THE AMBLING ENGLISH HORSE

This sketch made in 1730 by English artist James Seymour and the gouache of an English horse ambling painted by horsemaster Baron Reis d’Eisenberg in 1747 show horses so similar in conformation and way of going that they could have had the same sire. They exemplify a strain called the English Running Horse, which was produced by covering Hobby mares with Turkmene sires. “Lady Sidesaddle Upon on Ambling Horse” by James Seymour, 1730 (The Tate Gallery, London) “An old grey English horse of the Spanish Riding School” by the Baron Reis d’Eisenberg, 1747 (The Wilton House Collection)

This type of horse was not available for export to the Colonies in the early half of the 17th century; Francis Higginson’s importation to New England consisted of more or less purebred Hobbies. However, the Running Horse bears mention here because it exemplifies the strong English preference for ambling horses.

As we have seen in previous articles in this series, crossbreeding created the foundation of the Thoroughbred, but not every Turkmene x Hobby horse succeeded at the track.

Many a gelding served instead as a lady’s easygaited mount, and not a few stallions were found suitable for the manège.

It is very difficult for people today to grasp the idea that ambling horses were once far more valuable than trotters, and it comes as a surprise to learn that most customers who brought horses to the master-trainers of the Classical Era expected the animals to be “finished in gait,” in other words, able to amble in a pleasant degree of collection as well as perform lateral work and “airs.”