My husband, Pat, and I have a small Rocky Mountain Horse farm in Monroe, Ga. Monroe is about an hour east of Atlanta and about 30 minutes west of Athens where the University of Georgia is located (Go Dawgs!  Woof, Woof, Woof!).

Actually, we stay so incredibly busy, it’s difficult to schedule time to trail ride.  Both of us are active in the Rocky Mountain Horse Association.  Pat is a board member, and I am on the Marketing Committee.  We are also members of the Plantation States Rocky Mountain Horse Club (covering the southeastern states), the Georgia Horse Council, and the Georgia Equine Rescue League.

I had grown up in Virginia hunt country, and had always expected to eventually own a big, beautiful Thoroughbred. When we moved to Monroe, Georgia, we had a neighbor who raised and raced Thoroughbred horses. We frequently hauled horses to Kentucky Thoroughbred farms for breeding and training.  We also enjoyed watching her horses race.  She had a big, black gelding I was especially fond of, and I was waiting for the day our farm was ready, feeling confident she would let me purchase him.

Pat had little experience with horses, although his daughter had been raised similarly to me, riding and showing other people’s hunter jumpers.  He was quite agreeable to my horse dreams.  I thought he might eventually want a nice Quarter horse gelding to accompany me on my trail rides.

Well, plans do change!

Midway through, this gorgeous horse entered the ring.  It was a Rocky Mountain Horse, a breed we had never heard of.  The horse was an eye-catching, unusual color.  We learned it was called chocolate (similar to a liver chestnut), but even more striking was the startling white mane and tail.  It was overwhelmingly beautiful!  As the rider exhibited the horse, we noticed she was sitting effortlessly, no bouncing, no posting, just flowing gracefully around the arena.

Quite frankly, I had never seen anything like it.  I was familiar with Paso Finos, and while beautiful, they seemed too fiery, with a short choppy gait, and a little too small to suit me.  This horse was different!  We listened intently as the announcer told the history of this breed and the characteristics that make it so different from other horse breeds.

After all the breeds have been exhibited, they come in the arena and field questions from the spectators.  Pat and I went straight to the girl on the Rocky.  (Actually, I think we had to wait in line to speak to her!)  I asked her a question that I have been asked many times since, “Does this horse canter?”  Of course the Rockies canter.  It seems a stupid question now, but I knew little about gaited horses, and had in fact, said before, “I would NEVER own a gaited horse!”  Just as a matter of information, the rider didn’t know if the horse could canter or not.

We talked to a lot of owners at the show and later made phone calls and visits to breeders, learning all we could about the horse. Attending the International each year became a priority for us. We still had not even ridden a Rocky, but both of us knew this was the breed we wanted!  When I eventually rode my first Rocky, it only reinforced our conviction – the Rocky Mountain Horse is the ultimate pleasure horse, a true gem in the horse world.

 In the Rocky world you frequently hear the phrase, “You don’t own a Rocky, you collect them.”  In a relatively short time, we learned that is oh-so-true.  There is a HUGE problem with breeding Rockies. It is so hard to part with them. Each one is special in its own individual way.  They just worm their way into your heart.

Originally we were interested in owning two or three Rockies, just to ride and enjoy their smooth gait and great disposition. Thinking ahead, we felt if we bought three mares, we could breed one and trail ride the other two. Yeah, right. While we never expected it, we slowly grew from horses to trail ride, to trail riding and breeding, then on to trail riding, breeding, and showing.  Who would have thought!  We stay so busy with our herd; we hardly find time to enjoy our original intent – trail riding!!

Luckily, we have no regrets! The Rocky Mountain Horse is the ultimate horse. Everything you read about their beauty, smoothness, hardiness, willing attitude, easy to train and keep, is the norm for these horses.

Robyn Brandenburg