Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today, the Westphalian is bred for versatility: pulling a carriage, jumping, dressage, and eventing. Color: The breed is seen in all solid colors. Height: 15.3 to 16.2.Profile: Westphalia is the largest state in Germany and home to the Westphalian warmblood horse. Horse breeding is a tradition in Westphalia dating back centuries. In 1826 the National stud in Warendorf was founded for organized breeding of cavalry horses crossing East Prussian stallions with Oldenburgs, Hannoverians... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: It’s now found in the hunting field, under saddle and in competitive carriage driving. Color: Welsh ponies and cobs come in all colors, including roan and palomino but not pinto. Height: Varies by section.Profile: The wild wind-swept hills and valleys in Wales developed the characteristics of the Welsh Pony and Cob. Through the years, they lent their use to hill farmers and shepherds, landowners and deliverymen. In 1901, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society was established in Wales. Si... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today, the Trakehner is prized all over the world for its jumping and dressage talents. Color: The Trakehner is found in all solid colors. Height: 16 to 17 hands.Profile: The Trakehner is one of the oldest European warmblood breeds, with its history going back more than 400 years. The breed is based on a local horse (then found in East Prussia) called the Schweiken. The Schweiken was well known for its endurance and versatility and was considered the perfect breed for cavalry horse... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The Thoroughbred is often used for racing, hunting, jumping, dressage and eventingColor: The Thoroughbred is found in all solid colors.Height: 15.3 to 17 hands.Profile: Throughout equine history few breeds have impacted the horse world quite like the Thoroughbred. Three foundation sires, the Byerly Turk, the Godolphin Arabian and the Darley Arabian, were bred to native English horses to create the breed in the early 17th century. The Thoroughbred first made its mark as a racehorse,... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The Tennessee Walker is shown English and western, and they are prized mounts for leisure riding and trail. Color: The Tennessee Walker can be found in the following colors: black, bay, chestnut, sorrel and white.Height: 15 to 16 hands.Profile: The Tennessee Walking Horse is an American original, developed in central Tennessee in the late 1800s. The horse’s genealogy includes a mixture of breeds that settlers brought with them, such as Morgans, Narragansett Pacer and Canadian Hor... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The Swedish Warmblood excels in all Olympic disciplines, in particular jumping and dressage. Color: All solid colors.Height: 16 to 17 hands.Profile: Evidence shows that equines have been in Sweden since 4000 B.C. In the 1500s, the Swedish government began importing horses, most notably Dutch Friesians and some saddle breeds, to improve the indigenous Scandinavian horse. The national stud farms were located in Flyinge, Stromsholm and Kungsor. In 1658, the Swedish King Carl X Gustav ... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today, the horses are used for hobby and historical farming as well as pleasure driving.Color: The Suffolk Punch breed exhibits seven different shades of “chesnut” (the preferred old-style spelling). Height: 16.1 to 17.1 hands.Profile: The Suffolk Punch is the oldest of Great Britain’s heavy breeds, dating back to at least the 16th century. The early breeding may have been influenced by the Norfolk Roadster, Norfolk Trotter or Norfolk Cob, and the breed’s size may have come... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Standardbreds are used for harness racing, pleasure driving and under saddle. Color: All solid colors are found, with brown, black and bay the most prominent. Height: 15.3 hands.Profile: In 1849 Hambletonian 10, the foundation sire of the American Standardbred was born. His offspring went on to set records in the harness racing world. The name Standardbred refers to the “standard” that was set in 1879 that established a certain speed requirement (three minutes to a mile) before... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United StatesUse today: Spotted Saddle Horses are a popular trail mount. They are also shown in gaited horse competition and used for gaming.Color: Pinto. Any base color is acceptable, but horses must show some white on the body.Height: 13.3-16h.Profile: Spotted Saddle Horse breeding includes a heavy Tennessee Walking Horse influence combined with bloodlines descended from spotted Spanish-American ponies. The breed was originally developed in Tennessee to be a reliable fami... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Iberian PeninsulaUse today: endurance/trail riding, team penning and gymkhana in additon to other pleasure riding and showing pursuits.Color: Bay, black, chestnut and white are common colors. Pinto and Appaloosa markings are also found.Height: 13.2 to 15 hands.Profile: The Spanish Mustang is a descendent of horses brought to the New World by the Spaniards in the 15th century, starting with Columbus' second journey. Breeding farms were established, and through trade and the ... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today, the horse is used to pull drays (carts) for pub deliveries and in parades. Color: Its colors include black, brown, grey and bay with white feathers on the legs. Height: up to 19 hands.Profile: The Shire is the most popular draft horse in the United Kingdom. The Shire made its first appearance on British soil in its original form of the Great Horse, which was brought by William the Conqueror in 1066. In the early 17th century, Dutch contractors, who were helping drain the fen... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today, Shetlands are popular children’s riding ponies and are driven by all ages.Color: The Shetland comes in all colors except spotted.Height: 28 to 46 inches.Profile: Off the coast of Scotland lie the Shetland Islands, native habitat of the smallest pony in Britain: the Shetland Pony. It’s thought that the breed evolved on the Scandinavian tundra and was possibly brought over by Viking raiders. Shetlands are used for almost every aspect of equine work: harness, packing, ridin... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: HungaryUse today: Shagyas excel in endurance, dressage and jumping events. They are also used for driving and as general riding horses.Color: Gray is the most common color, but Shagyas are also found in bay, chestnut and black.Height: 15 to 16 hands.Profile: The Shagya Arabian takes its name from the breed's founding sire, Shagya, a dapple gray foaled in 1810. The breed was developed in the Austro-Hungarian empire of the 1800s to fill the need for a larger, sturdier riding ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The breed excels in show jumping but is also successful in eventing and dressage. Color: Horses are found in all colors, but chestnut and bay are the most common. Height: 15.2 to 17 hands.Profile: The Selle Francais (or French Saddle Horse) is a warmblood type developed in the government stud farms in Le Pin in Normandy, France, in the 1800s. Where most warmbloods were crossed with draft types and Thoroughbreds, the Selle Francais was created by crossing the Anglo-Norman saddle typ... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Horses are exhibited in driving, English—most notably saddleseat—and western classes.Color: All colors are found, including pinto.Height: 15 to 17 hands.Profile: The American Saddlebred originated from Galloway and Hobbie horses imported from Britain during the early part of America’s history. These two breeds were crossed to create the Narragansett Pacer, which was crossed to the Thoroughbred in the 1700s to produce the elegant “American Hor... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United StatesUse today: Today the breed is a favorite mount for pleasure, competitive trail and endurance racing.Color: The Rocky Mountain Horse is found in all solid colors with limited white facial markings.Height: 14.2 to 16 hands.Profile: The Rocky Mountain Horse originated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Kentucky in the late 1800s. The breed gets its name from its foundation stallion, a gaited horse from the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountain ... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Due to their initial use and breeding, the Colorado Ranger excels at ranch work and other western riding. Color: They come in a broad spectrum of colors and even include blanket and tri-colored leopard patterns. Height: 14.2 to 16 hands.Profile: In 1879, General Ulysses S. Grant was given two stallions by a Turkish Sultan, one was an Arabian (Leopard) and the other a Barb (Linden Tree). The horses were brought to America, and in 1894 they were bred with native cowhorse mares in Neb... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Sunday, June 3, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The Racking Horse is used and shown in pleasure and performance classes in both English and western, as well as competitive trail riding.
Color: The Racking Horse is found in many colors including palomino, buckskin, roan and spotted.
Height: Average height is 15.2 hands.
Profile: The Racking Horse developed on Southern plantations before the Civil War and shares its parentage with the Tennessee Walking Horse. The Racking Horse’s comfortable gait made it easy for plantation owners ... |
|
|
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: The American Quarter Horse can be seen in virtually every riding discipline and still races a quarter mile at tracks throughout the United States.Color: Colors include sorrel, bay, black, brown, buckskin, chestnut, dun, red dun, gray, grullo, palomino, red roan, blue roan, bay roan, perlino and cremello.Height: 14 to over 16 hands.Profile: The American Quarter Horse traces its roots to early America, where settlers crossed English horses to those of ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: POAs compete in western, English and gymkhana.Color: Most common are blanket patterns, though some are leopard or roan. Height: 46 and 56 inches.Profile: The first Pony of the Americas (POA) was born in the spring of 1954 after an Arabian/Appaloosa mare accidentally bred to a Shetland stallion. The owner offered to sell the pregnant mare to a neighbor, lawyer and Shetland pony breeder Les Boomhower. Skeptical of this strange union, Boomhower waited until the foal was born before ag... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Since the Pinto is a color breed, popular uses include all disciplines depending on the horse type.Color: Tobiano (a white horse with large patches of color over the entire body); and overo (a colored horse with uneven white markings on its sides).Height: All sizes.Profile: Although spotted horses seem to have originated with American Indian horses, the distinctive two-toned coat pattern probably came to North America through Arabian and Spanish stock that accompanied early explore... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The horses are prized pleasure riding mounts and are also found in traditional ranch work.Color: The Peruvian Horse is found in all solid colors including buckskin, roan and palomino.Height: 14.1 to 15.2 hands.Profile: Although the Peruvian Horse, sometimes referred to as the Peruvian Paso, and the Paso Fino share the same earlier parentage (Andalusian, Barb and Spanish Jennet), and are both gaited, they are not the same breed. The Peruvian Horse’s ancestors were brought to Peru ... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Although work is what the heavy horses do best, they are valued riding horses and are beginning to make their mark in dressage. Color: French Percherons are born black and turn gray by age 3. American and British Percherons are gray or black. Height: 15 to 19 hands.Profile: The Percheron developed in the Le Perche region in Normandy in 732 A.D. when Barb horses were left by marauding Moors after their defeat in the Battle of Tours. Massive Flemish horses were crossed with the Barbs... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: South AmericaUse today: Today, the Paso Fino is shown in its traditional tack and is renowned as a competitive trail horse, possessing both speed and stamina.Color: All colors and markings are found, including pinto and palomino.Height: 13.2 to 15.2 hands.Profile: The Paso Fino’s earliest ancestry includes the Barb, Andalusian and the gaited Spanish Jennet, which came to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) with Christopher Columbus to be used as conquistadors’ mounts thr... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: The American Paint Horse is extremely popular in traditional stock-horse western events as well as a variety of other riding disciplines.Color: American Paint Horses sport a combination of white and any other color of the equine spectrumHeight: 14.2 to 16.2 hands.Profile: In 1519, the explorer Hernando Cortes carried two horses described as having pinto markings on his voyage. This is the first known description of such horses in America. By the earl... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: RussiaColor: Gray is the most common color. Bays and blacks are also found. Only about 5% of Orlovs are chestnut.Height: 15.2 to 17 hands.Profile: The Orlov Trotter was developed in 18th century Russia by Count Alexei Orlov. The breed orignated through the crossing of European mares with Arabian stallions. The foundation sire of the breed was Bars I, a stallion of Arabian, Danish and Dutch breeding, foaled in 1784. Orlovs were originally used by Russian nobility for riding ... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The Oldenburg excels as a sporthorse.Color: Colors are bay, black, brown, gray and chestnut. Height: 16.2 to 17 hands.Profile: The Oldenburg was created in the 17th Century through the endeavors of Count Johann XVI von Oldenburg and Count Anton Gunther von Oldenburg to create a grand carriage horse. Small breeding farms throughout the provinces of Oldenburg and East Friesland were developed. These original Oldenburgs were based on native Friesian stock, with Turkish, Neopolitan, Sp... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Leisure pursuits are much the same throughout the world—dressage, jumping, eventing, trail riding, competitive driving and hobby farming. Color: All Fjords are dun in color. Height: 13.2 to 14.2 hands.Profile: The Fjord is one of the world’s oldest breeds of horses. It is believed to have been in western Norway for more than 4,000 years and domesticated as early as 2000 B.C. Evidence shows that Vikings developed the Fjord as a as early as 2,000 years ago. Norwegian hill farmers... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Traditionally, the Norman Cob was used by farmers in Normandy for farm work, driving and riding. Color: The most common colors are bay and chestnut; gray is less common. Height: 15.3 to 16.3 hands.Profile: The Norman Cob officially became a breed in the early 1900s. Although the term cob usually denotes a type of horse rather than a breed, the French chose the name because they resembled the English Cob. A cob is usually an all-rounder, with the ability to carry a rider or work as ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Nokotas are versatile and are in many riding circles including fox hunting, three-day eventing, dressage, reining, roping, cutting, trail riding and gaming. Some Nokotas are even gaited.Color: Colors include blue roan, black, gray, overo, sabino, dun, grulla, red roan, brown, bay and chestnutHeight: 14 to 15 hands.Profile: Nokota horses are some of the last descendants of the wild horses of North Dakota. These hardy, smart horses lived on the open ra... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: CanadaUse today: The Newfoundland Pony is used for riding, driving and light draft work.Color: Bay, black, brown, chestnut, dun, gray, roan and white (pink skin). Pintos are not accepted.Height: 11 to 14.2 hands.Profile: The Newfoundland Pony is a descendant of British breeds that were brought to the New Founde Land by English settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries and used for heavy work on the harsh terrain. The introduction of machinery in the 20th century, new laws lim... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today, New Forest Ponies are popular throughout the world as leisure and driving horses and excel in dressage and jumping.Color: Foresters come in all colors accept palomino and pinto.Height: 14.2 hands or shorter.Profile: In England, near the coast in southwest Hampshire, lies the beautiful New Forest. The New Forest Pony, one of the nine native breeds of the United Kingdom, has existed here since 1016 A.D. The native ponies mixed with transient stock, Welsh ponies, Arabians and T... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The National Show Horse is bred to excel in all horse show disciplines, including fine harness, saddleseat, halter, side saddle and other western and English pursuits.Color: The National Show Horse is found in all colors, including pinto.Height: 15 to 16 hands.Profile: Although the National Show Horse has existed as a Half-Arabian show horse for many years, it became a breed officially in 1982. By crossing the Arabian with the Saddlebred the resulting offspring carries the best asp... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Mustangs are ridden in English and western disciplines as well as on the trail.Color: Mustangs are found in all colors, including black, bay, dun, palomino, gray and spotted. Height: 13 to 16 hands.Profile: Mustang is a derivative of the Spanish word mesteña, which means wild or stray. Horses roamed America 10,000 years ago but vanished from the landscape until the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century with their horses of Barb decent. Many Indian tribes “liberated... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Mules are popular today in their traditional uses and as English and western riding mounts. Mules are talented high jumpers and compete in a class called the Coon Hunter’s Jump. Color: Mules come in almost all horse colors, including pinto, Appaloosa, and palomino. Height: Each mule (or hinny) varies in type and size (from miniature to draft), depending upon the horse.Profile: The mule is a human invention developed to create a strong, placid animal suitable for packing, riding a... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United StatesUse today: Mostly trail and pleasure ridingColor: Any color is accepted, but breeding and showing are not encouraged among spotted horses.Height: 14.2 to 16 hands.Profile: More than 160 years ago, settlers in the region of present-day eastern Kentucky used the gaited horses thriving in the area to work among the steep hills and in the fields. These "Mountain Horses" were sure-footed, hardy and willing, and from them developed the Rocky Mountain Horse, Tennessee... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Today, the Morgan excels in western and English disciplines as well as competitive trail riding and driving.Color: Traditional colors are bay, black and chestnut, but all colors are accepted by the registry.Height: 14.1 to 15.2 hands.Profile: Not many horse lovers have escaped childhood without reading Marguerite Henry’s non-fiction book about Figure, the very first Morgan, owned by school teacher Justin Morgan in West Springfield, Mass., in 1789. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United StatesUse today: Morabs are used for show and pleasure. They are popular carriage horses and are well-suited to endurance and competitive trail.Color: Bay, chestnut and gray are most common. All solid colors are found.Height: 14-15.2 hands.Profile: Though only established as a breed in the late 20th century, the crossing of Morgan and Arabian bloodlines has been popular since the 1800s. The resulting horses were champion show and trotting horses. In the 1920s, publis... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Today, the breed is a popular mount for long-distance trail riding, ranch work and pleasure riding. Color: The Missouri Fox Trotter is found in all colors, including spotted and buckskinHeight: 14 to 16 hands.Profile: The Missouri Fox Trotter is a product of its native Ozark Mountains in Missouri. The breed’s decedents, mainly of Morgan, Thoroughbred and Arabian blood, arrived in the Ozarks when pioneers settled the area in 1821. The breed’s gait... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Although Minis cannot be ridden (even by children) they are used for driving and in-hand classes, such as obstacle courses and halter. Color: Minis come in all colors including palomino, pinto, and even a cross between a pinto and an Appaloosa called a “Pintaloosa.”Height: under 34 inches. Profile: The Miniature Horse traces its history back to the 17th century in Europe, when oddities and unusual animals were talking points among nobility. Less refined Minis were employed as ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: IndiaUse today: In the cities, these horses pull tourist carts and are ridden by police. They are also the centerpiece for festivals, particularly weddings. Color: The Marwari horses come in an array of colors except chestnut. Gray, pinto, black and palomino and bright sorrel are all commonly found. Height: 14.2 to 16 hands.Profile: The most amazing feature about the Indian horse called the Marwari (mar-wah-ree) is its curved ears. They often touch or cross in the middle, g... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United StatesUse today: Trail and pleasure riding; suitable for endurance and competitive trail ridingColor: Dun, bay, blue roan, dun roan, red roan, sorrel, chestnut, black and grulloHeight: 13.5 to 15 hands.Profile: In the boggy lowlands of South Carolina, one equine reigns supreme among the avid trail rider: the Carolina Marsh Tacky. After several hundred years of being employed as a work and riding horse in the area, the breed is most proficient at withstanding the heat... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Iberian PeninsulaUse today: The horses are used for polo, jumping, endurance riding and leisure pursuits.Color: Mangalarga Marchadors are found in all solid colors with gray, chestnut and pinto most prominent.Height: 14.2 to 16 hands high. Profile: The Mangalarga Marchador is the national horse of Brazil and its genealogy is rich with horses from the Iberian Peninsula. Sublime, the foundation stallion of the Marchador, was a product of horses brought to Brazil by the Portug... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Portuguese Use today: The nimble and hearty Lusitano, with the ability to move quickly around a charging bull, is a prized mount in Portuguese bullfighting, where the bull is not killed. The horses are also talented in dressage and traditional western pursuits. Color: Lusitanos are found in all solid colors with the most popular being gray or bay. Height: 15 to 15.3 hands. Profile: The Portuguese Lusitano was officially created in the late 1960s after Portuguese breeders op... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United StatesUse today: The Lippitt Morgan is a versatile horse and is shown in various disciplines under saddle, as well as in driving.Color: Bay, brown, black and chestnutHeight: 14.1 to 15.1 hands. Profile: Today's Morgan horses trace back to a bay stallion called Figure, owned by school teacher and songwriter Justin Morgan of Vermont. In the early 1900s, the automobile and other machinery made workhorses of all breeds, including the Morgan, obsolete. Horse owners began ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: SpainUse today: The Lipizzan is considered the ambassador of classical dressage because it was specifically bred for this ancient art that began as training for cavalry mounts. Color: Today’s Lipizzans are mostly white because the Austrian nobility preferred and selectively bred white horses. Height: 14.3 and 15.3 hands. Profile: The Lipizzan’s roots go back to Moorish-occupied Spain when Spanish-bred horses were considered the optimum cavalry mount. In 1562, Maximillia... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: DenmarkUse today: Today, the horses are valued as top dressage horses and are also found in eventing and show jumping. Color: The most popular spotted pattern is the full leopard, which is solid white with black or brown spots. Height: 15.2 to 16 hands. Profile: The Knabstrupper was developed by Major Villars Lunn in Nordsealand, Denmark, who put a chestnut blanketed mare of Spanish breeding to a Fredricksborg stallion in 1812. This first breeding resulted in a colorfully s... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: IrelandUse today: Riding and harness workColor: Brown and bay are the most common colors in the breed, but chestnut, gray and dun are also found.Height: 10 to 11.2 hands. Profile: The Kerry Bog Pony is believed to be descended from the Celdone ponies, used by the Celtic settlers in northwest Spain. Military and trading relations between Spain, Portugal and Ireland have been credited with introducing these ponies to Ireland. Like other equines in Ireland, the ponies were use... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: IndiaUse today: The Kathiawari is a utility horse in India, used for farming, driving and riding and in mounted police units. Color: The breed is found in all solid horse colors except black as well as pinto and many variations of cream including palomino and cremello. Height: 14.2 hands and under. Profile: The Kathiawari originated in the Kathiawar peninsula in Western India and is probably a mix between the Arabian and other desert breeds. The Marwari and Kathiawari are o... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: IrelandUse today: The Irish Hunter and other Irish Draught crosses are successful in the show jumping and eventing world. Color: Any solid color is acceptable.Height: 15.1 to 16.3 hands. Profile: The Irish Draught Horse is one of the two native equine breeds found in Ireland. Its ancestry is unclear. Thoroughbred stallions may have been put to local mares whose origins were a conglomeration of whatever swam to shore after shipwrecks (perhaps from Spanish galleons) and Frenc... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: IcelandUse today: The Icelandic Horse is still treasured in its homeland today, and many people still use the horses for sheepherding, local transportation and competition.Color: The breed comes in more than 100 colors and color combinations, including pinto.Height: 12 to 14 hands. Profile: The Icelandic Horse was most likely brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the 9th century. Although the breed shares characteristics with the Mongolian horse and the Lyngen or Nordland, l... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: ScotlandUse today: Today it is a prized pack pony, trail mount and family pony.Color: The Highland Pony is mainly dun in color, but may also be gray, brown, black, and a dark chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. Height: 13 to 14.2 hands. Profile: The Highland pony is one of the two native pony breeds hailing from the north of Scotland. It is the largest and strongest of all the native ponies of Great Britain. The Highland Pony was never purposely cross-bred to other animal... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: GermanyUse today: Hanoverians often top the leader boards in dressage, jumping, and even in the hunter ring. They are also found in eventing and in combined driving. Color: The Hanoverian is found in the following colors: chestnut, bay, brown, black and gray. Height: 15.3 to 17 hands. Profile: Like most German warmbloods, the Hanoverian is named for its region of origin: Lower Saxony in northern Germany was formerly the kingdom of Hannover. In 1714, King George I of England... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Austria and Northern Italy Use today: Today, the horses are shown in riding and driving throughout the world, but many are still found in their original mountain environment at work with farmers. Color: All Haflingers are chestnut in color (ranging from light to very dark) with white manes and tails. Height: 13.2 to 15 hands. Profile: The Haflinger hails from the Southern Tyrolean Mountains of Austria and Northern Italy and is thought to have been there since medieval times... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Great BritainUse today: The Hackney is known for its tremendous trotting ability and is a popular driving horse.Color: The common colors are black, brown, bay and chestnut, and there are even some spotted Hackneys.Height: 14 to 15.3 hands. Profile: The Hackney was developed in Great Britain in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and was descendant of the Norfolk Trotter, Yorkshire Roadster, the Arabian and the Thoroughbred. Their early ancestors were even thought to be F... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Great BritainUse today: Gypsy horses are best known as driving horses in the United Kingdom, but in North America they have become popular trail and show horses, ridden both English and western, as well as carriage horses. Color: Although not a color breed, piebalds (black and white pinto), skewbalds (red/brown and white pintos) and blagdon (solid color with white belly splashes) horses are popular. Height: 14 to 15.2 hands. Profile: Gypsy horses, registered as Gypsy Vanner... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: SwedenUse today: The Gotland-Russ is popular in Sweden for eventing, show jumping, dressage, driving, harness racing and pleasure riding.Color: Bay, black, buckskin and sorrel are the most common colors. Albinos, piebalds and roans are not allowedHeight: Ideal height is 12.1 hands. Profile: The Gotland-Russ Pony thrives in forest regions on the island of Gotland in Sweden. The inhabitants of Gotland also call the ponies skogsbaggar, meaning "forest rams." Russ is the Gutnis... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Today, the horses are used for endurance riding and traditional western ranching pursuits. Color: All colors are found. Height: 13.2 to 15.2 hands. Profile: The Florida Cracker descends from Spanish horses such as the Barb and the Spanish Jennet that arrived in the southern United States in the 1500s. Although it is genetically similar to the Mustang, Paso Fino and other modern Spanish breeds, the Florida Cracker’s geological isolation meant that t... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The ponies truly shine in combined driving. With their small sizing, they are extremely nimble in the cross-country phase. Color: The most common color is black, although brown, bay or pale gray is also seen. Height: 12.2 to 14 hands. Profile: The Fell Pony arrived in Great Britain as an ancient Wild European Pony type that came across the land bridge during the ice age. The ponies dispersed throughout the United Kingdom, and the resulting habitat helped form and shape the modern F... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: NetherlandsUse today: The Dutch Warmblood excels as a sporthorse.Color: Dutch Warmbloods are found in all solid colors.Height: 16 to 17 hand. Profile: After World War II, Dutch farms were becoming mechanized and horses were no longer needed to work the land, but two lighter farm horses, the Gelderlander and the Groningen were used to help establish a new breed. Equestrian sports were on the rise, and the Dutch developed a sporthorse of their own called the Dutch Warmblood. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today the Dartmoor is a top English show mount in both jumping and flatwork. Color: The Dartmoor comes in all colors except pinto. Height: 11 to 12.2 hands. Profile: Any visitor traveling from the south toward Stonehenge in the southwest of England will most likely drive through Dartmoor, home to Sherlock Holmes’ “Hound of the Baskervilles” and the Dartmoor Pony. The geographic location of their early native land (close to the sea, in this case) meant that native ponies were ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: DenmarkUse today: Danish Warmbloods excel in show jumping and dressage.Color: Horses are found in all solid colors, most predominately black, chestnut, bay and dark brown.Height: 15.3 to 17 hands. Profile: The Danish Warmblood is the youngest of all the European warmblood breeds, beginning in 1962. There were two Danish saddle horse breed associations—the Danish Sport Horse Society and the Danish Light Horse Association. But these were later merged in 1978 to form the Dan... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: Today, the Dales is a versatile pony and is both ridden and driven. Its surefootedness makes it a good mount for trail riding.Color: The Dales Pony is usually black, although brown and gray are sometimes seen.Height: 14 to 14.2 hands. Profile: The Dales Pony originated in the dales of northeast England. The Dales Pony was the ultimate farmer’s horse, pulling a plow, a cart, or working under saddle helping to herd sheep. The Dales Pony was valued as a pack pony working in the lead... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Among other things, the sure-footed and nimble Curly often participates in gymkhana and western sports. Color: Nearly all colors and coat patterns are found Height: 14.1 to 15.1 hands. Profile: The majority of the Curly Horses, also known as the American Bashkir Curly Horse, descend from a herd of three horses found by the Damele family in 1898 roaming the mountain ranges of Nevada. How they came to be on the continent remains a mystery. Theories sug... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: IrelandUse today: Today, the Connemara is the ultimate sport pony, and jumping is its forte. Color: Colors are grey, black, brown and dun, and occasionally, palomino, chestnut and roan. Height: 13 to 15 hands. Profile: The Connemara Pony is Ireland’s only native breed. It comes from and is named for an area on the west coast of Ireland bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Galway Bay; a wilderness of bogs and rugged moorland. In the early days of the breed, about 5th century... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: ScotlandUse today: Today, the horses are used for hobby and historical farming, and pleasure driving.Color: Clydesdales can be bay, brown, roan, black or gray, with white feathers and white markingsHeight: 16 to 18 hands. Profile: The Clydesdale originated in the Clyde Valley, Scotland, and is the youngest of all the United Kingdom heavy breeds, finding its full development in the last 150 years. In the late 1700s, Native horses of Lanarkshire were put to Flemish horses, im... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United KingdomUse today: Cleveland Bays are used throughout the world for general riding and driving.Color: The color is always bay with a black mane, tail and legs, but rare, chestnut horses are possible. Height: 16 to 16.2 hands. Profile: The Cleveland Bay developed in the Cleveland area of Northern Yorkshire in northeast England. In medieval times, the Cleveland Bay was valued as a packhorse for the church, carrying goods to and from various monasteries and convents. Whe... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: The ponies are ridden English and western. Color: The Chincoteague pony is seen in all colors but most common is a very colorful pinto.Height: 12 to 14.2 hands. Profile: The Chincoteague pony was made famous in Marguerite Henry’s book Misty of Chincoteague. The ponies live on the barrier island of Assateague in Maryland and Virginia. It’s thought that their decedents were either from animals that swam to the islands from a shipwrecked Spanish boa... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: IranUse today: Caspian horses excel in carriage driving, particularly scurry driving where speed and handiness is a bonus. Color: All solid colors are common. Height: 10 to 12 hands. Profile: In 1965, Louise Firouz, an American living in Tehran, Iran, discovered a small Arabian-like horse in the Elborz Mountains that she named Caspian. Through bone, blood and DNA testing, archeo-zoologists proved the horses were direct descendants of the miniature Mesopotamian horse of anti... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: CanadaUse today: Jumping, eventing, dressage, drivingColor: Most commonly black, but dark brown, bay and chestnut are also foundHeight: 14 to 16 hands. Profile: In the late 1600s, King Louis XIV of France brought Breton and Norman horses to the region of North America now known as Canada. They are believed to be the ancestors of the modern Canadian Horse, which still possesses traits similar to the Arabian, Andalusian and Barb bloodlines that the Breton and Norman horses al... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: FranceUse today: Traditionally, Carmargues are ridden by the local cowboys who look after the feral bulls in the area, which are used for bullfighting. Color: All are born dark and fade to light gray as they age. Height: 13 to 14 hands. Profile: The Camargue originated in the marshy plains of the Rhone delta in the South of France. It has existed since prehistoric times. Although the breed has largely developed through natural selection, over the years, soldiers passing thr... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Russia Use today: Today, the Budenny excels in show jumping, dressage and eventing. Color: The Budenny is found in various shades of chestnut with some white markings. Height: 15 to 16 hands. Profile: The Russian Budenny (bood-yo-nee) was created to replace the mass equine casualties of World War I and the Russian Revolution, and to breed a horse that a Soviet officer would be proud to ride. The top cavalry riders were the Cossacks who rode the native Don. The new horse had... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: BelgiumUse today: Today, the horses are used for hobby and historical farming, forestry work and pleasure driving.Color: The Belgian is instantly recognized by its common sorrel color, usually with a white mane and tail, white face markings and four white socks or stockings.Height: 16 to 18 hands. Profile: The Belgian draft horse was developed in the fertile pastures of Belgium. It was also there that the forefather of all draft horses was first bred—a heavy black horse u... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Middle AsiaColor: The Barb is found in many colors, including dun and palomino. Height: 13.2 to 15 hands. Profile: The Barb is an ancient breed that was established in the Fertile Crescent of Middle Asia. The fast and agile Barb was a favored mount for the Berbers. In fact, the animal draws its name from this group of “barbarous” people. The Barb was originally a prized warhorse, which explains its worldwide distribution. As the Berbers conquered new lands, the horses l... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: ArabiaUse today: Arabians are famed for their stamina, and although they can be found in many disciplines, they rule the long-distance sport of endurance.Color: Arabians can be found in the following colors: chestnuts, bay, gray, black and roan.Height: 14 to 15.3 hands. Profile: Theorized to be the oldest breed in the world, Arabians were constant companions of the first documented breeders of the Arabian horse, the Bedouin people--nomadic tribesmen of Arabia who relied on ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Appendix Quarter Horses can be found racing and performing in the western and English disciplines.Color: Colors include sorrel, bay, black, brown, buckskin, chestnut, dun, red dun, gray, grullo, palomino, red roan, blue roan, bay roan, perlino and cremello.Height: 15 to 17 hands Profile: Until the 1940s the American Quarter Horse existed as a type rather than a breed, but in 1940 a group of breeders discussed the idea of forming an association. Howev... |
Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Today, Appaloosas can be found at gaming events, horse shows and on the trail. Color: With coat patterns, countless numbers of color and pattern combinations exist. Height: 14.2 to 16 hands Profile: The Spanish introduced horses to Mexico in the 1500s, and spotted horses have been depicted in images as far back as prehistoric cave paintings. However, it wasn’t until the 1700s when horses first reached Northwest America that horses with Appaloosa co... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Iberian PeninsulaUse today: The Andalusian excels in dressage and traditional Spanish equestrian pursuits, such as bull fighting and ranch work. Color: The majority of Andalusians are gray; less common, although found, is bay, black, dun and palomino. Height: 15 to 16.2 Profile: Hailing from the Iberian Peninsula, the Andalusian takes its name from the Province of Andalucia, where it was most famous. This living antiquity is purported to be an ancient breed; 20,000-year-old... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: Horses are exhibited in driving, English—most notably saddleseat—and western classes.Color: All colors are found, including pinto.Height: 15 to 17 hands Profile: The American Saddlebred originated from Galloway and Hobbie horses imported from Britain during the early part of America’s history. These two breeds were crossed to create the Narragansett Pacer, which was crossed to the Thoroughbred in the 1700s to produce the elegant “American Hor... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: The American Quarter Horse can be seen in virtually every riding discipline and still races a quarter mile at tracks throughout the United States.Color: Colors include sorrel, bay, black, brown, buckskin, chestnut, dun, red dun, gray, grullo, palomino, red roan, blue roan, bay roan, perlino and cremello.Height: 14 to over 16 hand Profile: The American Quarter Horse traces its roots to early America, where settlers crossed English horses to those of S... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: North AmericaUse today: The American Paint Horse is extremely popular in traditional stock-horse western events as well as a variety of other riding disciplines.Color: American Paint Horses sport a combination of white and any other color of the equine spectrumHeight: 14.2 to 16.2 hands Profile: In 1519, the explorer Hernando Cortes carried two horses described as having pinto markings on his voyage. This is the first known description of such horses in America. By the earl... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Use today: The American Cream Draft and other draft horses are still used for hobby farming, logging, driving and hay rides. Some are also ridden. Color: All horses are cream colored with white manes and tails and other white markings, as well as pink skin. Height: 15.1 to 16.3 hands Profile: Nearly 98 percent of all American Cream Draft horses have the blood of an Iowan cream colored draft-type mare called Old Granny, who was born at the turn of the 20th century. Her beauty and unique coat c... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Middle EastUse today: Today they excel in sport, particularly in racing, show jumping, dressage and endurance racing. Color: Bay, gray, black, dun, chestnut and gold. Height: 14.3 to 16 hands Profile: With its unusual, gazelle-like appearance, the Akhal-Teke (Ah-cull Tek-y) is an incredibly distinctive breed. Experts say the Akhal-Teke breed is at least 3,000 years old. The Akhal-Teke may be the last remaining strain of the Turkmene (a horse that has existed since 2400 B.C.... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: Descended from Spanish horses during the time of Christopher ColumbusUse today: With only eight left in existence, the small herd resides on the preserve or conservation area on the Bahaman Island of Great Abaco Color: Bay, brown, pintoHeight: 13.2 to 14.2 hands Profile: The rare Abaco Barb, which is in great danger of extinction, is believed to have descended from Spanish horses that were in route aboard ships with early explorers to the New World. Many of these ships neve... Continue reading ...
Posted by Charlotte Knight on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
In :
Breeds
Country of Origin: United KingdomUse today: Its best known for its driving abilities, but it also is used for riding and for conservation purposes to graze brush and other foliage down in parks and protected areas. Color: They are ancient in color, such as dull brown, bay or dun with mealy markings on the muzzle, legs and belly.Height: 11.3 to 12.3 hands Profile: The Exmoor Pony is the oldest of the nine British breeds and is least influenced by outside breeding. The Exmoor was first prized a... Continue reading ...
| |