Ed Henson shares some of his memories as a young boy at the Natural Bridge State Park and while working the Trail Riding Concession with Mr. Sam Tuttle and Tobe, the renowned Mountain Horse. Through the trail concession Mr. Tuttle made others aware of the Rocky Mountain Horses of Eastern Kentucky. Some of the people who came in contact with either…
This is the third in a series of interviews with Rea Swan, founder of the Rocky Mountain Horse Association. Using the same questions as previous interviews, new details are shared and a unique perspective on the history and origins of the Rocky Mountain Horse Association is revealed.
Wendell Wells shares his experiences and perspective on being a longtime Rocky Mountain Horse breeder. With more than 30 years in the horse breeding business, Wendell concludes that mountain horses are one of the best products to come from Kentucky.
This interview with Ronnie and Robin Little is a follow-up interview to their 2016 interviews (see 2016 OH 007 & 2016 OH 020 for additional discussions over the development of Mountain Pleasure Horse breed). In this history, many of the same themes of historical importance of the mountain horse are discussed. Robin Little reinforces the fact that…
Brenda Creech provides a beautiful account of how much the mountain horses mean to her and her family. She provides an in-depth discussion over the conformation and disposition qualities of the Rocky Mountain Horses that she and her husband breed. Creech also comments on the sense of pride that she and her horses both display in the show ring. A…
Phyllis and David McGuire share their stories and the knowledge they gained in developing the Rocky Mountain Horse breeding program they began in the early 1990s. Both speak passionately about the persons and old-timers who shared ideas, methods, and perspectives that they integrated into their program. They stress the fact that for people "back…
Patti Smotherland discusses growing up with horses in Eastern Kentucky. Her father, Wendal Tracy Johnson was a well known horse trader and breeder who eventually became a prominent figure in the Rocky Mountain Horse community. She details her early interactions and love for the horses that were, in many ways, an extension of her family.
Jeff Lainhart shares his experiences as a Rocky Mountain Horse breeder, advocate, and recognized examiner. He concludes, among many other points, that he strives to keep the breed as close to its original standards by only breeding his horses with the oldest known bloodlines. Lainhart also shares his view that horses should be treated as livestock…
Robin Little, President of the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association, discusses the differences between Rocky Mountain and Mountain Pleasure Horses, and the horse culture that she is proud to have grown up around. Little also comments on her family's 3rd generation horse breeding program, the importance of equine education, the drill team she…
