\r\n<\/script>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rocky Mountain Horses are not as well-known as some of America\u2019s famous horse breeds, such&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":44718,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[196],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44697","horse-breed","type-horse-breed","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-horse-breeds"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rocky Mountain Horse - ehorses Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rocky Mountain Horse: from breeding history &amp; origin to interior &amp; exterior. \u25baLearn more now in ehorses magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rocky Mountain Horse - ehorses Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rocky Mountain Horse: from breeding history &amp; origin to interior &amp; exterior. \u25baLearn more now in ehorses magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ehorses Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1704\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rocky Mountain Horse - ehorses Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-22T15:38:40+00:00\",\"description\":\"Rocky Mountain Horse: from breeding history & origin to interior & exterior. \u25baLearn more now in ehorses magazine\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1704,\"caption\":\"Rocky Mountain Horse: Side view in snow\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/horse-breed\\\/rocky-mountain-horse\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Rocky Mountain Horse\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/\",\"name\":\"ehorses Magazine\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ehorses.com\\\/magazine\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Rocky Mountain Horse - ehorses Magazine","description":"Rocky Mountain Horse: from breeding history & origin to interior & exterior. \u25baLearn more now in ehorses magazine","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Rocky Mountain Horse - ehorses Magazine","og_description":"Rocky Mountain Horse: from breeding history & origin to interior & exterior. \u25baLearn more now in ehorses magazine","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/","og_site_name":"ehorses Magazine","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1704,"url":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/","name":"Rocky Mountain Horse - ehorses Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-01-22T15:38:40+00:00","description":"Rocky Mountain Horse: from breeding history & origin to interior & exterior. \u25baLearn more now in ehorses magazine","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rocky-Mountain-Horse-side-view-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1704,"caption":"Rocky Mountain Horse: Side view in snow"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/rocky-mountain-horse\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Rocky Mountain Horse"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/","name":"ehorses Magazine","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/horse-breed\/44697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/horse-breed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/horse-breed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44697"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/horse-breed\/44697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48230,"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/horse-breed\/44697\/revisions\/48230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}