Re: [RC] Robert E. Lee Re his mount Traveller - Truman Prevatt
At that time "Thoroughbreds" were basically horses that came from
England. Both the Saddlebred and TWH were breeds that were made in this
country. The reason was to develop a good saddle mount that was
suitable for use in that part of the country. They have many foundation
stock in common and much of the foundations stock is Thoroughbred.
Because of geography the two breeds developed independently but used
much of the same foundation stock in their development. Thoroughbreds
were used along with some of the "pacing horses" at the time to produce
these breeds. Many of what went for TB at the time were out of this
process - records weren't kept very well back in those days and not
checked very well. From the source I have Travler's sire was a TB from
VA called Grey Eagle, but his mother is unknown - could have been one
of the "pacers" of the time.
If you check the foundation stock of the TWH it arose out of TB,
standardbreds, the "saddlers" and Morgans. A that time a standardbred
was any horse that could pace or trot a mile in the standard (two
minutes). It was a performance breed at that time. It was a mixture of
anything that could meet the standard. Go back into the history of the
TWH and you will find many TB listed as foundation stock, e.g. George
Wilks.(son of Hambletonian and great grandson of Messenger), plus many
others. Geroge Wilks (F-54) is considered historially a TWH.
the walking horse. Travler was form the Grey Eagle family of
Throughbreds. This family of Throughbreds were instrumental in the
development of the "saddler" (which later became know as the
American
Saddlebread) and the Tennessee Walking horse (source, Bob Womac,
Fondations Of Hoofbeats - The History of the Tennessee Walking
Horse).
Then how was he not a Thoroughbred? Was he a cross? Sounds like he's kin
to Saddlebreds, etc...but a he himself was a TB...right?
