The Horse Of The Ozarks The Missouri Fox Trotter      As we have pointed out so many times in articles here in THE MESSAGE TREE, there are many firsts that Missouri and the Ozarks can claim, things or even people that originated right here. In past issues we have discussed how the first "Wild West Style Gunfight" took place on the square in Springfield, the fact that George Washington Carver who brought so many wonderful inventions and developments (especially Peanut Butter) was a native of the Ozarks, and on and on, but did you know that the Ozarks even had its own horse?      When early settlers arrived in the Ozarks, emigrating from the neighboring states of Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas, they brought with them breeds such as the American Saddle Horse, Standard bred, and Tennessee Walking Horse and crossed them with good hard trotting breeds such as the Morgan, Thoroughbred and Arabian horse breeds to develop a smooth riding sure footed mount that could safely carry its rider through the rugged and rocky terrain of the Ozarks. This process of breeding produced what we now know as The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse.      The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse is distinguished by its characteristic Fox trot gait, it walks with the front feet and trots with the hind feet. Unlike other high and hard stepping breeds such as the ones that the Fox Trotter was bred from, the rider of a Missouri Fox Trotter experiences little jarring action from the rhythmic gait and is quite comfortable in the saddle for long periods a time.      To understand the definition of a gaited horse, such as the Missouri Fox Trotter, you have to first understand how a horse moves. The most common gait other than a walk is a trot. The horse moves a front foot and the opposite rear foot at the same time so that the horse has two feet on the ground at a time, but is not supported one third of the time, which produces a jarring motion. A gaited horse has a "broken gait" in that there is one foot on the ground at all times so that a smoother ride is produced by the horse.      The sure footedness of the Fox Trotter and the smooth ride over the very rough terrain of the Ozarks made the breed the favorite of not only the farmer and cattleman but also others who depended on a horse to cary them through the Ozarks such as sheriffs, tax collectors, doctors, and just about anyone whose business or profession required them to traverse the hills. When the automobile and modern highways came to the hill country and made horses obsolete as the principal mode of transportation, the breed was kept alive by cattlemen of the Ozarks who needed the reliability of the breed to maintain their cattle herds.      In 1948 fifteen men concerned with the preservation of this unique breed, founded the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association. After a number of animals were registered in the Douglas County area, an untimely fire destroyed the home of the Association's secretary along with the stud book and records. As interest in this wonderful horse increased, the Association was reorganized in 1958 and today the association call a 67 acre tract of land just north of Ava on highway 5, its home.      With more than 8000 members and 80 thousand horses registered (i) its not hard to understand how this is America's number one most popular trail horse. A mount that can easily keep up its gait for prolonged periods with creating rider fatigue.      While there are local and regional events sanctioned by the Association, there are events held several times each year at it headquarters in Ava. This influx of Fox Trotter fans from all over North America, means a tremendous amount of annual income for the Ava area, just as tourism is for other nearby destinations, a very important part of the Douglas county economy.      The Missouri Fox Trotter is so popular and unique to Missouri, that the state made it the "official state" horse. In 2002, House Bill 1141, made the breed the "Horse" of Missouri. (RSMO 10.140. The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse is hereby selected for, and shall be known as, the official state horse of the state of Missouri.)      So the next time you see a horse whose unusual gait produces the illusion of walking with its front and trotting with its rear feet, remember that this, the number most popular trail horse in America, has roots here in the hills of the Ozarks.   (i) The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association, Inc. http://mfthba.com/