The Spotted Saddle Horse can trace its roots back to the Icelandic ponies that escaped from the Viking ships that crashed on the shorelines of North America.   Icelandic ponies were often spotted, naturally gaited and possessed strength and stamina.  After the Civil War, careful breeding of these horses with Standardbred, mustang and other breeds resulted in the production of a smooth gaited horse with an easy four beat gait that came to be known as the Spotted Saddle Horse.  More recently, Tennessee Walking Horses have been introduced into the breed producing a horse that  is truly a pleasure to ride.

   Unique color patterns of the Spotted Saddle Horse make each Spotted Saddle Horse different from any other. The spectrum of colors ranges from almost solid color with minimal white markings to almost solid white and encompass all of the hues known in the horse world.

To meet registration requirements to be registered by the Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association, a Spotted Saddle Horse must have a white spot above the hocks, not including the face and must perform a non-trotting gait. This can be a genuine four beat lick, walk, a fox trot or a Paso gait.   In addition, one parent must be registered with SSHEBA.