Saving an American Original

"THE HAIRY FEET ARE HARD TO KEEP CLEAN," ADMITS WES ROGALSKI, POINTING TO HIS HORSE, MAJOR'S, FEET. He likes those feet because they remind him of the Clydesdales he owned years ago. These days, those clean-me-every-day-feet belong to Major and the 12 other American Cream draft horses that clip clop across Rogalski’s farm outside of St. Ignatius, Mont.

Rogalski calls himself a "flatlander," having come to Montana from Michigan after retiring in 1999. He’s tall and stocky. His hair and moustache are graying. He’s dressed in coveralls, a straw cowboy hat and work boots. He gives Major a pat and says, "I picked up a copy of the Draft Horse Handbook in 1994 and I saw a picture of two American Cream draft horses. The caption read, 'These horses are all but extinct.' I’ve always had a soft spot for the downtrodden. I thought, this is a way I could spend my time and energy, helping this breed recover."

He liked the breed’s striking creamy color, long manes and tails. He liked that the breed is truly American the only draft breed to originate in the United States. He also liked the hairy feet. That settled it.

Rogalski drove to Iowa and purchased Major and his sister, April, for $1,200 and $1,400 respectively, and hauled them back to Michigan. They were two of three American Cream foals for sale in the entire country that year. Next came Blondie and Dan, and from that foundation stock, Rogalski was on his way to developing his current herd consisting of two studs, eight mares and three foals.

"Prices for Creams today are about the same, but those broke to ride or pull sell higher," Rogalski says.

Only 370 animals are listed in the American Cream Draft Horse Association’s (ACDHA) registration books.