Owners tell us: Like his father and grandfather before him, H.T. Derickson owns and operates Van Bert Farm in Stanton, Kentucky. One of the country's largest breeders of Mountain Horses, Derickson remembers the day, almost a half century ago, that Sam Tuttle brought his stallion, Tobe, to his farm.
"Mr. Tuttle drove his cattle truck onto our driveway, with nine or 10 horses in the back, including ol' Tobe," he says. "He unloaded them down our cattle chute, then my father and I watched as he jumped on bareback, and rode Tobe up and down the gravel in front of our barn. Tobe wasn't big, but he was strong-built, with a very smooth four-beat gait. My father bred one mare to him, and that offspring became the foundation sire of our Rocky Mountain herd."
Derickson's daughter, Vanessa Crowe, also deeply involved with Mountain Horses, serves as executive director of United Mountain Horse, Inc. Not a registry, the UMH and its affiliate, the American Gaited Mountain Horse Association, support and promote all Mountain Horses.
When Vernon Stamper looks over the 28 broodmares in his pastures, he sees Mountain Horses with some of the same bloodlines his great-grandfather used in his herd more than 100 years ago. The fifth-generation horseman, owner of Overlook Stables in Sharpsburg, Kentucky, is an eloquent spokesman for the breed.
"I breed selectively, keeping the old bloodlines alive, because they are a treasure," he says. "The Mountain Horse has the sweet temperament of a puppy dog and the physical abilities of the best all-around horse you can imagine. They have the smoothest gait you can find, a deep reservoir of stamina, and are surefooted and quiet."
Mountain Horses are people horses. Just ask Mike and Kathy Hartong of Cedar Grove Farm in rural Peacham, Vermont. "On summer evenings, we sit out on our stone patio, and within minutes, our horses are lined up at the fence," Mike says with a chuckle. "It's uncanny, as if they want to listen to, or be a part of, our conversation. Even the babies just want to be where we are. Mountain Horses are truly the Golden Retrievers of the equine world."
On the trail: Gordon Rife of Upper Cane Creek Stables in Stanton, Kentucky, organizes trail rides for the MPHA. Among his favorite trails is the Gladie Creek Trail in the Red River Gorge area of Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest. It offers a variety of terrain which, he says, the Mountain Horse tackles with surefooted grace.
"There's water to cross, hills to climb, and valleys to meander through," Rife says. "The Mountain Horse will carry you safely wherever you ask him to go."
Stamper starts all his colts on trails. "What better way to exercise youngsters and muscle them up?" he asks. "They're exposed to trail obstacles and wildlife, and we never ride the same trail twice. We take our time, and give them a solid foundation that lasts a lifetime. And we always have some trail-savvy horses available for sale."
Selection savvy: Derickson offers terrific advice for anyone contemplating purchasing a Mountain Horse. When you've found a prospect, take time to learn where his "control buttons" are located. Each animal is individual, so learn what specific cues your prospect answers to. Learn how to ask for the appropriate gait, how to recognize it, and how to maintain proper form in the gait.
