Beautiful Reg Missouri Foxtrotter Gaited Trail Safe Mare

Madison Taylor is a stunningly beautiful 7-year-old dark palomino mare. She is a registered Missouri Foxtrotter who was born, raised, and started right here on our farm. Madison Taylor is named after one of my granddaughters. We’ve been breeding, raising, starting, and finishing the training of Missouri Foxtrotters for well over 70 years. We do not buy horses for resale.

BREEDING: Madison Taylor has the perfect bloodlines in the Missouri Foxtrotting horse industry. She is a granddaughter of the great Southern Sunrise and a granddaughter of the great Missouri Traveler…….the top 2 breeding (most prolific) Missouri Foxtrotting breeding stallions of all time. No other foxtrotting stallions are even close!
1. Southern Sunrise – 788 babies
2. Missouri Traveler E – 528 babies

The attached article is from the MFTHBA, detailing the induction of Southern Sunrise into the Hall of Fame. Southern Sunrise’s accomplishments and testimonials:

2014 Hall of Fame Inductee: Southern Sunrise


Southern Sunrise is known for passing on that sweet, easy-going disposition that shines in Madison! Her sire is out of a Southern Sunrise stallion named Southern Sunrise’s Hotshot. “Hotshot” is one of my all-time favorite trail-horse-producing stallions I’ve ever owned.

DISPOSITION & TEMPERAMENT: Since we raise our own foals, we are fortunate enough to be around them when they are born. We are consistently handling them from their birth to leading, having them stand tied, brushing, loading/unloading in and out of a trailer, desensitizing them when they are weanlings, to throwing on light saddles and bridling them when they are yearlings and 2-year-olds, to their initial light, easy riding when they are 3-year-olds. This is how Madison has been treated, which is why she is so calm, well-behaved, and enjoys being around people. Madison will greet you at the gate from the pasture. She has always been with her brothers and sisters in a herd, and Madison gets along well with other horses. She will stand patiently tied with no pawing or anxiety. She is not mareish. You will not notice when she is in season. Madison is a maiden mare but will make a fantastic momma! She is very kind and patient with the foals, and she couldn’t help but make a beautiful baby! We have taken Madison to a Nursing Home to greet the senior citizens and bring them joy! You will see a little of that footage in Madison’s video. She is just an all-around calm horse!

GAIT: Madison Taylor has a wonderful, smooth-as-silk foxtrotting and running walk gait. She is willing and able to gait consistently for many miles!

EXPERIENCE: Madison excels in trail experience. In fact, that is where she started in her training. Madison has been ridden at numerous horse camps and excels at navigating all types of terrain with ease. So much so that we have entered her in the first-ever Equine Trail Sport (ETS) horse event being held at the Missouri Foxtrotting Horse Breed Association during the 2025 World Show and Celebration. Look for more videos to come! Madison will come right up to you to be caught. When you say, “go get in the trailer,” she will load right up in the horse trailer by voice command. Madison stands perfectly still to be saddled, bridled, fly sprayed, mounted, dismounted, stands still for the farrier, and she stands ground tied for a bath… which she loves!  She has been desensitized to about everything you can think of: traffic, tarps, barking dogs, many obstacles, and loud noises (as she has been in a couple of parades). She has experienced a gun being shot from her back as well! Madison has had a lot of experience with trail riding, both alone and in groups. She does great with both. She will lead the group, be happy and confident in the middle, or bring up the rear of the trail! She doesn’t mind horses, even unfamiliar horses, riding right up behind or beside her! Madison is easy to mount, as she will side-pass over to any obstacle to pick her rider up and stand perfectly still until her rider asks her to move. If you drop your hat on the trail, Madison will reach down and pick it up for you so you don’t have to dismount!

TRAINING: Madison was bred, started, trained, etc. by me, Larry Stevens. I have been professionally training Missouri Foxtrotting horses before they were called “foxtrotting horses”. We called them saddle horses. When you’re around your foals, rubbing on them and teaching them good ground manners when they’re born and spending time with them throughout their younger years from weanlings to yearlings to 2-year-olds and on up, they are just naturally trained to be gentle and well-behaved life-long companions. When you invest the time in them from birth, it pays off in the future!

SUITABILITY FOR RIDERS: As you will notice in Madison’s video, she has been ridden by a variety of riders, from an elderly man to young cowboys. She is one of the old grandpa and his grandsons’ favorite horses! Madison has been ridden double in a Fourth of July parade. Madison’s calm demeanor will build confidence in any rider.