Cart: 
The American Sugarbush Harlequin Draft Association
The history of the Sugarbush Horse goes back to just after World War II, when many draft horses lost their places on American farms. Tractors and gas-driven equipment replaced them, and many of the remaining horses were put to use in carriage companies.
One such company, the Sugarbush Hitch Co., was operated by Everett Smith of Ohio. Mr. Smith felt that a fancier horse would draw attention to his business, and looked at a relatively new breed of horse, the Appaloosa. Mr. Smith knew the value of a draft horse wasn't always based on its pedigree, and he began breeding towards a goal. He chose the finest Percheron bloodlines available to him, and crossed those with quality colored Appaloosas, aiming for a true draft horse with excellent conformation and color. As his horses gained popularity, they became known as Sugarbush Horses, after the carriage company, and the name stuck. Many enthusiasts fell in love, and began their own breeding programs, working towards a full draft horse with Appaloosa coloration.
Always striving to improve upon previous generations, Everett Smith's horses became the foundation of the breed, and the most sought after of the Sugarbush Horses. Unfortunately, as the Sugarbush Horse gained in popularity, draft horses as a whole were falling out of favor with American horse owners, as western riding and speed events became more popular and farming with horses took a backseat. This decline worked against the Sugarbush Horses, and the tradition of breeding for quality above all else resulted in low numbers of foals being born.
The 1999 birth of a loud leopard colt with 7/8th draft blood was considered the culmination of Everett Smith's breeding program. That colt, named Sugarbush Harley Quinne, showed that Mr. Smith had been right all along — you could produce a colored draft horse of outstanding quality and type. Images of Sugarbush Harley Quinne brought attention back to the breed, and with the recent upsurge in hobby riding and the desire for more warmblood-type horses, the Sugarbush Horse is regaining popularity. Sadly, Harley died in 2006, leaving only a single intact colt, Sugarbush Harley's Classic O. This black and white stallion is now being used to rebuild the breed and continue Mr. Smith’s vision.
Like the Appaloosa, the Sugarbush comes in many patterns, from leopard to blankets, snowflakes to solid. They can possess any base color from fiery chestnut to striking black to grulla shades. They are suited to dressage, driving, eventing and trail riding, and make excellent lesson and therapy horses. They are heavy enough for the stoutest rider and gentle enough for the smallest. With a preponderance of draft breeding, the Sugarbush Horse has a willing attitude, a strong work ethic, and a loyal personality.
Often mistaken for more recent designer breeds, the Sugarbush Horse is actually one of the few truly American breeds of draft horse, and has been over its 50 years of continuous recorded history.
