Rocky Mountain horses originated in a little known region of the Appalachian Mountains over 100 years ago, primarily by farmers who needed a stout, hearty, easy keeping horse for daily work on the farm. They needed a horse that could be used for everything, a "multi-purpose horse".  Rocky Mountain Horses could not only serve their purpose in long workdays of intense labor but they had a wonderfully pleasing, smooth gait and size. 

     The name of the breed itself originated from a stud horse that hailed from the Rocky Mountains of the Western U. S. He is referred to as the "Rocky Mountain Horse" or the "Rocky Mountain Stud Colt of 1890." Credit is given to this horse for the beginnings of this wonderful breed. He is said to have been chocolate colored with a flaxen mane and tail. It is also said this horse had a gait which surpassed that of other horses in the area so much so that the Kentucky people began breeding their mares to this colt. 

     However, breeding for the qualities this colt possessed was limited to a small Appalachian region. This breed was isolated in the Mountains of Kentucky for many years due to the inability of a farmer to lose a day or more of work on the farm by taking his mare off and leaving her elsewhere for breeding. Therefore, the majority of mares that were bred were those who lived on farms less than a day's travel from the stud colt. This preference for the "Rocky Mountain Horse's" qualities consistently contributed to the limited influence of outside breeding stock. 

     Modern DNA tests, as well as oral stories past down from people like Sam Tuttle of Kentucky, puts the origins of the "Rocky Mountain Stud Colt of 1890" from Spanish decent. The story of this told by Sam Tuttle was that the Dam of the "Rocky Mountain Stud Colt of 1890" came from a group of horses that were stranded on an island off the coast of Virginia after the Spanish Galleons they were on shipwrecked off shore. History shows that Spanish Galleons had been traveling to the "New World" since the 1600's and they were not only loaded with cargo, but horses too. This group of horses on the island were said to have been very good survivors, as well as gaited. Sam Tuttle was convinced that all of his horses had this Spanish lineage as well. 

     Sam Tuttle acquired his first mare of Rocky Mountain stock from his Uncle Frank Tuttle's farm. Frank Tuttle owned one of two famous stallions that were sons of the "Rocky Mountain Stud Colt of 1890." This is the heritage Sam Tuttle started his stock with. Sam is said to have had less than 60 pure bred Rockies and had trouble breeding due to a limited number of horses, other than his, that were pure bred Rockies. He is said to have been very careful and choosy about which outside strains of stock to breed his horses to in order to prevent excessive in-breeding. A man named Henry Hinds owned several Rocky Mountain Horses, most of which came from the bloodlines of Frank Tuttle's horses. 

     One horse of Henry Hind's was a favorite stallion of Sam Tuttle's. Sam offered to buy the "Hind's Stud" many times but Henry refused. Henry's son Jack Hinds stated that the "Hind's Stud" was known to the family as "Old Tobe." It was said that "Old Tobe" was "apple-colored" or bright sorrel red with a flaxen mane and tail while the majority of the other horses at the time were chocolate with flaxen manes and tails. Sam decided to breed his first mare to this "Hind's Stud" or "Old Tobe”, yielding a colt he named "Tobe," with a chocolate coat and a flaxen mane and tail. When "Tobe" was of age, Sam began using him to breed to his mares. He became a popular stallion among the "hill people" and was in high demand. Little did Sam know then, that "Tobe" was to be a foundation sire of the future. 

      The popularity of the breed's use as a workhorse diminished and therefore contributed to the breed's rarity and the limited knowledge about them outside the Appalachian area until now. In recent years, this breed has made a substantial come back, gaining in popularity due to it's versatility, disposition, size, smoothness of gait, ease of maintenance, sure footedness, willingness to learn and perform as well as it's characteristic coat colors. In years past it was the "mount of choice" for many of the Mountain people in Kentucky. It's modern day popularity is making it the mount of choice for such things as trail riding due to the breed's solid bone and muscle structure, shape, size, gait and temperament. When compared to other gaited breeds, the Rocky Mountain Horse is better equipped for rugged mountains, rough canyons and steep slopes. 

     Although trail riding is growing in popularity itself, this is not the only activity that Rocky Mountain Horses are good for. They make great mounts for English Pleasure too. They have been used in years past for traveling long distances, for the grandkids to ride after school and for pulling carriages, wagons, buggies and plows. They've been used to work cattle, herding, penning and even roping cattle in the fields. Recently, they've been used for barrel racing, pole bending and showing. They're usefulness is only limited to things such as seven foot fences in hunter jumper events or speed on a race track against a thoroughbred. They are a great "all round horse"or "utility horse" for all ages, sizes and interests. 

     Rocky Mountain Horses are known for their mild, gentle and quiet temperament that is especially good for youngsters and those with little or no horse related experience. Rocky Mountain Horses are of ideal size and build to carry their rider over most any terrain with ease. Research has revealed that the Silver Dapple Gene is responsible for the Rocky Mountain Horse's signature color of chocolate with flaxen mane and tail. It is found in more than 60% of the Rocky Mountain Horse breed but in rather small percentages of other breeds. 

     The average Rocky stands between 14.2 to 16 hands. Because of their height, they are easy to mount and their sturdy build enables them to carry a larger than average rider, longer distances. The Rocky Mountain Horse's bone structure is one of medium build.  They are stocky, muscular, stout and have great endurance for long days spent in the saddle. Rockies are considered "easy keepers," which means they require little in the way of fancy high dollar grains and other products to maintain their weight and health. The horses Sam Tuttle bred were turned out to Mountain pasture in the winter to fend for themselves. These same horses of Sam's had to defend themselves from mountain lions, black bear, wolves and rattlesnakes in the area. Not only did they survive, they survived well.

Source of information contained on this page is credited to:
"Rocky Mountain Horses 'A Rare Breed Indeed'" by Bonnie Hodge copyright 2005
Published by Wildfire Enterprises Viola, AR www.wildfireenterprises.iceryder.net.
 
The Rocky Mountain Horse Association (RMHA) and the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association
(KMSHA) are both very informative resources for further history about this wonderful breed.