Welcome to the
Mountain Pleasure Horse Association
Dedicated to the preservation of the Old Kentucky Saddler Horse
2024 Events:
April 20 MPHA Arena Obstacle Challenge
May 11 MPHA Arena Obstacle Challenge
May 25 MPHA Arena Obstacle Challenge
June 15-16 Ky Horse Park – Parade of Breeds Demo
June 26-30 EST SANA Show - Lexingont, VA
July 6-7 Ky Horse Park – Parade of Breeds Demo
July 11-14th Breyerfest – KHP, Lexington, Ky
Aug 3 MPHA Arena Obstacle Challenge
Aug 17-18 Ky Horse Park – Parade of Breeds Demo
Aug 31 MPHA Arena Obstacle Challenge
Sep 7 MPHA Arena Obstacle Challenge
Sep 14-15 Ky Horse Park – Parade of Breeds Demo
Oct 26-27 Ky Horse Park – Parade of Breeds Demo
The Old Kentucky Saddler, also known as the Mountain Pleasure Horse, is the original parent stock of all North American gaited horse breeds.
If you want to ride the best, then ride the original...
The Old Kentucky Saddler
About the Breed
The Disposition….
The disposition and trainability of the Mountain Pleasure Horse may be the most appreciated characteristic for novice horse owners. They are a very intelligent horse that loves attention. Veteran trainers of other breeds are amazed at how fast they learn. It is not uncommon to see two and three year olds effectively competing with older horses at area horse shows or on challenging trail rides. Once the Mountain Pleasure Horse has been trained, they remember their lessons well. The Mountain Pleasure Horse is waiting with its natural gait and willing disposition, whether you ride once a week or once a month.
The Gait...
The Mountain Pleasure Horses’s distinctive, easy riding gait, allows the sure-footed horse to cover a lot of ground with minimum effort for both the horse and rider. The gait is an evenly spaced, four beat lateral gait with moderate forward speed and extension without exaggerated knee and hock action. The horse moves out with a gait in which one can count four distinct hoof-beats that produce a cadence of near equal rhythm. The gait is natural. It is bred into these horses through generations of proper breeding. No action devices, aids or harsh training methods are necessary or allowed by the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association. The unique thing about the Mountain Pleasure Horse is its’ ability to travel long distances at this gait with a variance of speed. Fast or slow, the beat remains the same. The Mountain Pleasure Horse is also unique in its ability to adapt and learn. You will find these horses in many competitions from drill team, competitive obstacle, barrel racing and extreme cowboy races to the gracefulness of the show ring. However, their forte’ is their sure footed ride on the trails. Combined with their easy, no bounce gait, the Mountain Pleasure horse is the perfect horse for the young and the young at heart rider.
Discover The Horse: Old Kentucky Saddler/Mountain Pleasure Horse
Many Thanks to Alyssa Mathews and her awesome crew for this fabulous video of our beloved horses!!