Narragansett Pacer facts for kids
The Narragansett Pacer was the very first horse breed to be developed in the United States. Sadly, this special horse breed is now extinct. It was created in the 1700s and was closely connected to the state of Rhode Island. By the late 1800s, the breed had disappeared.
The Pacer was a mix of English and Spanish horse breeds. We don't know the exact mix, but many famous people, like George Washington, owned these horses. The breed slowly disappeared because many were sold to the Caribbean and others were bred with different horses. The last known Pacer died around 1880.
The Narragansett Pacer was probably an ambling horse, which means it had a very smooth, comfortable way of moving. It wasn't a true "pacing" horse. These horses were known for being sure-footed and dependable, even if they weren't always the flashiest looking. Pacers were used for racing and everyday riding. They were often bred with other horses and helped create several other American breeds. These include the American Saddlebred, Standardbred, and Tennessee Walking Horse.
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History of the Narragansett Pacer
The Narragansett Pacer was very important to plantation owners in the 1800s. It had a big impact on many American gaited breeds. This horse breed was especially linked to Rhode Island in the early 1700s. It was known as the first horse breed developed in America.
We don't know the exact origins of the breed. But it likely came from a mix of English "ambling" horses and Spanish breeds. These Spanish horses often had bloodlines that included lateral gaits, which are smooth, side-to-side movements. The horses from this mix were known for their smooth ride and how well they moved over rough ground.
The English horses that helped create the Narragansett Pacer might have been Irish Hobby horses. Another possible ancestor is the Galloway pony. In the early 1700s, William Robinson, who was the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, started to seriously develop the breed. He used a stallion named "Old Snip." People think Old Snip was either an Irish Hobby or an Andalusian. He is considered the "father of the breed."
In 1768, George Washington owned and raced a Narragansett Pacer. In 1772, Edmund Burke asked a friend in America for a pair of these horses. Paul Revere might have ridden a Pacer during his famous 1775 ride to warn Americans about the British army.
The breed became extinct mainly because so many were sold to sugarcane farmers in the West Indies. This meant there weren't enough breeding horses left in the United States. The few horses that remained were bred with other types of horses to create new breeds. Because of this, the pure Narragansett Pacer soon disappeared. North Carolina also had Narragansett breeders. Horses were brought there as early as 1790 by early settlers. The last known Pacer, a mare (female horse), died around 1880.
What the Narragansett Pacer Looked Like
The Narragansett Pacer wasn't just a pacing horse. There's strong proof that it used an ambling gait. An ambling gait is a four-beat, medium-speed way of moving. A pace, on the other hand, is a two-beat, medium-speed gait. The amble is much more comfortable to ride than the pace. Narragansett Pacers were known for being good riding and driving horses.
They were usually about 14.1 hands (57 inches, 145 cm) tall. Most of them were chestnut in color, which is a reddish-brown. The writer James Fenimore Cooper described them as having: "handsome foreheads, clean heads, long necks, and thin, tapered arms and legs." However, another person said their "hindquarters are narrow and the hocks a little crooked." But they also said, "They are very spirited and carry both the head and tail high." They added that these horses "amble with more speed than most horses trot." This made it hard to get some of them to gallop. Other people who saw the breed rarely called them stylish or beautiful. But they did think they were dependable, easy to work with, and sure-footed.
How They Were Used
The breed was used for "pacing races" in Rhode Island. The Baptist people there allowed races, even when most of Puritan New England did not. Pacers were said to cover one-mile tracks in a little over two minutes.
The Narragansett Pacer played a big part in creating the American Saddlebred, the Standardbred, and the Tennessee Walking Horse. This breed was also mixed with French pacers to create the Canadian Pacer. The Canadian Pacer was especially good at racing over ice. It also helped a lot in creating the Standardbred.
In the early 1800s, Pacer mares (female horses) were bred with stallions (male horses) of the new Morgan breed. However, the Morgan breed was chosen for a trot as its main gait. So, ambling horses were not favored. Most Narragansett/Morgan crosses were sold to Canada, the Caribbean, and South America. This meant their bloodlines didn't stay within the Morgan breed.
Other breeds that were indirectly influenced by the Narragansett Pacer include the Rocky Mountain Horse. This is a gaited breed that started in Kentucky. Another is the Tiger Horse, a gaited breed with Appaloosa patterns.
Images for kids
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The Narragansett Pacer, illustrated in 1895
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