The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-03
FASHION IN SADDLE MACS.
EAST AND WEST AT ODDS OVER
CATS AND LENGTH or TAILS.
Attempt 20 Establish and Dchue a National
Type Not Likely 70 BE Completely Success
full SADDLE. Bred Horse Of tho Southwest .
Model in Conformation and Quality.

Attempt TO EstaDtISn anu DCuUo u NhttOuht
Typo Not Likely to he Completely Success
ful-saddle. Bred Horse Of tho Southwest .
Model in Conformation and Quality.
With a view to obtaining an expression Of
opinion from the devotses OF riding on the cub
ject Of n national type OF saddle horse The
Rider and Drircr recently opened a voting COM
petition in which everybody was invited to
name the particular animal that best repre-
sented his ideal in saddle nags. The polls were
closed after 4.39? opinions had been registered.
When the ballots were counted IT was found that
the bulk of the votes had been cast for two
horses, both Of them wcll-known prize winners.
Iadysmith. the champion lightweight saddle
horse Of the last National Horse Show, received
the highest number. and Patsy McCord, the
champion OF 1900. was second. Together these
two mares received more than two-thirds of all
the votes cast. Now that the popular canvass
Is ended, the owners of the horses in compete
ton are 70 select three experts to pass upon the
merits or the animals and either affirm or re-
verse tho verdict Of the voters. II Is expected
! that the type of horse selected by the experts
| will become in a measure the model for breeders,
dealers and exhibitors, and that the points Of the
ideal saddle horse as defined and valued by
them in rendering their decision will be ac-
CtIIttl w. u u WI siiluh ny "'hNi J'NN''
will measure the merits Of the saddle horse in
the show ring.
Everybody vers"d In horse lore knows there
is now no recognized national type Of saddle
horse in America. and most Of the experts APP
pear TO believe there can be none. except. per-
haps, so far as the physical structure of the
ANNA. is concerned. Horsemen OF the East and
the West are unalterably at variance in their
views respecting the gaits of the saddle horse.
and until within the last few years they have
differed materially about form. According to
the critics, the type Of horse that won at the
Garden in the first years Of the National Horse
Show would not be in the ribbons nowadays,
The prize winner of that period was a big-boned.
bulky animal. inclined 10 the English hackney
type. For several years past the tendency has
been toward finer texture, or higher quality
as a substitute for bulk. OF substance, and nearly
all of the recent champions have been animals
OF almost thoroughbred texture. belonging
TO the Denmark family OF saddle horses. which
originated in tho Southwest. and representing
pretty closely the ideas of the hOrsemen OF that
section as 10 conformation. quality and style,
Although the s~o-called Kentucky SADDLE
horse has come To- be the recognized model OF
form at nearly all Eastern horse shows, and
most Of the champions are OF Kentucky origin.
the best one Of the Denmark breed ever raised IN
the blue grass region would not have the ghost Of
II SHOW u WI ~ WIT t'ai INV - ~ nv
and NJ ted according tow esiern ideas. And II may
be aided that Patsy McCord and l.adysmith
would probably be- tr~ ID out oi the show ring
il ex Inhibited in kentl .y or the West accord
ing To the fashion which enabled them TO win
championship ribbons ut the National Horse
Show. The plaiu-gaited walk -trot-and-Cantcr
horse of Inc Fast. with his doCked tail and pulled
name. Il tahooed by III" American Saddla-llorsr
breeders Association and by nearly all Western
horse shows. 1t the Worlds Far In Chicago
this type was not recognized in the exhibition
OF American saddle horses, every connection
being required 10 show not only the walk, trot
and canter. but in addition. NJ least thrp" of the
Ave or six gaits peculiar to the saddl"-bred horse
of the Southwest. and specified in the rulos gov
ernInu admission to the A. :. II. Is. A. stud book
| These galts nrn tho rack. single-font, fox trot.
running walk and slow pace. To an1lvz' som"
of these Inns nuZ7led some Of the best hor9emen
in the country for n quarter of n century or
more, and oven now there seems Ia be n differ
ence NJ oplnion among high authorities Ms 10 lust
how tho horse handles his legs when he strikes
tho gait known a. Single-foot.
To begin with the walk, or the fat walk, rs
the saddle-horse men sometimes say, the Tour
feet Of the horse touch the ground in diagonal
succession, as the right front, left hind, lett
front. right hind. &c. and NJ about equal In
teryals between the impacts.
In the running walk there Ia the same diago-
nal succession Of tho footballs and az equal in.
tervnls. tie time only Is quicker. The poise OF