Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-12
SHOW TWO SADDLE TYPES
WALK-TROT AND BLOOD-HACK
WILL BOTH BE RECOGNIZED
Dockcd and unlocked VIII lie DistIn-
gushing Mnrk, but Frequently
1t Mny he mt Fnuit.

gushing Mark, but Frequently
1t Mny he ut Fnuit.
An important decision affecting the
future of American saddle horse types
and the Judging OF saddle horses at
American shows was reached recently
at n meeting OF the executive COM
mittee of the National Horse Show
Association. held to arrange plans and
revise the prize list for the annual
exhibition in Madison Square Garden
from November 6 to II
In Judging at the Garden this year
two distinct saddle types will be rec
oGnized all through tho show. and sep
arate classes Will be made for each
type. instead of jumbling them togeth-
or, rs in past years. to the confusion
OF the judges and the dissatisfaction of
the exhibitors and spectators alike. In
one series of competitions the orthodox
walk-trot' saddle horse OF the rid
ing schools and the parks will be
judged. while in another series recos-
hition VIII be given To what is vari-
ously known as the English type, the
thoroughbred type and the hunter type
o! riding horse
Tho ''walk-trot' saddle horse, as 1T
Is known among breeders. dealers and
trainers. is a fu!l-made. finely finished,
nish-styicd. nash-go!nS horse, with
showing. action and ability to step
along at smart pace on trot.
Tho blood hack" his admirers
love 10 call him. after the fashion In
England. liz often a thoroughbred race
horse, or hunter with plenty of quail
NY. and nov and then n polo pony of
blood like character has carried off
the blue ribbon before Judges having
a preference FOR this type. The blood
mack" must have thoroughbred quality
or hnoness Of fiber. with what the con-
no!sseurs love TO call riding shoulders
nd Il.
saddle back where IL belongs
Though quality and finish are highly
priced. The SNOWY style and action
which distinguish the walk -,rot saddle
morse are not essential in the make
up OF n blood hack. on the contrary
good many Judges would frown upon
horse OF the thoroughbred type that
carried his head and tail too high or
displayed the peacock propensities
which arc wanted in the walk-trot
morse. whether At rest or In action.
As the trot is the most important gait
OF the walk-;rot horse. the canter is
the mainstay OF the blood hack Few
thorous Inbred horses trot we'll and
those who ride them are not generally
partial 70 the gait for saddle
work On the other hand. no other
breed Of horses can equal the thor
ouShhreds at gallop!ng. slow or fast
ana the cantcr is mcrly a show gallop.
Two Types Arc Different.
In their distinguishing points the
t"o types Of saddle horses are about
as different as light harness roadsters
ana nigh stepping carriage horses, and
10 Judge them together IS regarded by
great many experts as a good deal
Ike minglims !ow-so!ng, long-ta!led
rottcrs and high going. locked hack
n"ys IN one class .or harness horses
The directors az the National Horse
sho" association have taken this view
o. the matter IN separating the two
tyres at the Garden show this year
How to separate them has been quite
Troublesome question. Some horse
men nave favored the plan Of classify
ING all walk-trot horses as park
hacks and all horses Of the thorough
bred or hunter type as road hacks"
But the trouble with this plan is that A
goOd many men and women nowadays
prefer TO use horses of the thorough
bred type for park riding. The only
practical way that could be found Of
separating the two types was by classi-
Tying saddle horses as either dock cd"
o. unlocked; IN other words, as long
tailed or short-tailcd.
OF course, the length OF tail does not
OF itself determine the type of the
horse. since any one so disposed might
dock ,horouG Inbred. just s he might
dock "A trottcr or light harness horse.
But Is matter OF actual experience no
one docs such thing, and no good
horgcnnn, on the other hand, leaves 4
typical walk:rot saddle horse UNI
locked any more than he would let a
h!gh-stcppinE hackney OF the heavy
harness type carry a long tall when
shown 10 a gig stanhone. phaeton or
victoria.
II is expected that the separation of
the two types will have the effect OF
increasin the number OF saddle horses
very materially at the November show
in the Garden. With both types shown
together in the same classes in past
years 1t has necessarily happened that
whenever a lonC-tailed horse OF the
thoroughbred typo won blue ribbon
the owners Of all the walk -trot horses
were disappointed and sometimes dis
posed 20 say the Judges favored that
type, Is they very often did, in the sim
cere belief that this is the only true
type OF saddle horse. When the Judges
were old school horsemen. partial to
the long accepted type Of saddle horse.
Il often happened that exhibitors of
blood hacks" were the disappointed
ones But the worst complaints OF all
came when the judges took to satisfy
Ing the partisans of both types by rem
dcring compromise decisions and some
times giving first prize to locked
horse, and placing an unlocked horse,
about a. different in character as n
thoroughbred is from hackney. sec
49, ttNTf