FAQ
Click on a question to see the Answer
Q: What is a Missouri Fox
Trotter?
Q: Where did the Fox Trotter Originate?
Q: Why did we choose
the Missouri Fox Trotter?
Q: What are
the standards of the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse?
A: The Missouri Fox Trotting 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
Trotting 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.
The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse 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 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 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 horses were 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.
By 1948 a breed association was formed for this talented horse for the
purpose of maintaining an accurate stud book for the breed. In 1958 the
Missouri Fox Trotting 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 Trotting 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 horse and rider, the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse
Breed’s motto today is "To Ride One Is To Own One.
Q: Where did the Fox Trotter Originate?
by Freda Cruise Phillips
A:
History tells us that Cortez and other
Spanish explorers brought the first horses to what is now the United
States, setting up a breeding program with the Nez Perce Indians.
The Indians desired the painted pony while the Spaniards wanted to
maintain the gait of the horse, what is now clearly identified in
the wild horses and mustangs as the foxtrot. European horses were
all gaited and soft riding horses, not the boneshakers or trotting
horses that became common during the 1700’s. When settlers
started arriving in the Missouri Territories in the early 1800’s,
they brought with them their horses, from the regions where they
emigrated from – the Tennessee walker, the Kentucky racing horses
and the Virginia thoroughbreds. The Missouri Territories was a huge
area of land including all of present day Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Missouri and beyond. Upon arriving in the region these horses
were selectively bred to maintain their soft gait and easy long
distance ride along with a surefootedness on the rugged terrains.
Although the fox trotter is found throughout the world, it is most
commonly identified with the Ozark region of Arkansas, Missouri and
Oklahoma. It is important to note that the Civil War
devastated the horse population in the Ozarks by 75% on average as
evidenced in the pre-Civil War census and tax rolls of 1860 verses
1870. Recovering from the Civil War included rebuilding the
horse population. The strongest most versatile surefooted
horses survived, giving birth to the present generation of the
Missouri Fox Trotter. When the founders of the Missouri Fox
Trotter Breed Association organized in Ava, Missouri in the 1950’s
many of the founders themselves had been born in the late 1800’s and
early 1900’s. Their parents and grandparents were some of the
first settlers to the Ozarks bringing the well known horses “Bremmer” and
“Sterling” here in the 1830’s. Q: Why did we chose the Missouri Fox Trotter?
A: Because of their docile temperament and versatile abilities all while
doing it smoothly!
Q: What are
the standards of the Fox Trotting Horse?
A:The fox trot is a broken diagonal gait performed by walking in front and
trotting behind, with reach in each stride. The front hoof of the diagonal
pair strikes the ground just before the rear hoof, and one front hoof is on
the ground at all times in a correct foxtrot.
The Fox Trotting Horse is not a high stepping horse, but an extremely
sure-footed one, and because of the sliding action of the rear feet rather
than the hard step of other breeds the rider experiences little jarring
action and is quite comfortable in the saddle for long periods of time.
The head and tail are slightly elevated, giving the horse a graceful
carriage, and the rhythmic beat of the hooves along with the nodding action
of the head present an appearance of relaxation and poise. The movement
should be smooth and consistent with no noticeable up and down motion.
The ideal characteristics of the fox trotting horse shall be that the animal
will travel in a collected manner with animation, rhythm and style. In each
of the gaits, remember “Style and Grace, It’s Not a Race!”.
Conformation:
The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse generally stands between 14 and 16 hands in
height, and averages between 900 to 1200 pounds. The horse should stand well
on its feet, be erect, wide awake and alert. The neck should be graceful, in
proportion to length of body, and joined to the body in a manner pleasing to
the eye. The fox trotting horse should have a neat, clean, symmetrically
shaped head of medium length; pointed ears that are well shaped; eyes that
are large, wide set and bright; and a tapered muzzle with large nostrils.
The back should be reasonably short and strong, the body deep and the ribs
well-sprung. The flank should be sleek, and the chest deep and full. The
shoulders should be sloped at a 45 to 50 degree angle, and moderately
muscled. The legs should be muscular and tapered. The foot should be well
made, strong and in proper proportion to the size of the horse. The overall
condition of the horse should be reflected by its demeanor, body weight,
muscular definition and tone, hair coat, and the feet. In form to function,
good conformation permits the gaits to be performed in the proper manner.
Proper conditioning and correct conformation will permit the horse to carry
weight for an extended period of time, in comfort to the rider.
Fox Trot:
The fox trot has a motion and rhythm that carries from the nose through the
tail. The fox trot gait will be performed in a stylish collected manner by
walking in front and trotting behind with striding reach, both front and
rear. There should not be excessive animation, nor should there be climbing
or exaggerated knee motion in the front legs. The back feet will exhibit a
sliding action resulting from the horse breaking at the hocks. The horse
will disfigure or overstep his track, and shall travel straight on all four
legs. The head will be carried slightly elevated, with rhythmic motion in
time with the movement of the rear feet. The tail will be carried naturally,
and should emphasize the rhythm of the gait. The exceptional rhythm of the
fox trotting horse begins at the tip of the nose with the characteristic
headshake and continues back through the ripple of the tail.
Flat Foot Walk:
The flat foot walk shall be a flat, four beat gait performed in a square,
stylish manner. The gait is to be accomplished with animation, overstriding
the front track. There is to be reach in each stride, front and rear. A four
beat gait is distinctly different from the fox trot which has a broken
rhythm. When correctly performing the flat foot walk, you will hear a
steady, equal four beat cadence produced by the hooves, the head shake will
be more animated than in the fox trot, and the rider will be getting a
smooth ride.
Canter:
The canter is a three beat gait and shall be performed in a straight,
collected manner with the head and tail slightly elevated. The horse shall
travel with a forward rolling motion while on the correct lead, both front
and rear. The three-beat gait is performed with a rocking motion, starting
from the outside rear foot, then to the inside rear-outside front
combination, and then to the inside front foot. The head should be at its
lowest point when the inside front foot is on the ground. The canter is not
a fast moving gait, and the horse should appear relaxed and move freely.
Overview:
The exhibition of the horse in the show ring should present the Missouri Fox
Trotting Horse performing the gaits in the proper manner. While a degree of
latitude may be given in the show arena, the correctness of the gaits and
the equitation and comfort of the rider is necessary to showcase our great
horse to its best advantage. |
