MULTIPLE REGISTRIES DEVELOP by Judy Brummer About the different but similar horses Regardless of which association they are registered in, most (more about that below) of the horses are descendants of horses bred in Eastern Kentucky before any of the registries existed and this accounts for the common traits among them. Until 1986, none of the associations existed. Most of the pedigrees were recorded only in the memories of their owners or breeders and were passed on only through oral histories. Blood typing and DNA proof of parentage didn’t exist back then. If an owner said a horse was from a certain sire or dam, that was the pedigree of that horse. This is true for all breeds of horse, not just the “Mountain Horses” of Eastern Kentucky. Over the years, since 1986, three registries that still exist were created. Rea and David Swan incorporated the Rocky Mountain Horse Association® (RMHA) in 1986. Other registries were created after differences in opinions arose about the breed standards being established, admission or denial of certain horses as Foundation stock, how the organizations were being managed, etc. The Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association (KMSHA) was incorporated in March of 1989 by Robert Robinson, Jr. and Gordon Layton incorporated the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association (MPHA) in April of 1989. Many individuals were involved in the establishment of more than one of these organizations as each association established differing guidelines for registering horses. These became the basis for the differences in the horses included in the different associations’ books. Some horses have papers from all three of the existing associations. Obviously, no matter how you refer to a horse carrying three sets of papers, that horse has and passes on the same genetics and traits regardless of which set of papers you look at or where the offspring are registered. Some horses have papers from only one or two of the associations. Those horses may not have met the requirements for registration (parentage, height, color, etc) in the other association(s) or their owner disagreed with the policies of that group or didn’t see worth in double or triple registering a horse. A horse might have become eligible and been registered by the other association(s) at another point in time (if the owner chose to do that), as exceptions and changes to the rules of registration have been made by all three registries over the past three decades. About the different but similar associations The earliest registry established was the RMHA. Most of the horses in this registry are credited with descending from the “saddling horses” of Eastern Kentucky and “the Rocky Mountain Stallion”, a famous chocolate colored stallion said to have come to the Log Lick area in the 1890’s as a young colt. Legend reports this stallion was known and sought after by mare owners in the region for passing on his gait, disposition and unique color. Tobe, a descendant of this stallion, appears in almost all of the pedigrees of RMHorses. Although the RMHorse is commonly associated with “chocolate with white mane and tail” coloring, this coloration exists in many other breeds, as well. By registry rules, RMHorses can be any solid color, with minimal white markings on the face and lower legs. Only offspring of registered and certified RMHorses can be registered. DNA proof of parentage has been required for registration since 2000 (blood typing was used from 1997-2000). Certification requires that RMHorses be 14-16 hands and exhibit, under saddle, the lateral gait and calm temperament expected of the breed. The second registry established was the KMSHA, which now includes a division for spotted horses, as well. According to quotes attributed to Junior Robertson and published in KMSHA publications, this organization was established to provide a place for horses not meeting the certification height requirements of the RMHA. All RMHA registered horses could be registered KMSHorses and could be certified down to 11 hands. Until less than a decade ago, the KMSHA maintained open books and admitted many other gaited horses. Their books were announced as closed in the last decade but a program is still in place to admit horses also registered as MFT, MPH, PF, RMHA, TWH and unregistered gaited horses. This accounts for a broad genetic pool and variation in some characteristics displayed among horses in this registry. The third registry established was the MPHA. The MPHA promotes its registry as documenting the heritage breed from which all other gaited American breeds have descended. The MPHA books include many horses also registered RMHA, some also registered KMSHA and some not included in any of the other registries. Blood typing for proof of parentage was required for registration from the beginning of the association with a switch to DNA proof of parentage later. The registry has some limitations on the amount of white markings allowed and does not admit spotted horses. The MPHorse is commonly associated with palomino coloring, but they come in all colors. For the last several years, MPHorse breeders have produced only a few foals each year and MPHorses have become the rarest of the “Mountain Horse” breeds. So, what’s the difference in the horses registered by each association? The simple answer is “Sometimes nothing, sometimes everything”. You will hear many differing opinions about this topic, which are influenced by the personal beliefs, experience, knowledge and passion, for one registry/breed, of the person issuing the opinion (including me). My two cents? Check out the horse you are considering and compare it to your ideal horse. Your opinion is the only one that matters if you are the one purchasing the horse. Above all, buy a horse that you can love for years. These horses often live into their thirties. They deserve to live those lives out with someone who cares deeply about them and who will serve them long after they can serve you. About the author: I wasn’t around at the beginning of these associations. My family didn’t have ties to the horses of Eastern Kentucky before I fell in love with some horses there in 2002. I own horses registered in all three of the currently existing “Mountain Horse” registries, all of them are or were (some are deceased) registered with RMHA. I also had horses registered in American Gaited Mountain Horse (AGMH) when that registry existed. I served as the President of the United Mountain Horse Board of Directors for several years before becoming a Director of Examiners and later President of the Rocky Mountain Horse Association (RMHA). I am currently a Director of Examiners for the RMHA. I have read everything I can get my hands on to answer this question and this is the best answer I have figured out. .