The Rocky Mountain Horse is an American horse breed, known for its ambling gait and characteristic flaxen coat.

A rocking horse from the Rocky Mountains:
The Rocky Mountain Horse was developed during the 1890s, in the Appalachian Mountains in Eastern Kentucky. It was created when local Appalachian mares were crossed with a gaited stallion from the Rocky Mountains (hence the breed's name).

The stallion successfully passed on its ambling ability to its offspring, and thanks to their comfortable gait, the Rocky Mountain Horses were the ideal horses for riding through the rough and mountainous local terrains. In addition, this frugal breed could survive in the cold climate of the mountains without much assistance, including during the winters, which further boosted its popularity in the region.

Sam Tuttle and Old Tobe:
During the 20th century, when private transportation became available, the need for saddle horses declined. As a result, the number of Rocky Mountain Horses plummeted. However, unlike other breeds that faced possible extinction, Rocky Mountain Horses were never in such danger, thanks to a dedicated breeder called Sam Tuttle.

Sam Tuttle was a major breeder of Rocky Mountain Horses during the first half of the 20th century, and he always kept a herd large enough to maintain the breeding and improvement of the Rocky Mountain breed. Furthermore, his flaxen dark chestnut stallion, Old Tobe, became a prominent stud who sired countless successful Rocky Mountain Horses.

The foundation stallion of the perfect standard:
It was Old Tobe that gave the Rocky Mountain breed the qualities which it has nowadays, especially when it comes to its comfortable ambling gait, and to its characteristic coat color. Therefore, Old Tobe is considered to be the foundation stallion of the Rocky Mountain Horse breed as we know it today.

Tom lived long enough to see the Rocky Mountain Horse breed, to which he dedicated his life, be officially recognized with the establishment of the Rocky Mountain Horse Association in 1986. In addition, the standard of the breed was largely based on the conformation and characteristics of his beloved stallion, Old Tobe. Tom passed away two years later, in 1988.

The Rocky Mountain Horse Today:
Rocky Mountain Horses are extremely comfortable to ride, have good endurance, and have a social and cooperative temperament. Therefore, they are very popular as trail horses, especially among beginners.

Conformation:
The conformation of the Rocky Mountain Horse is that of a light saddle horse. The head is of medium size and has a straight profile. The neck is of medium length, showing slenderness and a light arch. Overall, the body is slender.

The hair of the mane and tail is fine but can grow long and full, with horses in Horse Isle having medium or long manes.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Rocky Mountain 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: 15.6-17.2, 16.3 (0.3), 0.06.
Sprint: 53-64, 58 (3), 0.49.

Accel: 0.92-1.09, 0.99 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.84-1.00, 0.92 (0.04), 0.01.

Jump: 5.09-5.33, 5.21 (0.05), 0.01.
Pull: 1.73-2.42, 2.04 (0.15), 0.03.

Turning: 48.95-61.02, 55.32 (2.83), 0.55.
Reverse: 2.6-3.1, 2.9 (0.1), 0.02.

Stamina: 44.74-49.15, 46.68 (1.06), 0.21.
Reaction: 0.73-0.83, 0.78 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: usually bay, brown, chestnut, or black, that are usually silver-diluted. Also cream dilutions, dun, and champagne.

Additionals: flaxen is extremely common among chestnut horses. Linebacked, rabicano, roan, sooty, all rare patterns. The coat is always solid, and white markings are kept rare and small in size, with blazes and stockings being heavily penalized.

Height: 14.2hh to 16hh.