What Sets The Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse Apart?

The Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse is known best for the comfort it affords it's rider. Loved as a Trail Horse, the majority of registered Missouri Fox Trotters are owned by people who use them for trail riding, competition, endurance, and pleasure riding. Acclaimed as a show horse, the Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse is also recognized for its beauty and style in the show ring. Used by hunters and forest rangers for its endurance and surefootedness in rugged terrain, by ranchers for its versatility and intelligence, and on Hollywood movie sets for its gentle nature, the breed has quickly earned its reputation as a horse for all situations.

Gaits of The Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse

The Missouri Fox Trotter has three natural gaits: an easy-going flat foot walk, the smooth and comfortable fox trot characteristic of its name, and a relaxed and free-flowing canter. No special shoeing or training is required for these Trail Horses to perform their gaits, and their good dispositions and willing attitudes are among their many desirable characteristics, making them one of the most versatile and loved of horse breeds within the equine registries. Developed from Trail Horses in the Missouri Ozarks, the breed is characterized by a gentle demeanor and its signature gait, the fluid, diagonal 4-beat fox trot. Bloodlines can be traced from the horses of early settlers coming to the Ozarks from neighboring states of Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas. Their Trail Horse was depended upon for their surefootedness in this mountainous region and their ability to do whatever was needed around the homestead ranging from plowing, hauling logs and working cattle, while at the same time being able to double as a stylish buggy horse or riding horse for the family. Whatever the need, this using horse proved capable and adaptable, later becoming known as the Missouri Fox Trotter.

The Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse Breader Association MFTHBA

By 1948 a breed association was formed for this talented Trail Horse for the purpose of maintaining an accurate stud book for the breed. In 1958 the Missouri Fox Trotter Horse Breed Association located in Ava, Missouri was reorganized and reincorporated as a stock company. In 1973 the corporation was changed from a stock company to a membership organization. The Association had kept its registry open for qualifying stock until 1983. After that time, horses approved for registration had to have both parents permanently registered in the MFTHBA, effectively becoming a "closed book" registry. In 2002, the Missouri Legislature recognized the Missouri Fox Trotter horse as the Official State horse, and while we are extremely proud of this honor, the Missouri Fox Trotter is at home in all 50 states, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Surefooted in mountainous terrain, gentle in temperament, and smooth of gait for the comfort of both Trail Horse and rider, the Missouri Fox Trotter horse Breed’s motto today is "To Ride One Is To Own One." Breed characteristics The breed is best known for its unique gait, known as the fox trot,a four-beat diagonal gait in which the horse appears to walk with its front legs and trot with its hind. The gait, however, is not a mixed patter of footfalls, it has a clear pattern of diagonal foot movement where the front foot hits the ground split-second before the opposite rear foot. The head shakes in unison with the rhythm of the gait. The tail perfectly balances the movements of the head. Because the MFT Trail Horse has a four-beat motion rather than a two-beat trot, the gait is easy to sit. It is accompanied by an up and down head nodding. The Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse, unlike some other gaited breeds, do not have high-stepping action, but rather a very smooth, comfortable ride. The fox trot can be maintained for great stretches of time, reaching speeds up to 12 mph. A Fox Trotter can also perform a speed fox trot which goes 12-18 mph. The Fox Trotter also performs the flat-footed walk and the regular canter. Some Fox Trotters can also perform various lateral ambling gaits, such as the running walk or singlefoot. However, the fox trot is considered a more surefooted gait. The Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse is also known for its stamina and soundness. The horses have a willing and gentle disposition, and are very surefooted. They are generally medium-height, between 14.2 and 16.2 hands.

What Colors Missouri Fox Trotter Horses come in?

They come in most equine coat colors, including most solid colors, and also including most pinto spotting patterns, but do not exhibit Appaloosa coloring. Well-conformed horses have an elevated neck, head, and tail carriage, sloping shoulders, a short back with a rounded croup, and a slender body with a deep chest. They should have muscular and powerful hindquarters and legs. History of the Missouri Fox Trotter In the early 19th century, when pioneers came to the rugged foothills of Missouri from Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky, they soon realized that a Trail Horse with a natural four beat gait would be ideal for the rocky and forested land.

Origins of the Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse

Farmers selectively bred for the gliding fox trot by blending American Saddle horses, Standardbreds, and Tennessee Walkers with the Morgan, Thoroughbred and Arabian. An early breeding policy was to use horses that had reached fast running speeds.

Influential stallions include Brimmer, a Thoroughbred, Old Skip, a Morgan/Thoroughbred cross, and the two American Saddlebred stallions, Chief and Cotham Dare. The settlers used the horses for working cattle ranches and for transportation of local officials, such as the sheriff and local doctor. In the early 20th century, the Fox Trotter survived because ranchers found it to be irreplaceable. The breed association was formed in 1948, and was recognized in 1958 as the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breeders' Association (MFTHBA). In 1982, all horses were required to have at least one parent registered with the MFTHBA to be registered themselves. This changed in 1983, when both parents were required to be registered in order for the foal to be registered, and the stud book was thus closed.

The Missouri Fox Trotter Trail Horse today

Today, the breed is still popular in Missouri, as well as elsewhere. There are over 52,000 registered horses in the USA, Canada, Austria, and Germany. They are very popular with forest rangers and pleasure riders. horses are typically shown in western-style performance classes, Western and English Pleasure, show jumping, ranch, driving, versatility, and halter classes. Many are used for pleasure and trail riding. Their disposition is even and very gentle, and they are very versatile, which is why the breed is now being used for long-distance competitive trail riding. They are also increasingly used in the sport of driving. When shown, horses are not allowed to have any artificial devices to accentuate their action, such as heavy shoes or chains around the fetlock. They have a natural tail set, and, unlike the American Saddlebred, are not allowed to be nicked. They are judged on their fox trot (50%), flat-footed walk (25%), and canter (25%) in the performance classes.