Narragansett Pacer
first horse breed developed in the United States
The Narragansett Pacer was the first horse breed developed in the United States during the 18th century from a mix of English and Spanish breeds, although the exact cross is unknown. It was closely associated with the state of Rhode Island, but it became extinct by the late 19th century. The Pacer was owned by many famous people of the day, including George Washington. The last known Pacer died around 1880.
The Pacer was known as a sure-footed, dependable breed, although not flashy or always good-looking. Pacers were used for racing and general riding. They provided the foundation for several other American breeds, including the American Saddlebred, Standardbred, and Tennessee Walking Horse.
History
The Narragansett Pacer had a major influence on many American gaited horse breeds. It was especially associated with the state of Rhode Island in the early 18th century but became extinct by the late 19th century. It was known as the first breed of horse developed in America.
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This entry incorporates text from “Narragansett Pacer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.