In 1821 the first settlers crossed the Mississippi River and settled in the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. Most of them came from Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Arkansas. They brought their riding horses with them. The settlers in the rough Ozarks needed horses that were easy to ride, could handle steep ascents well, and could cover long distances safely, fast and with good endurance. The Missouri Fox Trotter’s characteristic gait was favored in the difficult terrain. The settlers began to breed horses with a “broken stride”, now known as the Foxtrot.
The overall training goals of The Ranch are to achieve calm, easygoing, courageous, enduring, sure-footed trail and cross-country riding horses, as well to prepare Missouri Fox Trotter show horses.
Horse breeding complies to a well thought-out process of reproduction of horses, with the aim of maintaining or improving health, performance and willingness to perform with certain breed characteristics according to The Standard of the Breed.
The Miller-Ranch offers Special Promotional Trail Rides in Sonoran Desert, to the Secret Canyon, Seven Springs in Arizona and to the Monument Valley for all lovers of the Missouri Fox Trotter breed, and those, who are interested in knowing more about this special breed.
Miller-Ranch, is a twenty acre ranch in rural North Scottsdale dedicated to breeding and training the best Missouri Fox Trotter. There are exceptional trails accessible directly from the ranch which lead through the Sonoran Desert, over mountainous land, and through cactus scenery. Not far from the ranch, a wash leads directly down to the Verde River where guests will enjoy riding through creeks and along paths that lead directly to Lake Saguaro. 95% of the time you will enjoy the bluest sky and lots of sunshine.
The RoundPen was developed and built by Röwer & Rüb in Germany. When the Miller-Ranch bought this RoundPen in 2000, it was the first of its kind. The two-layer roof provides better ventilation, ideal for hot regions like Arizona.
