Elegant, graceful, and with a sense of certainty in its step, the Missouri Fox Trotter is a reliable workhorse that’s bred for endurance. The beautiful, regal, gaited breed touts one of the most distinctive gaits, earning it a spot as one of the most desirable gaited horses on the scene.
But more than its smooth gait and refined presence, the Missouri Fox Trotting horse gains the love and adoration of enthusiasts because of its gentle and calm nature. Easy to train, patient, and intelligent, this specific breed makes for a wonderful companion and a promising competitive champion.
History and Evolution of the Missouri Fox Trotter
The horse’s name already lets you glean much about its history. Developed in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, the Missouri Fox Trotter was bred and trained by settlers and pioneers in the 19th century. It was their goal to produce a horse that could easily navigate the treacherous rocky terrain of the Ozarks with a proper gait.
They produced the Missouri Fox Trotter breed by combining stock horse breeds with gaited breeds. The resulting horse demonstrated a smooth gait and a sure footedness that allowed the horse to effortlessly fox trot across the Ozark Mountains with speed, safety, and comfort versus horses with a two beat gait.
It wasn’t long before the breed gained popularity beyond just the scope of trail riders after its gait. Compared to other horse breeds, the Missouri Fox Trotter offered greater agility all while reducing pressure on its rider even when trail riding on what was usually a bumpy ride. For this reason, the Trotter’s gait made it a must-have for homesteads.
Quiet and calm, the Missouri Fox Trotter horse found purpose hauling logs, working ground fields, and dealing with cattle on busy farms. But even with its strong, workhorse performance, the Missouri Fox Trotting horse held on to its poise as it would canter, its family’s buggy into town with its smooth gait.
Modern Day
After over a century since the stock breed for the Missouri Fox Trotter was developed, the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association was founded in 1948. And because of the stability of the breed and because of its desirable qualities, Fox Trotter mares and sires from the Missouri Fox Trotter breed were subsequently sent to Europe.
Thus in 1992, the European Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Association was established in Europe, making the breed a welcomed and recognized variety across the continent. In 1996, they held their first ever European Championship for the Missouri Fox Trotting horse breed.
Maintaining its relevance and prominence throughout the years, the Missouri Fox Trotter horses only stood to gain more popularity. That’s why in 2002, the breed was officially named the state horse of Missouri which now holds the largest annual Fox Trotter show.
Today, Trotter horses are widely crossed with other breeds like the Tennessee walker to produce smooth gaits. That’s why in 2006, the Foundation Fox Trotter Heritage Association began preserving the original Trotter lineage registered by the Missouri Trotting Horse Breed Association by reducing the presence of Tennessee walking horse blood in the breed.
Features, Characteristics, and Temperament
Calm and collected, the Missouri Fox Trotter makes for a wonderful companion. Its docile, gentle demeanor (characteristic of horses with gaits) makes it easy for horse owners to train and lead the breed. This also makes it a suitable choice for first time owners.
But despite its cool, friendly personality, the Missouri Fox Trotting horses are true blue work horses. Equipped with strong legs, a muscular body, and supreme intelligence, the horse takes well to flat work and competitive performance.
Qualities of the Missouri Fox Trotter
- Origin: Missouri
- Average height: 14 to 16 hands
- Average weight: 1,000lbs
- Coat colors: Chestnut, piebald, skewbald, black (see more black horse breeds), gray, bay. May have white markings among many other typical patterns.
- Temperament: Calm, docile, friendly
- Life expectancy: 20-30 years
- Prevalence: North America, Europe
Physical Characteristics
The head of the Missouri Fox Trotter horse comes in a straight conformity. Its angular face and tapered muzzle give the breed a very stoic, domineering appearance. It has high, pointed ears atop its head and a medium length neck that arches very slightly. The muscular breed touts powerful, sloped shoulders, a short back, and rugged, burly, sturdy legs.
Its eyes appear very bright and intuitive, reflecting the intricate thought process and high intelligence that the breed is known for. They can weigh well over 1,000 lbs, especially the males, giving them superior strength for labor-intensive work.
And of course, the reason for the breed’s popularity in the first place is its gaited walk. Taking each stride one leg at a time, the Missouri Fox Trotting horse significantly improves its stamina and sure footedness when riding by giving each foot longer rest periods in between steps.
The distinct foot pattern (in which the opposite front and hind legs move together) also allows the breed to reduce bounce for trail riders. That’s why riding Missouri Fox Trotters can provide a much smoother, comfortable experience for its rider, especially those suffering from joint, hip, and back pain. This stands true even at faster speeds.
At a fox trot pace or running walk, the breed uses a broken gait which entails that the front hoof of the diagonal pair lands first in the sequence before the hind feet. This fox trot reduces ‘air time’ or that moment during which the limbs are suspended in the air during the trot.
As a result, Missouri Fox Trotters maintain a uniform height as they fox trot when riding, effectively eliminating bounce.
Temperament and Personality
If its beauty and majesty aren’t reason enough for you to fall in love with the Missouri Fox Trotter, then maybe its docile nature will be. The Missouri Fox Trotter horse does quite a good job at endearing its owner because of its relaxed temperament and gentle personality which are characteristic of horses with smooth gaits.
Although timid at first, this breed easily grows accustomed to its riders, and may develop a strong connection with humans it’s frequently in contact with. Over time, the horse’s intuitive nature shines through, and it forms a loving, warm relationship with its owner.
Because it’s so collected and refined, it’s almost impossible to get the Missouri Fox Trotter to misbehave, even during difficult ground work. Where other horses might succumb to stubbornness and defiance, the Missouri Fox Trotter carefully trusts in its owner and pushes through challenging tasks with grace and dexterity.
Resilient, strong, sure, and confident, there are very few tasks that will get the Missouri Fox Trotter to back down.
How to Care for Missouri Fox Trotters
There’s nothing about the Missouri Fox Trotter that would require such distinct care versus other horses. Nevertheless, understanding how to properly care for a Missouri Trotting Horse should better equip you for the responsibilities that lie ahead.
Grooming
Much like other equine breeds, the Trotter requires routine, scheduled grooming. It’s not recommended however to bathe the animal too often. Bathing schedules at monthly intervals or even less frequent should work best to keep its coat in proper condition.
Instead of constant bathing, consider brushing your Missouri Fox Trotters’ coat with a variety of brushes. Combing through the hair gets rid of dirt, debris, and loose hair strands that could irritate the skin underneath.
Hoof care should also be given particular attention. Trimming its hooves and changing its shoes every 6 to 8 weeks can help maintain proper weight bearing and stride.
Stall and Space Requirements
A horse that weighs 1000lbs should have a stall that’s at least 12 by 12 feet in size. An enclosed pole barn with proper ventilation and heating (see the best barn heaters) when necessary should help keep your horse comfortable and safe in varied weather conditions.
Aside from its stall, the animal should also have a wide open space to roam and graze. As a grazing animal, it’s ideal that an individual horse be given at least 400 square feet of open area to forage throughout the day.
Diet and Nutrition
As a horse owner, you won’t have to worry too much about the cost of keeping your Missouri Fox Trotter well fed. All they’ll need is long stem hay, pasture grass, and some legumes to stay healthy and satisfied.
Their diets are particularly low on protein, so unless your Trotter has any of the common health problems that Missouri Fox Trotters face, you won’t have to worry about providing additional supplements.
Cost of Buying a Missouri Fox Trotter
The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association or MFTHBA Registry has over 100,000 registered Missouri Fox Trotters under its belt, so it’s not exactly what you would call a rare breed. The sheer number of Missouri Fox Trotters has made it possible for enthusiasts to buy the breed at a fairly low price compared to other more expensive breeds.
Lots of factors play a role in the determination of a Missouri Fox Trotter’s cost, and these include:
- Age
- Pedigree
- Coat color
- Training
- Competitive potential/performance
- Health status
- Sex
On average, you can expect to pay $5,000 for an adult horse of this breed. Keep in mind though that prices fluctuate, ranging between $1,000 and $13,000 for a single horse.
As for the cost of maintaining one under your care, you’ll have to consider grooming, veterinary costs, stall and space maintenance and repairs, and food as the most basic needs. This may set you back up to $4,000 per horse per year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to buy a Missouri Fox Trotter?
Lots of trusted breeders and ranches offer Missouri Fox Trotters for reasonable prices. You can also check with the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association for accredited ranchers.
How to ride a Missouri Fox Trotter?
If you’re a first time rider, the Missouri Fox Trotter should give you a fairly calm ride. These pleasure horses don’t require much knowledge on the part of the rider, and significantly reduce bounce and discomfort over long distances with their four beat ambling gait.
How to get a Missouri Fox Trotter to gait?
It’s all a matter of finding the right pace. But because the Trotter is naturally gaited, you’ll find that it will perform its iconic unique gait regardless of speed. That includes a regular trot, a fox trot, and a canter or flat foot walk.
As Smooth as They Get
Eliminating any extra footfalls, the Trotter’s gait allows increased stamina and greater comfort for riders, traversing trails as teacherous as the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with supreme mastery. As one of the most reliable horses for their supreme weight carrying abilities and their exceeding power to plow fields, these horses make the perfect companion for ranch work.
But if you were looking for a breed that could take you long distance trail riding with excellent stamina and a smooth, comfortable stride, the Missouri Fox Trotting horse breed remains a solid choice for all seasons.
