North American Single-Footing Horse

North American Single-Footer horse

Distinguishing features	Gaited
Alternative names	Single-Footing Horse
Country of origin	United States
Breed standards
Single-Footing Horse Owners' and Breeders' Association	Breed standards
Equus ferus caballus

The North American Single-Footing Horse, also called the Single-Footing Horse, is a horse breed originating in the southern United States. The term 'single-foot' refers to an intermediate ambling gait, sometimes alternately called the rack or paso largo, where the horse lifts each foot up separately and puts it down alone.^[1] and may reach speeds of up to 20 mph in this gait. Single-Footing Horses are most commonly used as trail or pleasure horses. They come in a wide range of colors, including palomino and buckskin, as well as chestnut, gray, and bay.^[2]

Characteristics

The Single-Footing Horse is a medium sized breed of light riding horse. It is primarily known for its intermediate four-beat gait, which may range from 7 to 9 miles per hour on a trail ride to over 15 miles per hour at a road speed.^[3]

Uses

The Single-Footing Horse is almost always used for trail or pleasure riding. All Single-Footing Horses must be shod in plain keg shoes in order to maintain registration.^[4]

History

The Single-Footing Horse is descended from crosses of American Saddlebreds, Standardbreds and other gaited breeds, with some influence from Spanish bloodlines. An influential stallion was EZD Falcon Rowdy, who also influenced the Racking Horse breed.^[5]

Sources

1. http://www.shobaonline.com/id1.html
2. http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/northamericansinglefooting/index.html
3. http://www.gaitedhorses.net/BreedArticles/NASingle-FootingHorse.html
4. http://www.trailridermag.com/article/single-footing-horse
5. http://trailridermag.com/article/single-footing-horse