Question: Where do Curly horses come from?
Answer: No one knows for sure. Historical information has been found about curly coated horses in ancient China. We have record of the Sioux and Crow tribes owning Curlies around the year 1801. P.T. Barnum exibited a curly coated horse in the mid 1800's. Charles Darwin wrote about curly coated horse in Paraguay. And there are writings about a curly haired horse in Denmark at the end of the 19th century. Many people now believe that curliness is the result of a genetic mutation which happens from time to time. With the American Curly horse this mutated gene is dominant, and so our horses pass it along to their offspring and produce curly coated foals.

Question: Are Curly horses related to Russian Bashkir horses?
Answer: Most likely not. Research has found no connection between our Curlies and Russian Bashkirs, and has found evidence of Curlies in America before any record of horses being imported from Russia.

Question: Are your Curlies pure?
Answer: Despite some people's claims, there is no such thing as a "pure" Curly. Until about 10 - 12 years ago, never in the known history of Curly horses have they been bred "pure" - not as wild mustangs, not when the native Americans had them, not when discovered by early ranchers. It was only about 10 or 12 years ago that there were enough Curlies that breeders had the luxury of breeding Curly to Curly. If you look at the pedigree of almost any Curly over age 10, you will find it is really a "half Curly".

Question: Do Curlies get too hot in the summer?
Answer: Not any more than any other horse. Curlies only have their thick curly coat in winter, in summer they shed to a short summer coat, like other horses do. Some Curlies look smooth and shiny in summer, some keep waves, and others keep a slight curl. There are Curlies living in the desert Southwest, in the hot and humid southeast, as well as all other parts of the US.

Queston: Do your Curlies shed their manes and tails?
Answer: No. Only Curlies from certain bloodlines shed their manes and tails. We happen to prefer Curlies from a different bloodline.

Question: Is the Curly coat hard to care for?
Answer: No. We groom our Curlies just like any other horse.

Question: Where did fox trotting Curlies come from?
Answer: From what we can tell, nearly all Curlies trace back to one of 3 Curly stallions. One was a mustang Curly colt, found by the Damele family in Nevada. The second was a stallion owned by Eli Bad Warrior, a Sioux from South Dakota. The third was a gaited Curly stallion in Missouri named Curly Jim.
The Nevada (Damele) line of Curlies was predominantly crossbred with Morgan and Arabian horses. The South Dakota (Sioux) Curlies were predominantly crossbred with Quarter Horse and Appaloosa horses. The Missouri Curly bloodline was predominantly crossbred with Missouri Fox Trotter horses.

Question: How big do Curlies get?
Answer: Most Curlies are average riding horse size, from 14.2 to 15.2 hands. But Curlies come in all heights and sizes from pony to draft.

Question: What kind of riding are Curlies good for?
Answer: Curlies are suitable for just about any equine discipline. Because of the natural athletic ability of most Curlies, and the wide variety of sizes and body styles, you can find a Curly suitable for anything from Driving to Dressage, Endurance to English Pleasure, and Western to Working Hunter. Because of their wonderful temperments, Curlies are ideal as an all-around family horse.

Question: Is it true that Curlies are hypoallergenic?
Answer: According to our experience, yes. Over the years, we've had many allergy sufferers visit our farm, and nearly all had no reaction even after spending hours with our Curlies. Although a couple of people did show very mild symptoms. If you are allergic to horses, chances are you will not be allergic to Curlies.

Question: Is it true that Curlies do not require shoes?
Answer: Most Curlies have very good stong hooves, and for casual riding shoes are often not necessary. But common sense must be used. If you ride over hard or rocky terrain, or if your horse is tender footed, or if you put many miles in the saddle, your Curly may need to be shod. Each is an individual and should be cared for as needed.

Question: Is it true that Curlies don't need grain, and that vaccinations and worming are unnecessary or harmful to them?
Answer: NO! A Curly is first and foremost a horse - granted they are special and unique horses, but they are a horse nonetheless. Curlies require the same care that all horses do.  It is true that MOST Curlies are very easy keepers, and stay fat and healthy on pasture or hay alone, but there are those Curlies who need to be fed grain to stay in top condition. A curly should be put on the same deworming and vaccination schedule as any other horse you own.

If your question isn't answered here, please feel welcome to send us an email!

The Following Article is by Wendy SauauersSmith of Deserter Creek Farm at http://www.equiworld.net/uk/horsecare/Breeds/curlyfoxtrotter/

Curly Haired Fox Trotters Missouri Fox Trotters for Folks Allergic to Horses   19 yr old stallion, Walker's Curly T Yes, it is true. There are curly haired, registered Missouri Fox Trot horses which are hypoallergenic for people allergic to horses. I know, because we're Curly Fox Trotter breeders, and I've seen, with my own eyes, many allergy sufferers able to touch, groom, and ride our horses with no allergic reaction. Genetically there are 2 different kinds of curly coat Missouri Fox Trotter horses. One kind is curly because of a recessive curly gene, the other because of a dominant Curly gene.   6 yr old mare Sassy Princess Recessive Curlies Many of you have seen or heard about curly haired Fox Trotter foals born, usually as quite a surprise for the breeder, when both parents have normal, straight hair. In year's past, it was thought (unfortunately) that curly hair was a sign of sickness or inbreeding. This is not the case. There is a recessive gene for curly coat carried in some Fox Trotter bloodlines - actually, it is present in some of the BEST Fox Trotter bloodlines. Genes work in pairs, one gene comes from each parent. A recessive gene does not cause curly coat when a horse only has one. So a horse can be a "carrier" of the recessive curl gene and you cannot tell by looking at the horse. When two "carrier" horses are bred to each other, there is a possibility that each will contribute the recessive curl gene to the foal. If the foal gets the curl gene from each parent - you have a curly haired foal out of two normal haired parents Mare Meghan and filly DCC Lady Victory When bred, these horse do not have curly haired foals, unless they are bred to a horse also carrying the recessive curly gene. Recessive curly Fox Trotters often have an extremely curly body coatin the winter. In the summer, they usually shed their mane and tail hair and keep a textured body coat. mare, Meghan Dominant Curlies There is another kind of Curly Fox Trotter, which is cause by a different gene and are unrelated to the recessive curly coated Fox Trotters. These horses are curly because of a dominant gene. A horse from dominant curly gene breeding will look curly coated even if they get a curly gene from only one parent. These horses will have an unbroken line of curly coated horses going back through their pedigree. These horses can produce curly foals, even when bred to (normal) straight haired horses. Dominant gene Curly Fox Trotters have a winter body coat that can range from wavy to very curly. In the summer they shed to a shiny smooth or slightly wavy body coat and keep a long, full mane and tail year round filly DCC Strawberry Ice in summer Filly DCC Strawberry Ice in winter Dominant Curly Fox Trotters trace back to the 1950's and 60's, when a gaited Curly stallion named Curly Jim produced a handful of gaited, curly haired, daughters. Some of these Curly Jim daughters were bred to Fox Trotter stallions, and their offspring registered with the MFTHBA. Our Curly Fox Trotters The horses we raise on our farm are all dominant gened Curlies and all can be traced back to Curly Jim through an unbroken line of curly haired horses. The Curlies were crossed with excellent Fox Trotter bloodlines so our horses also carry the bloodlines of Mr President, Danney Joe W, Walker's Merry Lad, and Rex's Golden Touch. They are well conformed, good looking horses with wonderful temperaments, and natural fox trotting ability. week-old filly DCC Red Hot QT There are now a handful of breeders specializing in Curly Fox Trotters. There are even two that have been exported to Norway! We have found huge demand for horses of this type. Our foals generally sell long before theyare weaned. There are many would-be horse owners out there, kept from their dream of owning a horse because they are allergic to horse hair. To them, the hypoallergenic Curly is a dream come true. Add to that, with wonderful fox trot gait and you have the perfect horse. Another group interested in our Curly Fox Trotters are fans of the "Bashkir" or American Curly Horse. The comfort of riding a fox trotting horse makes this type of Curly very appealing, especially to those with bad backs, injuries, or those who are just getting a bit older. Our horses combine the best of both worlds. Curly horse lovers still enjoy owning a rare and unique horse, and since the horses also have MFTHBA papers, they have much broader breeding choices - there are many more Missouri Fox Trotters to breed with than Curly horses. And with Fox Trotter clubs in many states, they can take advantage of those social and showing opportunities as well. If you know an allergic horse lover, tell them they need suffer no more. They can have it all - a beautiful Missouri Fox Trotting Horse to take them down the trail without sneezing, watery eyes, or rash!   By Wendy SauersSmith