In 1971, the Racking Horse Breeders' Association of America, headquartered in Decatur, Alabama, was formed as the breed registry.
Since the breed's inception, about 80,000 Racking Horses have been registered, with the largest populations located in the US states of Alabama and Tennessee.
According to the breed standard, the Racking Horse should have slim legs, with good bone and feet large enough to preclude lameness.
Racking Horses are also commonly seen in colors created by dilution genes, such as dun, cream and champagne.
When assessing the rack, judges place greater weight on correct movement and speed, rather than extreme elevation.
[7] They are typically calm and laid back, but as with any breed of horse, temperament of individuals may vary.
The ancestors of the Racking Horse were first bred on southern plantations prior to the American Civil War.
[11] Speck, owned by Robert Skimehorn, was a red roan stallion who won 14 world championships in speed racking and was also a very influential sire.
Although Speck died in 2000 as the result of a stroke, his and EZD Falcon Rowdy's bloodlines are still influencing the Racking Horse breed today.
[9] In the early 2000s, popularity of the Racking Horse went down and many distinct bloodlines died out or became closely related, leading to inbreeding.
To counteract this, the RHBAA has reopened the registry to horses that meet breed standards for height, conformation, and gait.
Purebred American Saddlebreds, however, are ineligible for RHBAA registration, although half-Saddlebreds may be registered if they meet the standard.