The Spotted Saddle Horse provides a comfortable ride with the chrome of color as an added bonus. This colorful horse possesses a smooth, easy gait that provides hours of pleasure in the saddle. Not only will you enjoy a most pleasurable ride on the trail aboard a Spotted Saddle Horse, but also the beautifully unique color patterns offered by this fast-growing breed will set you apart from the crowd. The trails are never too steep or too rough for this agile breed. Sure footed as a mountain goat, the Spotted Saddle Horse is ready for any terrain.
The easy, docile temperament of the gentle breed combined with a people pleasing personality make this equine sports model a highly sought after trail mount. With comfort second to none, climb aboard a Spotted Saddle Horse and be ready for the recreational ride of your life. An added bonus is that the horse you ride during the week on trails can be your Saturday night show horse. This is a very common occurrence in the Spotted Saddle Horse industry.
The sure-footed Spotted Saddle Horse can master any terrain!
The Spotted Saddle Horse can trace its roots back to the history of horses that escaped from ships as they crashed on our shorelines. These horses were often spotted, naturally gaited and possessed the strength and stamina necessary for war use. By the end of the Civil War, many imported "gaited" types of horses were present in the United States. Selective mating of these gaited horses with the spotted horses resulted in the production of the smooth-gaited, colorful horse that came to be known as the Spotted Saddle Horse.
The Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (known as SSHBEA) is a non-profit, member-owned corporation formed in 1985 to preserve the pedigree of the Spotted Saddle Horse. A primary function of the SSHBEA is to promote the Spotted Saddle Horse. To accomplish this, SSHBEA maintains a breed registry. Another important function of SSHBEA is facilitating the public exhibition of the Spotted Saddle Horse. Accordingly, SSHBEA affiliates horse shows, licenses judges, approves designated qualified persons, and establishes official rules for registering and showing of the Spotted Saddle Horse. Other major promotional activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Participation in state and regional horse fairs (including Equitana USA); Development of and participation in state and regional spotted saddle horse clubs and associations Development and implementation of educational programs and clinics; Organized trail rides; and Presentations of 4-H achievement awards.
These functions are responsible for enabling the SSHBEA to grow from its humble beginnings in Shelbyville, Tennessee to a national organization with over 4,000 members and over 25,000 registered horses
The SSHBEA is governed by five Officers and 15 Directors. The officers and directors are elected by the general membership via mail-in ballot in December of each year. Officers serve one-year terms, and Directors are elected to three-year terms. The Board and Officers are assisted by 24 committees. Daily operations are manned by an office staff of three - Janice Prince, Beverly Brown, and Sherry Menger. The SSHBEA's official publication, The Spotted Saddle Horse News, is under the direction of Deedy Decker, assisted by Debbie Brown.
Being non-profit and member-owned have both been critical elements to the success of the SSHBEA. Since we are non-profit, earnings are not our driving motive. Although any corporation must be profitable to remain viable, we keep our prices as low as possible and reinvest our income into the promotion of the breed. Since we are member-owned, the members-owners have a voice in the future of the association and the breed. In fact, they have THE voice. They exercise their ownership rights by electing officers and directors, by serving as officers, directors, or committee members, and by promoting the Spotted Saddle Horse to the best of their abilities. If you aren't a member, you are missing out on an opportunity to take part in a growing association that is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Spotted Saddle Horse!
