Racking
History of the Racking Horse
What's the most
versatile breed of horse from the show ring to the work fields?
Legendary for its beauty, stamina, and calm disposition, the
popularity of this noble animal grew strong on the great southern plantations
before the Civil War. It was learned that the horse could be ridden
comfortably for hours because of his smooth, natural gait.
The
phenomenal growth of this breed can be directly attributed to its intelligence
and versatility. Beginning riders cherish the smooth, easy gait and the calm
temperament of the Racking Horse. Veteran horsemen admire his beauty and
ability to perform anywhere from the work field to the show ring.
There was a horse being shown in great numbers, a horse of a distinct
type and characteristics, for which there was no specific judge, no showring
category, no organization and ultimately no incentive for expansion and
growth. The Racking Horse became a dream and a new and most significant
chapter in equine history of this country was begun.
Knowing
that this single foot horse called the racking horse had its origins rooted
deeply in Walking Horse bloodlines, it was then realized the possibility of
promoting this animal with no action device, no set tail and without the
canter while spot lighting the docile nature and easily ridden lateral gait
exemplified by the rack.
A group of Alabama businessmen headed
by Joe D. Bright formed a corporation and initiated the legal maneuverings
with the USDA to designate this horse as a distinct breed. A carefully studied
program for this venture in the late 1960's was begun. He gathered
knowledgeable horsemen long oriented in the breeding and raising of horses
both for pleasure riding and show purposes to assist him in this effort. On
May 23, 1971, a milestone in the equine history of America was reached. On
this date the USDA recognized the Racking Horse Breeders' Association of
America, thereby allowing a registry to be established to perpetuate the
Racking Horse breed. Until this time the Racking Horse had been the only horse
in the show rings of the nation not protected by a registry or a uniform set
of rules. The primary function of the Racking Horse Breeders' Association was
to "establish a registry to protect and perpetuate the breed".
The Racking
Horse opportunity was presented to horses everywhere, and for many years the
growth of the Racking Horse Breeders' Association was astounding. The
selection of the name "Racking" was not to tie this horse to any specific
state or region. The term "rack" was then the country nomenclature for the
single foot.
The main objective and the philosophy of the
Racking Horse Breeders was to create an organization that was within the
economic reach of the marketplace that would serve the amateur horseman, the
person doing his own training at home, to being a member, a breeder, and a
showring participant.
An organization was needed for the people,
to promote the people, the horses and give the people an opportunity for
participating where they could feel secure and protected. The general
membership should always have a voice in the association, so as not to drive
them to another breed or out of the horse business altogether.
Eligibility for registration was determined upon the performance of
the gaits natural to the breed, and in the beginning horses of all ages could
be registered by gait performances.
The Racking Horse Breeders'
Association actually laid the foundation and the incentive for the great trend
towards the pleasure horse movement in the show ring today. When we began the
Racking Horse Breeders' Association this type horse was oftentimes the largest
group at the smaller shows. Even without a group or organization for promotion
the interest and participation was great. This was a horse for the middle
income people to enjoy at home, on trails, and at shows. The majority of the
horses were shown on flat shoes or with very little pad. Once we promoted the
idea of a separate and named breed and established the registry it grew faster
than anyone ever dreamed."
The Racking Horse originated and was
developed from within the ranks of the pleasure Walking Horse. At this time,
in 1971, there was no promotion for the Walking pleasure horses and no efforts
were being made to satisfy the demands of the pleasure world. Subsequently,
the Racking Horse Breeders' Association grew at an astounding rate.