Missouri Fox Trotter
| Missouri Fox Trotter | |
|---|---|
Missouri Fox Trotter |
|
| Important data | |
| Origin: | Missouri |
| Main breeding area: | United States |
| Distribution: | USA strong, otherwise low |
| Stick measure : | 142-163 cm |
| Colors : | all |
| Main application area: | Riding and work horse |
The Missouri Fox Trotter is one of the oldest American horse breeds and was bred in the Ozark Plateau area in the US states of Arkansas and Missouri in the 1820s .
Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .
Exterior
- ideally a size between 1.40 m and 1.60 m
- should be able to support quite a bit of weight
- standing straight, awake and attentive
- the neck should be well proportioned to the body
- the head fine, clean and intelligently shaped, with small, erect ears
- the eyes should be large and clear with a tapered mouth
- the chest should be deep and full, as should the flanks
- Shoulders should be well muscled and neatly angled
- Legs well muscled and shaped
- The foot should be strong and in proportion to the size of the horse
Gait predisposition
The Missouri Fox Trotter has more than the normal horse gait :
- Canter (breeding goal)
- The Canter is a three-stroke gait, smooth, free, relaxed and straight on both hands. The kicks are long, sweeping. Excessive four-beat canter, excessive speed and excessive pumping during movement are not desirable.
- Flatfoot Walk (breeding goal)
- The Flatfoot Walk is a flat four-stroke walk in lateral foot sequence. The trace of the hind legs should exceed that of the front legs.
- Foxtrot (breeding goal)
- The Foxtrot is a diagonal gait in four laps. A broken trot with the front hoof footing just before the rear one. The horse walks with the front legs in walk and with the hind legs in a trot and steps over. The head reflects the rhythm of the corridor. The tail also shows the rhythm of the walk.
- gallop
- The stretched four-stroke canter (racing canter) should run smoothly, smoothly and relaxed in the movements.
- Running walk
- It is the same foot sequence as in the Flatfoot Walk. The speed is higher and the crossing of the hindquarters is clearly visible.
- walk
- The walk (step) is a natural, flat-footed, four-beat gait. The horse moves attentively and alertly, has a stride that suits its exterior.
- Single foot
- The single foot is a four-stroke gait with a monopod support. A gait variant in which many Fox Trotters can reach very high speeds. The single foot is not a breeding goal.
Breeding history
The horse is specifically bred to follow the gait of the Foxtrot ; H. the horse walks in front and trots behind to exercise. The gait is very safe and prevents both early fatigue of the horse and that movements are passed on to the rider relatively well.
They are particularly advantageous when it comes to endurance performance and in the field, which is why the Missouri Fox Trotters are now used by the forest rangers in the USA and are very popular with the Amish .
There are 87,000 registered horses of the breed, most of them in the USA, a few in Canada, 450 in Europe, of which 320 live in Germany (as of January 2006).
