The Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse (KMSH) is a gaited American saddle breed. It should not be confused with the Rocky Mountain Horse, which it sometimes resembles.

Origins:
The ancestors of the KMSH originated in the mountainous regions of 19th century Kentucky. These were the same horses from which other American gaited breeds were developed, such as the Rocky Mountain Horse and the Tennessee Walking Horse.

The KMSH remained an unnamed Kentuckian breed until the 1980s, when it was officially recognized.

An ideal horse for the trail:
All KMSHs have a comfortable four-beat ambling gait known as the rack. In addition, they are bred to have a cooperative and pleasant temperament.

Their gait and personality make them excellent trail horses, and indeed most KMSHs are used for trail riding, be it for recreational riding or for competitive trail riding (e.g. Western trail.)

A pony? A horse? A both!
The KMSH breed was always divided into two sub-categories: category A, for horses who stand between 11hh and 13.3hh, and categories B, for horses who are 14hh or taller. Both of these categories can be found in Horse Isle, but breeders should remember that, in Horse Isle, only horses 12hh or taller are rideable.

The Spotted Mountain Saddle Horse
Originally, KMSHs always had a solid coat. However, in 2002, a new sub-registry was created for pinto KMSHs. These horses were called Spotted Mountain Pinto Horses (SMHSs.) and were divided into category A and category B based on their height.

In order to introduce pinto coats into the breed, KMSHs were crossed with pinto gaited breeds. This is why, in Horse Isle, an SMHS must have at least one parent who is either a KMSH or an SMSH.

Today, though, the aim is to return to purebreeding, and to minimize the introduction of foreign blood, which is why crossbreeding SMSHs with any other breed (except for KMSH) will result in a non-pure foal.

Conformation:
The conformation of KMSHs is characterized by a medium head with a straight profile, an arched high-set neck of medium-length, minimal withers, a short back, and a round croup. The legs are often long, and the overall build is light.

The mane and tail have straight hair, and are often long, with the mane being sometimes medium in length, but not shorter.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horses in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 13.7-16.9, 15.4 (0.9), 0.18.
Sprint: 38-62, 50 (6), 1.22.

Accel: 0.84-1.08, 0.97 (0.05), 0.01.
Decel: 0.91-1.05, 0.98 (0.03), 0.01.

Jump: 5.10-5.34, 5.23 (0.05), 0.01.
Pull: 1.16-2.42, 1.78 (0.34), 0.07.

Turning: 47.09-60.89, 53.65 (3.02), 0.59.
Reverse: 2.3-3.0, 2.7 (0.2), 0.03.

Stamina: 38.72-47.33, 43.35 (2.33), 0.46.
Reaction: 0.67-0.79, 0.73 (0.03), 0.01.

Coats & Height:
Colors: usually flaxen dark-chestnut, but all colors (and dilutions) exist in this breed except for dominant-black, dominant-white, mushroom, and pearl.

Additionals: flaxen, linebacked, rabicano, roan, sooty, all rare patterns. The coat is always solid, and horses who present too prominent blazes or stockings are banned from registration as KMSH (they are eligible for registration as SMSH, see below.)

The SMSH: a sub-registry for pinto KMSHs. See the 'Spotted Mountain Saddle Horse' for more information.

Height: 11hh to 16hh.
Note: in Horse Isle, horses shorter than 12hh or non-rideable.