The Racking Horse has both style and grace with an easy gait, providing a luxurious ride. Butch Housman
Racking Horse Breeders’ Association of America
67 Horse Center Road
Decatur, Alabama 35603
www.rackinghorse.com
Since the founding of the United States, the Racking Horse has been legendary for its beauty, stamina, and disposition. It could be ridden comfortably for hours because of its smooth, natural gait. This noble animal’s popularity grew strong on the great southern plantations before the American Civil War. It was known for its easy ride, strength, longevity, surefootedness, and calmness when owners inspected their large estates.
As time went on, the Racking Horse was used for many other tasks and became more important and renowned for its unique attributes. It was especially appreciated for its ability to travel long distances, and for years it was the favorite mount of those who traveled by horse for many miles because of work or pleasure.
Having been around for so many years, it was declared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in May 1971 to be a breed of its own because of its special natural racking gait. In 1975, the Alabama legislature declared the Racking Horse as the official state horse of Alabama. This notoriety, as well as the comfortable ride and flashy stride, made the Racking Horse a favorite both in the show ring and on the trail.
Amateur riders find the Racking Horse to be the answer to their prayers, not only for the extremely comfortable ride, but also for its unusual friendliness to people. Beginners and veterans alike appreciate the opportunities generated by this intelligent, family-oriented breed that is so good natured. Long time breeders, and show judges can recall the time when Racking Horses were used for everything on southern farms, regardless of who was handling them.
Today more than ever, the Racking Horse is appreciated outside the show ring and is being used as a trail horse on every kind of terrain all over the United States. This is due to its surefootedness and gait that is easy on both rider and horse. It has very long strides that cover lots of ground at a good speed. When all these qualities are put together in a trail horse, riding to a destination is done quickly, calmly, and smoothly. Amateurs love this natural ability of the breed.
The Racking Horse has also been used on endurance rides, hunting trips, large farms, police patrols, and just for good fun and enjoyment. The Racking Horse is an exciting breed with unique gaiting attributes and versatility. It is a do-everything horse that does it all smoothly, with a rack.
Breed Gait
The ancestry of the Plantation Horse was due in large part to the infusion of Morgan blood. At the time when the Racking Horse was separated from other pleasure riding horses and declared the official horse of Alabama, it was the fastest growing breed. Breeders, however, incorporated Walking Horse blood before understanding Racking Horse ancestry. They discovered they did not like the way Walking Horses moved and they wanted to retain the natural four-beat, single-foot gait, which was not the pacing type gait Walking Horses began to demonstrate. So breeders changed their programs back to Racking Horse ancestry and away from Walking Horses.
The Racking Horse has its own definite gait not usually associated with other pleasure type breeds, and there is a significant difference in their gait compared to others. It has a single-foot movement, meaning that only one foot is on the ground at a time when the horse is gaiting. This is easier to see in a photograph than by eye alone. It produces an extraordinary movement that is extremely easy to sit, versus the awkward side to side movement of a pace.
The Racking Horse cannot have hock action and is the only breed that does a “step pace” or show walk. It is unique since most gaited horses cannot be this versatile. The head bobs only at a walk, but then the head should stiffen as it goes into a faster gait (a one-two-three-four beat gait). At the rack, there is no overstriding the front feet, which is the key difference between the Racking Horse and the Walking Horse. There are no steps past the center of gravity to cause head motion. Most Racking Horses do not have as high of a leg lift or as deep of a stride as Walking Horses. Since they do not reach as far forward in the rear, there is no need for the head to bob.
This ability is bred into the Racking Horse and goes back to the original Plantation Horse. It is not an easy gait to produce, thus breeders have found it necessary to stay within the Racking Horse breed instead of using outside breeds, for the best results. Even so, sometimes only 50 percent of horses with Racking Horse breeding have a passing racking gait. Those that have a hint of pacing can be shod to train for a better racking gait, but the goal of all Racking Horse breeders is to produce horses that can naturally rack.
Breed Shows
To better promote natural racking gaits, shows hold futurity classes whereby foals, weanlings, and yearlings, as well as other young stock, are shown and judged on a lead to demonstrate their natural movement without any training aids. This is a platform for breeders to show off what their horses can do and serves as an incentive to produce horses capable of proper Racking Horse gaits without any training devices.
Racking Horses start training for performance classes at about twenty-two to twenty-four months of age. As they mature and their value increases, they become ready to compete, which includes all aspects of the industry under saddle and also in harness. Most people hear and learn about the breed through shows, which range from small saddle club shows, to large area shows and state held shows.
Anyone can ride and show a Racking Horse, which is a midrange horse as far as its expense. The need for big training stables is not as apparent as for other gaited breeds and not as necessary for the show ring. Although show classes can have horses with headstalls and ribbons similar to Tennessee Walking Horses, some classes do not have them since exhibitors find they do not need fancy bridles or ribbons to compete.
Riders interested in showing need to be taught how to ride a rack, or how to help the horse perform it in the show ring. Especially “high lift” horses need to have riders who know a little bit about how to manage it. Posture should be erect in the saddle, and the horse should be kept under control, which can be a little tricky. Knowing the right kind of pressure to put on the horse’s mouth needs to be learned, as well as when to apply it. The goal is for the horse to be controlled with minimum effort—a push-button reaction to a slight touch of the reins. Once this is learned, the horse easily maintains it.
The RHBBA has programs such as: Futurity Breeders’ Association, Pleasure Association, Pro-fessional Trainers Association, Amateurs’ Association, Juvenile Auxiliary, and Ladies Auxiliary. The purpose of these divisions is to help members experience the natural abilities of the Racking Horse in its native environment in and outside the show ring, thus keeping sharp the skill of both rider and horse under saddle and in harness.
One fun class offered at shows is the Water Glass Class. Riders enter the arena holding a glass filled with a certain amount of water. The horses are put through their gaits the same way as for any other gaited class, and the amount of water they have at the end is measured to see which one spilled the least, proving which entrant is the smoothest and the winner.
Shows for Racking Horses are different than other breed shows. Organ music and much excitement provide an electrifying atmosphere. The racking gait is a huge crowd pleaser with clapping, cheering, and calling out (in an orderly manner), providing a good time for all. Being quiet is not the norm, and the horses are not disturbed by the noise. There is also a speed class where horses rack at an astounding speed; one horse was even recorded racking at 41 miles per hour!
Registry
In early 1971, a group of Alabama horsemen formed the Racking Horse Breeders’ Association of America (RHBAA). It requires that a horse be evaluated by a RHBAA commissioner for its ability to gait naturally before it can be accepted for registration. Foals can demonstrate their movement on a loose lead for this inspection. Horses from other gaited breeds can qualify as long as their gait is approved, but unless they have Racking Horse ancestry, it is rare that they will demonstrate the correct gait.
Registered Racking Horses are presently found throughout the United States and in several foreign countries, including Germany, Canada, and Australia. Over eighty-one thousand horses are registered with the RHBAA.
Standards
The Racking Horse is attractive and gracefully built, with a long sloping neck, full flanks, well boned, smooth legs, and finely textured hair. It is considered a light horse in comparison with other breeds, averaging 15.2 hands and weighing about 1,000 pounds.
Desirable points of conformation of the Racking Horse are as follows:
• General character: gentle, intelligent, and affectionate
• Color: sorrel, chestnut, black, roan, white, bay, brown, gray, yellow, dun, palomino, buckskin, champagne, cremello, and sometimes spotted or roan
• Markings: face—star, strip, blaze, snip, and bald; legs—coronet, fetlock, sock, and stocking; body—sometimes has white markings
• Head: intelligent and neat
• Eyes: bright
• Ears: well-shaped and pointed
• Nostrils: prominent and open
• Neck: long and graceful
• Shoulders: well-muscled and sloping
• Legs: slender and well boned
• Feet: sound and ample size to challenge lameness
• Tail: long and full, infrequently white, but often flaxen
• Size: average height is 15.2 hands; average weight is 1,000 pounds
Gaits
Racking horses shall be shown in each of the three natural gaits: the Show Walk, the Slow Rack, and the Fast Rack, as defined herein:
(a) The Show Walk is a smooth, collected, slow, and easy gait. It is a distinctive four-beat gait displaying both style and grace. The horse is alert and mounted well in the bridle.
(b) The Slow Rack is a relaxed four-beat gait with both style and action; it is neither a pace nor a trot. The neck is arched with the head and ears alert. The gait should be straight, smooth, and in form at all times.
(c) The Fast Rack is the same in form as the Slow Rack, displaying style, speed, and action. The Fast Rack is faster than either of the other gaits, but form may not be sacrificed for speed.
In each of the three gaits, the horse must be collected and presented well, and the rider must be relaxed and smooth in the saddle. At no time may the horse exemplify a gait with animated hock action. The Racking Horse must exhibit good conformation and be free of blemishes and unsoundness, other than healed permanent scars.
The rack is a bilateral four-beat gait that is neither a pace nor a trot. It is often called a single-foot because only one foot strikes the ground at a time. The breed comes by this gait as naturally as walking or trotting comes to others. The Racking Horse is not to be confused with other breeds whose rack is artificially achieved as a result of special training.
The Racking Horse must not exhibit an exaggerated head nod in the Slow Rack or the Fast Rack, nor exhibit an exaggerated hock action with the rear legs; its stride should be long and natural. The front leg action must exhibit a curved rolling motion rather than following a straight line, commonly termed as pitching or pointing. Abusive treatment and/or training techniques designed to produce an alteration of the gaits are not condoned.
Exceptions to the three gaits are for Trail Pleasure, Western Pleasure, Style Pleasure, Fine Harness, Juvenile Twelve Years and Under, Two-Year-Old, Two- and Three-Year-Old combined, and Style classes and shall be determined by the rules promulgated by the board of directors from time to time.
The gaits performed by the Racking Horse do not alter between the trail and the show ring. Though it may be shown under saddle, in-hand, or in harness, as well as flat shod or with pads, it still performs the smooth, collected gait that made the breed famous as a pleasure mount.
Although the Racking Horse can be shown in both Western and English classes, most of the classes are English. Classes are divided according to how the horses move and are shod. All horses are expected to compete without breaking their gait. The horse/rider team can be penalized for excessive speed.
Credit: Racking Horse Breeders’ Association of America