Rare and at Risk:
The Rocky Mountain Horse
Did you know Rockies are an endangered species? Many breeders have aged out and are not being replaced by new, younger folks to carry on this wonderful horse. The foals that are being produced are not consistently being registered and certified so are being lost to our breeding pool. Most people do not realize that we are at real risk of losing this breed for future generations!
I wrote the below Facebook post on 12/28/24 in an effort to highlight the very real danger of losing this breed of horse:
A long read, but an important one: Do you know how special the Rocky Mountain Horse breed is?
Not only are they smooth gaited and one of the most beautiful horse breeds, but they have the best temperament and heart. Rockies are so people oriented and curious, they not only want to be with you and “help” you with whatever you are doing but you can’t even run them off with a stick because they will just circle around and come back from the other side. They want to be a part of all that you do. The breed developed in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky in the 1800s, which as a Kentuckian myself I find so cool! The folks raising them were not rich and did not pamper the horses, they were often turned out to find what forage they could, conditions were harsh and the horses had to be able to do all the jobs from moving cows, to plowing fields, climbing in the mountains and pulling the family buggy. This created a very tough, hardy and versatile horse that was known for its smooth ride, sweet gentle nature and the heart to work hard at any task thrown at it.
The RMH Association was established in the 1980s. The breed is Trademarked, DNA’d for proof of parentage at registration, is known as The Horse For All Occasions due to how very versatile it is and requires an additional step of Certification required for breeding and showing that many other breeds do not that helps ensure the breed standard and quality is maintained. Today the Rocky is the ultimate trail horse – a sure footed & calm trail partner with the strength and stamina to carry you for miles through the most rugged conditions. They are typically brave and curious, when they do spook it is usually in place. This horse loves to get out and go and has such a willingness to try ANYTHING – it’s just amazing. Rockies excel at obstacles, ranch & cattle work, endurance (yes they are in Tevis!), driving, skijoring, jumping, mounted shooting, gaited dressage, packing, and of course they are show horses too.
I grew up with quarter horses, walkers, saddlebreds and an arabian. I’ve had the pleasure of working with thoroughbreds, drafts and a variety of mixed breeds. In my opinion no horse I’ve met comes close to the friendliness, willingness, intelligence and ease of training of the Rocky. They make being a horse owner/trainer so easy. Even the stallions are generally sweet tempered and easy to handle. It’s really hard to just limit yourself to just one. We meant to have just one and within a year had 4 with a baby on the way – these days I’m counting on my fingers and toes trying to keep up with the number of horses (pretty sure as of today I have 14, with 3 babies due in the spring).
You may already know all of the above, but did you know that this breed is not guaranteed for future generations to enjoy because it is a fairly rare breed with a small breeding population? The Livestock Conservancy considers the Rocky a Heritage Breed with a status of “Threatened” due to the small breeding population and only an average 500-600 foals produced worldwide per year. If we want the Rocky Mountain Horse to be available to our grandkids and their grandkids – we need to take some intentional action to preserve the breed.
The reason the Rocky has small numbers is multifaceted. The Rocky is usually not cheap to purchase – this means when the economy is bad, like in 2008 and again more recently, the demand for horses goes down. Or some folks aren’t willing to save up their pennies for a Rocky when they get a lesser horse right now for less. These things prompt breeders to produce less foals. On the flip side of that coin is that when the economy is good and the demand is high, breeders aren’t producing enough foals to supply that demand. And some people haven’t yet heard of Rockies, especially outside of KY and the surrounding states where they are most prolific. I am a Kentuckian and didn’t learn of the Rocky until I was in my 30s! I often have people question me on the trail about what kind of horse is that and they’ve never heard of Rockies.
Another part of the decline is that many of our breeders are aging out. Mike & I have talked about getting out of breeding for several years now, we are getting old enough we need to be thinking twice about the work & risk of keeping a herd, handling young horses and starting colts. Every time we have that conversation we talk about the danger of this breed dying out and the need to keep contributing because we love them so much, so we say just one or two more years. We need new, younger breeders. If you’re a Rocky lover, have you considered having a small breeding operation? If we could get enough small breeders producing just 2-3 horses a year that could make an impact on this horse’s future!
Another real issue is the number of horses we lose to our breeding pool by people who do not register and certify their horses. I absolutely HATE when people say you can’t ride papers, every time I throw my leg over one of mine it’s over both their back and the value those papers bring. Registration and Certification make the horse able to contribute to the future of the breed if it’s a mare or stallion, it makes the horse eligible to be shown, or to participate in the Trail Riders Program or the Versatility Program. Even if you think you aren’t interested in papers or think your horse is in its forever home – unplanned circumstances can happen that affect your horses future (divorce, accidents, deaths, changed to your job, having to move, taking on the care of a loved one, the list goes on). If there comes a time you or someone else has to rehome that horse, those papers and that gold seal increase the horse’s value and its chances in the future. The next owner might want to participate in breeding or the RMHA programs, and might pass the horse by without the paperwork. A horse without its paperwork is more likely to get passed around through multiple hands, each time potentially losing value – this increases the risk of it ending in a not so great place. How many Rocky foals are lost to the breeding pool because the breeder didn’t want to take on the cost to register them, probably with the excuse that they wanted to let the buyer name the horse?
Also transferring ownership. So many people buy a horse and get the registration in their hands but don’t transfer the horse to their name. There are currently 12 horses I have sold over the last 15 years that are still in my name. Some I know have changed hands again, 2 I’ve heard are deceased. The cost of transfer goes up once the horse gets sold again, so that means the next person is less likely to transfer. This can also result in the horse being lost to the breed. And I see people trying to track down specific horses or bloodlines that they would like to continue, but non-transferred horses are much harder to find.
We need to improve in reporting status changes to the RMHA. The majority of people do not send their Registration Certificate in to be marked as “deceased” when a horse dies, sometimes for sentimental reasons. Many do not send information in when a stallion is gelded. All of this makes it very very difficult for us to know the actual size & health of our herd. Recently I looked up the number of horses in the pedigree database for horses born in the last 20 years. There are 933 stallions listed – how many have died or been gelded? We don’t know. There were 3762 mares born in the last 20 years, how many have died? We don’t know. There were 1382 geldings. And there were 6,833 horses that were registered but never certified – how many of those were mares that could be in the breeding pool but aren't? How many babies have these mares had that may be full Rocky, but can't be registered because the dam was never certified? There are only 973 registered and certified mares listed in the database that are 10 years old or younger, so our most likely breeding mares for now and moving into the future. How many of these are still alive? Let’s just guesstimate that if, of the potential 3762 mares in the last 20 years that 75% of them are still alive and sound for breeding, that’s 2821. Now let’s say that half of those are owned by trail riders not interested in breeding. That would leave just around 1400 mares world wide trying to carry on this breed. That is terrifying. And how many unregistered horses have we “lost”? It’s likely in the thousands. What if we could double our herd size if people would register those eligible Rockies that are out there?
If you love this horse, please please register your horse. And get it certified – it may have an owner someday who will breed it & contribute to the future, or who may want to participate in the RMHA programs. All of which adds value to your horse and gives it a better opportunity at a great life. If your horse passes away, please notify the registry so the database is more accurate and we can have a better understanding of the size of our potentially producing herd – so we know how at risk the breed really is. If you geld your stallion, update the registry – even though other stallions may still be around to breed mares, knowing who is alive helps us understand our genetic diversity and plan for better breedings. If you’re a Rocky lover, consider getting a couple of mares and becoming a small breeder.
And if you are a Rocky owner – please support the horse through maintaining your RMHA membership. Even if you aren’t breeding or showing or participating in the programs, your membership dollars still help maintain the database, fund genetic diversity studies, health studies, and continue the Association that allows the horse to remain the absolute best all around breed. Also please take the time to introduce new people to the breed, you know people are checking out your beautiful Rocky – tell them how fabulous they are and that they need to get one for themselves!
Even if you don’t own a Rocky, you can support the breed through the RMHA’s Fan Membership. Follow the various social media pages and share posts so that other people take interest in this wonderful horse.
Thanks for reading this long post and thank you for every effort to preserve the Rocky Mountain breed!
Also check out this page: Why Choose A Rocky?
I wrote the below Facebook post on 12/28/24 in an effort to highlight the very real danger of losing this breed of horse:
A long read, but an important one: Do you know how special the Rocky Mountain Horse breed is?
Not only are they smooth gaited and one of the most beautiful horse breeds, but they have the best temperament and heart. Rockies are so people oriented and curious, they not only want to be with you and “help” you with whatever you are doing but you can’t even run them off with a stick because they will just circle around and come back from the other side. They want to be a part of all that you do. The breed developed in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky in the 1800s, which as a Kentuckian myself I find so cool! The folks raising them were not rich and did not pamper the horses, they were often turned out to find what forage they could, conditions were harsh and the horses had to be able to do all the jobs from moving cows, to plowing fields, climbing in the mountains and pulling the family buggy. This created a very tough, hardy and versatile horse that was known for its smooth ride, sweet gentle nature and the heart to work hard at any task thrown at it.
The RMH Association was established in the 1980s. The breed is Trademarked, DNA’d for proof of parentage at registration, is known as The Horse For All Occasions due to how very versatile it is and requires an additional step of Certification required for breeding and showing that many other breeds do not that helps ensure the breed standard and quality is maintained. Today the Rocky is the ultimate trail horse – a sure footed & calm trail partner with the strength and stamina to carry you for miles through the most rugged conditions. They are typically brave and curious, when they do spook it is usually in place. This horse loves to get out and go and has such a willingness to try ANYTHING – it’s just amazing. Rockies excel at obstacles, ranch & cattle work, endurance (yes they are in Tevis!), driving, skijoring, jumping, mounted shooting, gaited dressage, packing, and of course they are show horses too.
I grew up with quarter horses, walkers, saddlebreds and an arabian. I’ve had the pleasure of working with thoroughbreds, drafts and a variety of mixed breeds. In my opinion no horse I’ve met comes close to the friendliness, willingness, intelligence and ease of training of the Rocky. They make being a horse owner/trainer so easy. Even the stallions are generally sweet tempered and easy to handle. It’s really hard to just limit yourself to just one. We meant to have just one and within a year had 4 with a baby on the way – these days I’m counting on my fingers and toes trying to keep up with the number of horses (pretty sure as of today I have 14, with 3 babies due in the spring).
You may already know all of the above, but did you know that this breed is not guaranteed for future generations to enjoy because it is a fairly rare breed with a small breeding population? The Livestock Conservancy considers the Rocky a Heritage Breed with a status of “Threatened” due to the small breeding population and only an average 500-600 foals produced worldwide per year. If we want the Rocky Mountain Horse to be available to our grandkids and their grandkids – we need to take some intentional action to preserve the breed.
The reason the Rocky has small numbers is multifaceted. The Rocky is usually not cheap to purchase – this means when the economy is bad, like in 2008 and again more recently, the demand for horses goes down. Or some folks aren’t willing to save up their pennies for a Rocky when they get a lesser horse right now for less. These things prompt breeders to produce less foals. On the flip side of that coin is that when the economy is good and the demand is high, breeders aren’t producing enough foals to supply that demand. And some people haven’t yet heard of Rockies, especially outside of KY and the surrounding states where they are most prolific. I am a Kentuckian and didn’t learn of the Rocky until I was in my 30s! I often have people question me on the trail about what kind of horse is that and they’ve never heard of Rockies.
Another part of the decline is that many of our breeders are aging out. Mike & I have talked about getting out of breeding for several years now, we are getting old enough we need to be thinking twice about the work & risk of keeping a herd, handling young horses and starting colts. Every time we have that conversation we talk about the danger of this breed dying out and the need to keep contributing because we love them so much, so we say just one or two more years. We need new, younger breeders. If you’re a Rocky lover, have you considered having a small breeding operation? If we could get enough small breeders producing just 2-3 horses a year that could make an impact on this horse’s future!
Another real issue is the number of horses we lose to our breeding pool by people who do not register and certify their horses. I absolutely HATE when people say you can’t ride papers, every time I throw my leg over one of mine it’s over both their back and the value those papers bring. Registration and Certification make the horse able to contribute to the future of the breed if it’s a mare or stallion, it makes the horse eligible to be shown, or to participate in the Trail Riders Program or the Versatility Program. Even if you think you aren’t interested in papers or think your horse is in its forever home – unplanned circumstances can happen that affect your horses future (divorce, accidents, deaths, changed to your job, having to move, taking on the care of a loved one, the list goes on). If there comes a time you or someone else has to rehome that horse, those papers and that gold seal increase the horse’s value and its chances in the future. The next owner might want to participate in breeding or the RMHA programs, and might pass the horse by without the paperwork. A horse without its paperwork is more likely to get passed around through multiple hands, each time potentially losing value – this increases the risk of it ending in a not so great place. How many Rocky foals are lost to the breeding pool because the breeder didn’t want to take on the cost to register them, probably with the excuse that they wanted to let the buyer name the horse?
Also transferring ownership. So many people buy a horse and get the registration in their hands but don’t transfer the horse to their name. There are currently 12 horses I have sold over the last 15 years that are still in my name. Some I know have changed hands again, 2 I’ve heard are deceased. The cost of transfer goes up once the horse gets sold again, so that means the next person is less likely to transfer. This can also result in the horse being lost to the breed. And I see people trying to track down specific horses or bloodlines that they would like to continue, but non-transferred horses are much harder to find.
We need to improve in reporting status changes to the RMHA. The majority of people do not send their Registration Certificate in to be marked as “deceased” when a horse dies, sometimes for sentimental reasons. Many do not send information in when a stallion is gelded. All of this makes it very very difficult for us to know the actual size & health of our herd. Recently I looked up the number of horses in the pedigree database for horses born in the last 20 years. There are 933 stallions listed – how many have died or been gelded? We don’t know. There were 3762 mares born in the last 20 years, how many have died? We don’t know. There were 1382 geldings. And there were 6,833 horses that were registered but never certified – how many of those were mares that could be in the breeding pool but aren't? How many babies have these mares had that may be full Rocky, but can't be registered because the dam was never certified? There are only 973 registered and certified mares listed in the database that are 10 years old or younger, so our most likely breeding mares for now and moving into the future. How many of these are still alive? Let’s just guesstimate that if, of the potential 3762 mares in the last 20 years that 75% of them are still alive and sound for breeding, that’s 2821. Now let’s say that half of those are owned by trail riders not interested in breeding. That would leave just around 1400 mares world wide trying to carry on this breed. That is terrifying. And how many unregistered horses have we “lost”? It’s likely in the thousands. What if we could double our herd size if people would register those eligible Rockies that are out there?
If you love this horse, please please register your horse. And get it certified – it may have an owner someday who will breed it & contribute to the future, or who may want to participate in the RMHA programs. All of which adds value to your horse and gives it a better opportunity at a great life. If your horse passes away, please notify the registry so the database is more accurate and we can have a better understanding of the size of our potentially producing herd – so we know how at risk the breed really is. If you geld your stallion, update the registry – even though other stallions may still be around to breed mares, knowing who is alive helps us understand our genetic diversity and plan for better breedings. If you’re a Rocky lover, consider getting a couple of mares and becoming a small breeder.
And if you are a Rocky owner – please support the horse through maintaining your RMHA membership. Even if you aren’t breeding or showing or participating in the programs, your membership dollars still help maintain the database, fund genetic diversity studies, health studies, and continue the Association that allows the horse to remain the absolute best all around breed. Also please take the time to introduce new people to the breed, you know people are checking out your beautiful Rocky – tell them how fabulous they are and that they need to get one for themselves!
Even if you don’t own a Rocky, you can support the breed through the RMHA’s Fan Membership. Follow the various social media pages and share posts so that other people take interest in this wonderful horse.
Thanks for reading this long post and thank you for every effort to preserve the Rocky Mountain breed!
Also check out this page: Why Choose A Rocky?
