I read the Rocky Mountain horse thread with interest. I have been looking at a beautiful, tri-color, Spotted Saddle horse mare (almost 16 HH) for trailriding. What say you all to this breed of horse?
Mostly Walkers that for one reason or another (usually paperwork issues) can’t be registered as Walkers.
As with any breed based upon coloration you have to have a good eye for temperment, movement, and conformation. Temperment is usually pretty good (reflecting the Walker influence) but conformation and gait can range from excellent to dreadful. The SSH show lines can have issues with illegal show practices.
Approach the SSH as with any horse and fully evaluate the horse in front of you as a horse.
G.
I have one and he is very nice. He is a rarer color; champagne.
He is very smooth and forward. He is hot and likes to move and go go go. He requires an experienced rider, but is a pleasure to ride and handle.
Agree w/ Guilerme, look at him like any other horse.
I have always had arabians and he is a lot of fun to ride.
I own two. One is huge and sweet one is slight and sweet. He gaits a hole in the ground and has a weenie canter, she has a slower looser gait and a gorgeous canter.
Evaluate the spotted gaited animal in front of you for suitability and temperament, period. The breed brochure works very well to fill gaps in your window frame or other weak point of insulation.
I have a SSH gelding and he’s wonderful. Very sweet, passive personality. I can ride alone or with groups, he can be in the front, middle, or back. He’s very sensible, gaits nicely, and has excellent ground manners.
He’s double registered SSH & TW, and happens to be very well bred. I wanted to make sure I got one that wasn’t hot as I do some extensive trail riding and feel the calmer ones make better trail horses, especially in mixed groups with trotting horses and for riding alone in the woods.
When I was horse hunting I started out looking at TW’s, MFT’s, but ended up with a dark bay SSH, I’d rather he was solid as the white areas are alot of work to keep clean.
My husband has a SSH, who is a mutant 17.1 hands. I could just retype Heart’s Journey’s post above for him. He’s a wonderful, easy horse. When friends bring babies, toddlers and kids here to be ponied around, he’s the horse we use (and we also have a TWH, QH, Appendix and OTTB on the property). He’s the caretaker. A wonderful rack, can walk slow with the QH’s or fast with the gaited horses. His canter is good, but the transition there is hideous. :lol: He’s not lazy, but not forward either. He’s an irreplacable horse, and has been the perfect partner for my once non-horsey husband. 
[QUOTE=JaneeneSings;4636529]
I have been looking at a beautiful, tri-color, Spotted Saddle horse mare (almost 16 HH) for trailriding. What say you all to this breed of horse?[/QUOTE]
I’m old enough and Southern enough to remember when Spotted Saddle Horses were 5 gaited tobiano saddlebreds and only in black and white…those days are passed on now and just about anything with pinto marks that gaits gets in…
when Marshall Dillion** appeared he made gaited pintos “cool” and viola, a new breed is born…
most of the Walking Horse old timers said they were walkers with shetland blood (which was a point made not without merit ;)) and would have nothing to do with them, hence the different registry…
** and I think the nicest SSH SOB before or since;)
I’d have started a new breed too
Tamara in TN
I seldom post but when I do it always seems to be about the same topic. Probably because I’m old and experienced and learned some very hard very expensive lessons during my horse buying years.
My husband has a registered Spotted Saddle Horse and she is a dream. Easy to handle, easy to ride, unflappable. Beautiful too. Her sire is Mr. Bojangles.
HOWEVER, like all gaited horses, she has a distinct gait that my husband finds comfortable and I find dreadful. She can do a slow smooth stepping pace, a hard pace, and a pace that is so fast it becomes smooth.
I shopped breed and never managed to buy the right horse until I starting looking at the horse instead of the breed. For a gaited horse, SSH, TW, Kentucky Mountain, RMH. Mountain Pleasure, etc etc. they all share the same gaits. Some Rockies rack, some pace. Some foxtrotters pace and some do a running walk. The thing is, it really doesn’t matter as long as the horse suits your needs and is fun for YOU to ride.
Unless of course you plan to show in breed classes.
My advice with the benefit of hindsight is to stay open to several gaited breeds and try many different gaited horses and ultimately evaluate the individual as a horse, not as a breed.
My buddy shows a Spotted that I believe is double registered - anyway the creature is a winning machine at horse shows and did well at the year end awards for SSHAK (I checked). Has been 4H high point before, etc.
Very nice horse.
Unfortunately, they aren’t all that way and as said previously you need to evaluate each horse on its own merits. Personality, temperament, level of training, conformation. Breed is just a starting point.
My husband has one who is a a double-registered SSH, TWH. I have to 'fess up - when we bought him, I switched the registration on the TWH papers, but never touched the SSH ones because (as previous folks have pointed out) they are worth about the paper they’re on.
Anyway - his horse is a WONDERFUL trail horse, who is willing to work with a very beginner adult rider. My husband did not grow up with horses, but he’s gotten into trail riding with me on the weekends, and we bought this guy specifically for him to be able to sit on, not have to post, be able to enjoy the ride without a lot of work
He’s not a deadhead though - I’ve borrowed him for beach rides, hilltopped with the local hunt, and gone to a XC jumping clinic. He’s not super talented at anything besides trail riding, but he’s very sweet, and an all-around nice guy. And did I mention the nice gait? I LOVE not having to post.
As stated before, a lot are double-registered, or have pinto markings and no documentation, so they can’t be registered with another breed. Definitely look at the individual horse, and at what’s important to you.
For example, we didn’t care at all about color, but gaited was mandatory. We also wanted something with a lot of trail miles, no major issues, and willing to babysit a little. We looked at a lot of gaited horses before we bought this guy, and there were huge differences (even in the same general price range) between them in terms of personality, comfort, and experience. We were picky (and budgeted accordingly) but we’ve been really, really happy with the horse we ended up with.
Here’s our guy - can you tell he’s a lot of fun?
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30142316&l=c6f96525b6&id=1422642990
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30190955&l=87135db949&id=1422642990
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30142318&l=d7a1b64877&id=1422642990
Good luck finding the right one for you!
Gosh, wish you were closer to NC, I’ve got one I do a lot in flat shod sound TWHs and this has been my first SSH that hasn’t been a TWH as well (fox trotter) and I can’t say enough good things about the breeds! I don’t think I’ve ever met a gaited horse without that sweet willing spirit they’re famed for and would recommend them for anyone. I will say though, 16+ hands AND tri-colored could be rather hard to find 
Espically one that’s a trail only horse, most that big and loud are going to be in the show ring so be prepared to pay for a show horse rather than a trail horse. However, pay attention to the sales in TN (if going up that way is part of your budget and you have to knowledge and/or a good trainer to rework a cull) We get most of ours from small breeders or sales…never paid more than $1500 for one and with multi national championship I think that’s pretty good!
Here’s a picture of my DH, who’s 6’3" on his 17.1 hand SSH, bred here in VA by a private owner. Don’t mind my hubby’s knees! He jumped on that day impulsively, to christen our new ring with the first ride. 
I agree with RackOn, if you’re new to gaited horses try different breeds. No two horses gait the same. When I was looking for a trail horse I just went with a list of height, temperment, age and price, and looked at any horse that fit. I ended up with an unregistered SSH who’s six now. I loved the Pasos, but I can’t ride their gait with my bad back. Try different breeds, if nothing else, it’s fun!
Erin
[QUOTE=RackOn;4653832]
I seldom post but when I do it always seems to be about the same topic. Probably because I’m old and experienced and learned some very hard very expensive lessons during my horse buying years.
My husband has a registered Spotted Saddle Horse and she is a dream. Easy to handle, easy to ride, unflappable. Beautiful too. Her sire is Mr. Bojangles.
HOWEVER, like all gaited horses, she has a distinct gait that my husband finds comfortable and I find dreadful. She can do a slow smooth stepping pace, a hard pace, and a pace that is so fast it becomes smooth.
I shopped breed and never managed to buy the right horse until I starting looking at the horse instead of the breed. For a gaited horse, SSH, TW, Kentucky Mountain, RMH. Mountain Pleasure, etc etc. they all share the same gaits. Some Rockies rack, some pace. Some foxtrotters pace and some do a running walk. The thing is, it really doesn’t matter as long as the horse suits your needs and is fun for YOU to ride.
Unless of course you plan to show in breed classes.
My advice with the benefit of hindsight is to stay open to several gaited breeds and try many different gaited horses and ultimately evaluate the individual as a horse, not as a breed.[/QUOTE]
