As both a founding member and life member of the UMWRMHC, it has been suggested that the current membership might enjoy a retrospective glimpse of that era when the modern Rocky Mountain horse emerged from the mountains of Kentucky and tattooed his 4-beat gait and easy-going personality on so many hearts. It was a wondrous time   particularly when viewed from the cold confines of 2010 where we flounder in a sea of unemployment and national fiscal irresponsibility.

The modern Rocky Mountain Horse developed about 1985 when Rea Swan, a Kentucky horsewoman, and a group of like-minded horse people got serious about salvaging the horses of Sam Tuttle and other Kentucky mountain residents from what was likely to be almost certain extinction as the old mountain way of life disappeared. The timing was perfect. Ronald Reagan was President, the country was awash in money and easy credit, the Baby Boomers were in their prime, and all was right with the world. The Baby Boomers by then had outgrown their youthful enthusiasm for high-spirited Arabs and regal but sometimes unpredictable Saddlebreds. They wanted a comfy ride on the trail and a good buddy at home. They didn’t know it back then but they were about to meet the perfect horse.

The Rocky Mountain Horse Association was officially founded in 1986 with Rea Swan as its first president. They held their first show in 1989 and the breed was up and running.   They had 111 horses entered in classes at that first show and the numbers increased slowly but steadily in following years. The shows in the early years had the distinct flavor of a small town fair despite being held at the prestigious Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Most classes were so small the entrants didn’t bother to use the entire arena. Clearly, many of the riders had never participated in a horse show before. Clothing and tack were eclectic with English style gear or the Southern plantation look being most popular. Inexplicably, the Western rider was almost nonexistent. Few outsiders came to observe and the vast bleachers were mostly empty. But family and friends of the riders gathered close to the arena entrance to cheer their favorite horse with whoops and whistles loud enough for a crowd many times their size. Pedigrees were posted on stall doors so visitors could compare and admire and perhaps buy a horse. It seemed like good clean fun.

Slowly the word began to spread about the horse with the unusual chocolate and flax coloring and laid back temperament and a gait so smooth it made the worst rider look like an expert. The booming economy encouraged many people to fulfill their childhood dream of horse ownership and the swift spread of technology and internet usage provided a perfect platform to spread the word about the arrival of this unusual horse. Breeders sprang up almost overnight and squabbling ensued within the breed as various individuals and groups sought to become the official power behind the breed. Several groups broke away from the RMHA to start their own separate “breed” organizations       most notably the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association and Mountain Pleasure Horse Association, both of which were established in 1989. It wasn’t long before “mountain horse” became such a highly desirable description that an explosion of associations burst forth to meet the needs of gaited horses of virtually any lineage. In this way, all gaited horse owners had a better opportunity to become the big frog in their little pond.

Meanwhile back at the RMHA, the annual show had suddenly become Big Time. It was now the International Show and a deadly serious business. Pedigrees became              classified information. Winning was the goal and smiling riders became a rare               commodity. The unspoken horse show rule is that if you win in the show ring, you can charge more for the horses you sell. So every breeder wants to win. The show rules became infinitely more complicated as the RMHA sought to keep everyone honest. The horse itself began to change. The Rocky’s natural way of going is very relaxed, efficient and smooth, often with his feet barely lifting off the ground. That’s known as a daisy clipper gait. It provides a wonderful ride but it is not a bit showy. So the show people livened things up. They pulled the horse’s head up short, forcing his neck into an unnaturally high arch and lifting his front end. Horses were taught to lift the front legs high and reach deep with the hind legs producing a flashy stride distressingly similar to the Tennessee Walker gait. Horses shown in hand were encouraged to rear, prance and dance around their handler when they won a ribbon as though celebrating a victory. Audiences loved all the flash and show of high spirits. Rockies that most easily adapted to this kind of behavior were favored for both the show ring and for breeding. Inevitably, the show Rocky became a different horse.

A serious setback occurred in the mid 90s with the discovery of ASD – anterior segment dysgenesis - in the breed. Although this genetic malformation of an interior part of the eye can not even be seen by the average person and rarely affects the horse’s vision, the news caused a considerable degree of panic among breeders, owners, and – of course – potential buyers. The situation was worsened by the fact that there was no system in place to keep RMHA members updated on the exact nature and extent of the problem. However, eventually the word did filter down that this was actually a minor abnormality tied to the silver dapple gene that produces the Rocky’s trademark color combination of chocolate and flax. Although no one wants to pass on any kind of genetic flaw, this was clearly not the doomsday genetic error that everyone feared. The upside of the ASD discovery was that it discouraged breeders from the all too common practice of automatically breeding for the popular chocolate/flax combination regardless of the quality of the animals. The downside was that the breed quickly became overrun with black Rockies since ASD had not been found in any horse of that color. Obviously it is difficult to be moderate! In any case, the RMHA and the Rocky survived.

Meanwhile, around the country regional clubs were springing up catering to the interests of Rocky Mountain horse owners in their own locale. The first of these was the Tri-State Club, peopled primarily by Rocky owners and fans from Ohio, Indiana, and – somewhat redundantly – Kentucky. The Upper Mid-West Rocky Mountain Horse Chapter was officially launched in August of 1998 with 40 members. The first President was Audrey Dodson who, with her husband Albert, owned a farm in Beloit, Wisconsin. Audrey was an early convert to the Rocky breed, ran her own breeding farm, and was an enthusiastic promoter of the breed during its formative years. In later years Bill and Cindi Haack provided both the expertise and emotional fire to keep the group headed in the right direction. Upper Mid-West membership included breeders and show people as well as individual Rocky fans/owners and the club sought to cater to the interests of all groups. The Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wisconsin, was a primary project since it built camaraderie by enabling all members – whatever their age or talents or lack thereof – to take part. Members were encouraged to participate in their local horse fairs to spread the word about the Rocky Mountain breed. The first club newsletter was published in November of 1998. Succeeding issues featured stories on member horses or farms, interesting places to trail ride, important health issues like ASD and West Nile disease, stallion directory, foal album, and updates on Chapter activities. By 2004 under the able stewardship of editor Sherri Beno, it had evolved into The Rocky Mountain Ambler and more than doubled in size from 1998’s 7 page photocopied document to a full color bi-monthly with color supplements issued in alternate months. Educational pamphlets were published with tips on buying a Rocky, producing a foal, and understanding pedigrees. These were sold through our Internet site to Rocky people across the country and helped to defray web site and newsletter expenses while providing useful publicity for the club. Although the Chapter was necessarily mostly local in nature, at one time or another we had long distance members from as far away as the East coast.

Throughout its existence the primary purpose of the Upper Mid-West Rocky Mountain Horse Chapter has been the preservation of the original Rocky Mountain horse. Although the heady days of seemingly unlimited growth and prosperity have ended – at least for the immediate future, the club still carries on. It is indeed a special tribute to the Rocky that, despite the economy, Chapter members continue to work to preserve the breed and its history for future generations high standards of service, we need a little more time.

1991 Inter'l Show

2000

2000 Horse Fair

2000 Try a Buggy

Western

Gait