The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-21
MODERN SADDLE HORSE.
Changes in Methods of Breeding
Followed Civil War.

New York Post.
The civil war practically arrested the de-
velopment of the typical saddle horse, and
with it's end while the old time saddler men
languished, the demand for trotting stock
sprang up and so strong was this demand
that many well-known breeders of the old
type saddlers deliberately bred their fine
mares TO trotting stations instead of adj
herring to the old-time lines. To such an
extent was this done that when the stud
book of the American Saddle Horse was
published these were inserted as "founda-
ton stock" Several of the saddle-bred
mares produced some of the fastest trot-
ters of the day, and thus, in a night, as
one may say, was undermined what was
the most wonderful breed of saddle horses
the world has ever seen. Then came a host
of nondescript horses under the label of
''saddlers," these being in many cases fail
ures as saddIer-bred trotters, and thrown
out as saddlers simply to get rid Of them.
The public knew little, the dealer did not
care so long as the individual horse caught
the eye, and so there sprang up an era
when every mans opinion to the accept
able saddler was along the line of a horse
he owned or wished he owned. Thus, when
the National Horse Show Association
started its eminently valuable career of ed
ucation, it progressed in almost every di-
rection. excepting that of the saddler
classes which remained the most extraor-
binary mixture ever mlscalled a class
in show animals. Judge after judge was
tried and this only made confusion worse
confounded for each man naturally had
individual ideas, and these clashing year
after year. the exhibitors are TO be ex
cused for not Knowing where they stood,
or what was TO be taken as the accepted
type for the American saddler
Having failed for years with native talent.
it was decided to take the bold step of call
ing in an Englishman, Vivian Gooch, TO
see what he could do He had a great
reputation Ion the other side, had spent
considerable time in this country through
the West and South. occasionally buying a
few good types to take home, and so came
TO his work with a clear and well-defined
idea of what he wanted. Without dilating
on this phase OF the subject, it is pertinent
to remark that in his first year of judging
he found that more than 20 per cent. of the
saddlers shown were of no possible saddler
type, utterly out of the class, and that in
his third year of judging he found only %
per cent. non-suitable, these reflections be-
ing by no means poor horses, but simply
ineligible.
The obvious criticism was that this was
distinct leaning to the English idea that a
saddler should be of thoroughbred blood.
while the American idea was one of trotting
blood. and columns were written by in
dividuals who undoubtedly had strong lean
ings on the subject. and knew why they
were talking. III not exactly what they were
talking about. This is shown by reference
TO more than 1000 horses entered in the
Saddle Horse and Stud Book which
shows that the typical American saddlers
registered had three OF clear thoroughbred
blood. fifty with 80 per cent, 290 with Is per
cent, S4S with 1919 per cent. and the rest
unknown. This was the record in 1891, and
the succeeding later volumes show abso-
lutely no change in the ratio of thorough
bred blood among the registered American
saddlers.