How to Find Saddlebred Blood Lines

The American Saddlebred horse is a gaited horse, able to perform intermediate four-beat gaits. Providing its rider with a smooth ride over any type of terrain, the American Saddlebred is used today for riding, jumping, dressage and driving, among other disciplines.

In 1891, the American Saddlebred horse became the first breed with an organized and established registry in the United States. Due to this history, American Saddlebred bloodlines can be traced almost to the beginning of the breed in pre-colonial America. You can study its bloodlines in one of two ways, depending on whether you are a member of the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA).

Things You'll Need

  • Internet access
  • Telephone
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Instructions

    • 1

      If you are a member of the ASHA, find their website online at www.saddlebred.com. If you are not an ASHA member, join at www.asha.net/asha/membership.php.

    • 2

      Click on "Members" to open the options for member research.

    • 3

      Explore the "Member" options, including "Search for Registered Saddlebreds," "Hypothetical Mating," and "Reference Directory."

    • 4

      Non-members can search maternal bloodlines. Click on "Registry" at the top left of the ASHA homepage. Click on the link to the Broodmare Hall of Fame.

    • 5

      If you are not satisfied with the results, contact the ASHA at [email protected] or call the ASHA office at (859) 259-2746, extension 312 for Kim Skipton, librarian and curator of the American Saddlebred Museum.

    • 6

      If possible, visit the American Saddlebred Museum at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The museum's library contains the archives of the breed's history, including 2400 volumes of the registry for bloodline and genealogical research.
      American Saddlebred Museum
      4083 Iron Works Parkway
      Lexington, KY 40511
      (859) 259-2746
      www.asbmuseum.org

    • 7

      Visit the American Saddlebred Horse Museum in Mexico, Missouri. This museum houses the American Saddlebred Horse Breeders Association register, a precursor of ASHA. Curator Tom Usnick can help with genealogical searches and bloodline research. Contact him at [email protected] or (573) 581-3910.
      American Saddlebred Horse Museum
      501 S. Muldrow
      Mexico, MO 65265
      (573) 581-3910
      www.audrain.org/visitus_saddlebred.html