Narragansett Pacer

The Narragansett Pacer was one of the first recorded horse breeds developed in the United States. It emerged in the 18th century (1700s), and was theorized to have been bred from a mix of English and Spanish breeds, although the exact cross is unknown. The Pacer was associated with, and bred in, the state of Rhode Island and the area of New England; as horse breeding shifted to Kentucky and Tennessee in the late 1700s, it became extinct by the 20th century.

Narragansett Pacer horses were owned and ridden by many famous people of the American Revolutionary War era, including President George Washington, Paul Revere, and others. The last known purebred Pacer is thought to have died around 1880, though the breed disappeared earlier from pedigrees in the late 1700s or early 1800s.

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 Morgan and the Standardbred; and, through the Morgan, the American Saddlebred and Tennessee Walking Horse as well. Narragansett Pacers also served as Canadian horse foundation stock; and, through unnamed Canadian horse and Morgan horse stallions, also influenced the Chincoteague Pony of Virginia.^[1]

More recently, the Narragansett Pacer was also shown to have likely influenced the Paso Fino in a 2022 genetic study.^[2]