HEIGHT: 16.2–19 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Tallest of the draft breeds and heaviest after the Brabant; heavy feathering on the legs BEST SUITED FOR: Farmwork, logging, pulling carriages or wagons The Shire originated in the central regions, known as the Midlands,…
HEIGHT: 16–18 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: France SPECIAL QUALITIES: Elegant, predominantly gray or black draft breed without feathering on the lower legs BEST SUITED FOR: Harness and carriage The old French province of Le Perche lies in the district of Normandy, located about fifty…
HEIGHT: 15–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Although the type has long been seen in Europe, this specific breed was developed in the Midwestern United States, particularly in Iowa SPECIAL QUALITIES: Splashy coloring on draft horse frame BEST SUITED FOR: An all-around draft and carriage…
HEIGHT: 16.2–18 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Scotland SPECIAL QUALITIES: Long silky feathering on the lower legs that highlights exceptionally fluid and powerful movement BEST SUITED FOR: Multi-horse hitches, draft work These grand horses from the land of the river Clyde are the pride of…
HEIGHT: 15.2–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Belgium SPECIAL QUALITIES: Massively built; can weigh as much as 3,000 pounds BEST SUITED FOR: Farmwork Brabant Horse The word “Brabant” signifies an area in what is now Belgium, once the duchy of Brabant. It also identifies a…
HEIGHT: 16–18 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Belgium SPECIAL QUALITIES: Sorrel with flaxen mane and tail; high-stepping action BEST SUITED FOR: Both hitch and pulling competition The little country of Belgium (about one fifth the size of Iowa) lies on the coast of the North…
HEIGHT: Mature mares, 15–16 hands; mature males, 16–16.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Iowa SPECIAL QUALITIES: Unusual cream color, with amber or hazel eyes and full white mane and tail BEST SUITED FOR: Commercial carriage driving, parade hitches, farm work, riding, and pleasure driving The…
HEIGHT: Maximum in the United States, 11.5 hands; in Canada, 11 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Shetland Islands, Great Britain, with probable ancestral roots in Scandinavia SPECIAL QUALITIES: A small, sound, versatile breed of great hardiness BEST SUITED FOR: Driving; traditional child’s mount The Shetland…
HEIGHT: 13–14.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Shackleford Island, Outer Banks of North Carolina; originally of Spanish stock SPECIAL QUALITIES: The oldest documented horse population in North America and a historic treasure for both the state of North Carolina and the genetic history of…
HEIGHT: 11.2–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Iowa SPECIAL QUALITIES: Athletic; loudly colored with Appaloosa patterns BEST SUITED FOR: All-around pleasure and competition mount for children and young adults One of today’s most popular breeds of children’s ponies was developed in the 1950s when a…
COAT COLOR: Base coat white; spots black, brown, or red MANE AND TAIL: Vary SKIN: Varies MARKINGS: Blazes, snips, stripes, stars; bald or bonnet face All the horse colors and patterns we know today have existed among horses for thousands of years. They do…
COAT COLOR: Clear gold MANE AND TAIL: White SKIN: Dark MARKINGS: White acceptable on legs and face RELATED COLORS: Cremello The word palomino comes from a Latin word meaning pale dove. Beautiful golden horses with white manes and tails occur in many breeds around the world, and…
HEIGHT: 11–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Newfoundland, Canada, with genetic contributions from England, Ireland, and Scotland SPECIAL QUALITIES: A hardy, stocky pony whose extremely dense winter coat is often a strikingly different color from the summer coat BEST SUITED FOR: Family pleasure, beginning riders,…
HEIGHT: Mares 12–12.3 hands; males 12.3–13.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Ojibwa Nation, especially Minnesota and northern Ontario SPECIAL QUALITIES: Known for sure-footedness, cleverness, tractability, and tolerance of human beings BEST SUITED FOR: Driving, riding, hauling; work with beginning and disabled riders As far back…
HEIGHT: 10–11 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Southwestern Ireland SPECIAL QUALITIES: Uniquely adapted to move over boggy ground because of their unusually low body mass, relative to height, and their special walk. BEST SUITED FOR: Children’s sport pony, driving, and work with disabled riders Since…
HEIGHT: 12.2–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Northern England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Effervescent ponies of great presence with brilliant high action and excellent stamina BEST SUITED FOR: Fine harness, pleasure and roadster driving The Hackney Pony resulted from the efforts of one British breeder, Christopher Wilson…
HEIGHT: Average height 13.2 hands; maximum allowed is 14 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Northern England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Sure-footed, gentle, excellent gaits and stamina, and though compact are quite able to carry an adult BEST SUITED FOR: Trail riding and driving Before the English Channel…
HEIGHT: 11.2–12.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: The remote moors of southwestern England SPECIAL QUALITIES: A water-repellent winter coat with coarse, greasy outer hair covering a soft, springy undercoat BEST SUITED FOR: Children’s mounts, driving, endurance, and work with disabled Exmoor lies in southwest England,…
HEIGHT: 12–12.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Southwestern England SPECIAL QUALITIES: A rare breed; world population of only 5,000 to 7,000 animals, with fewer than 100 in North America BEST SUITED FOR: First mounts for children; jumping and driving The Dartmoor is an old breed:…
HEIGHT: 14–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Northern England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Sturdiness, tractability, excellent gaits BEST SUITED FOR: Dressage, hunting, trail riding, driving; ideal first mount for a child Dales Ponies were bred especially as pack animals for the lead-mining industry in northern England. The…
HEIGHT: 12–14 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Gotland, Sweden SPECIAL QUALITIES: An ancient but now rare breed of stocky ponies characterized by their “primitive” color and markings BEST SUITED FOR: Driving, jumping, children’s pleasure mounts The island of Gotland lies in the Baltic Sea, east…
HEIGHT: 13–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Western Ireland SPECIAL QUALITIES: Hardiness, stamina, great jumping talent BEST SUITED FOR: Jumping, hunting, dressage, eventing, driving, and even light draft work; are also well suited for trail riding and make ideal children’s mounts There have been free-ranging…
HEIGHT: 13.2–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Assateague Island, Virginia; original stock possibly from Spain SPECIAL QUALITIES: Pretty faces with straight or slightly dished profile, small muzzle, and large soft eyes; famous from the books of Marguerite Henry and as fund-raisers for the volunteer…
COAT COLOR: Usually gold, but can range from cream to deep bronze MANE AND TAIL: Black SKIN: Dark MARKINGS: Legs black from knees and hocks to ground; rarely, a dorsal stripe RELATED COLORS: Dun Buckskin is a color, not a particular breed of horse. A…
HEIGHT: 13.2–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Georgia SPECIAL QUALITIES: A gaited pony breed of great beauty, versatility, and athleticism; some individuals can perform seven gaits BEST SUITED FOR: Pleasure, harness, jumping, and trail Lifelong horsewoman Joan Hudson Brown, of Macon, Georgia, set about developing…
HEIGHT: 11.2–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: The first Quarter Pony Association started in Iowa, but the breed has long been found across the United States. SPECIAL QUALITIES: Extremely athletic, heavily muscled, stock-type animals BEST SUITED FOR: Western competition and ranch work In the early…
HEIGHT: 16.1–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Suffolk, England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Extremely rare. In England fewer than 100 horses. World population of fewer than 3,500 BEST SUITED FOR: Farming and logging The Suffolk Punch is perhaps the oldest draft breed in England. It originated on…
HEIGHT: 11.2–15 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: England and the United States SPECIAL QUALITIES: A strikingly beautiful, sound, athletic pony BEST SUITED FOR: Showing, especially in fine harness, pleasure driving, hunter pony, Western and English pleasure, and at halter; competitive trail competition and pleasure riding…
HEIGHT: 11–13.2 hands for ponies; 13.2 hands (with no upper limit) for Cobs PLACE OF ORIGIN: Wales SPECIAL QUALITIES: Beautiful animals noted for soundness, excellence of movement, and jumping talent BEST SUITED FOR: Jumping, driving, children’s pleasure The original Welsh Mountain Pony lived in…
HEIGHT: 14–15 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Southern Arizona SPECIAL QUALITIES: A strain of the critically endangered Spanish Barb; exhibits Spanish conformation, sure-footedness, courage, and inborn “cow sense” BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch work, trail and endurance riding, all Western sports A Jesuit priest named Father…
HEIGHT: 16–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Germany SPECIAL QUALITIES: Tremendous and powerful gaits and athletic ability combined with a willingness to accept direction from the rider BEST SUITED FOR: Show jumping, dressage, field and show hunters; all sport horse activities The province of Westfalia,…
HEIGHT: 16–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: East Prussia (Lithuania) SPECIAL QUALITIES: Ground-covering gaits, regal presence, athleticism BEST SUITED FOR: Show jumping, dressage, eventing Most North Americans today think of the Trakehner as an elegant warmblood from Germany, but the breed was actually developed on…
HEIGHT: 13–16 hands, with 14–15.2 hands being most typical and desirable PLACE OF ORIGIN: Northwestern United States SPECIAL QUALITIES: A rare gaited breed with Appaloosa color patterns BEST SUITED FOR: Trail riding, ranch work, pleasure riding; good horses for riders with physical limitations Tiger…
HEIGHT: 15–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Speed, endurance, heart BEST SUITED FOR: Racing, polo, foxhunting, jumping, eventing, and showing Horse racing probably began very shortly after horses were first domesticated. By the time humans began to keep written records, racing was…
HEIGHT: 14.3–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Tennessee SPECIAL QUALITIES: Naturally smooth-gaited, known for nodding their head at the running walk BEST SUITED FOR: Trail, pleasure, and showing The Tennessee Walking Horse is American made. It was bred to work from a number of breeds…
HEIGHT: 13–15.1 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Southwestern Utah SPECIAL QUALITIES: Horses of Spanish Colonial type, many of which are dun or buckskin BEST SUITED FOR: Trail and endurance riding, ranch work, pleasure riding, and all Western sports If you look at a road map…
HEIGHT: 15–15.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Eastern North America SPECIAL QUALITIES: Extremely fast trot or pace; excellent endurance and ability to tolerate work; tolerant, calm disposition. BEST SUITED FOR: Harness racing, pleasure driving, and pleasure riding The first horses to come to Massachusetts arrived…
HEIGHT: 13.2–15.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Spain SPECIAL QUALITIES: A breed of gaited, colored horses of Spanish type BEST SUITED FOR: Pleasure, trail riding, ranch work, showing; smooth gaits make them a good choice for riders with physical limitations The Spanish Jennet is a…
HEIGHT: 13–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Original genetic contribution from Spain, with different influences in many parts of North America SPECIAL QUALITIES: Spanish conformation, natural herding ability, endurance BEST SUITED FOR: Ranching, trail riding, endurance riding, and pleasure riding To most people, the term mustang suggests…
HEIGHT: 13.3–14.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Spain SPECIAL QUALITIES: A critically rare breed of medium-sized, solid, well-built horses that exhibit Spanish traits BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch and cattle work, all Western sports, and trail and endurance riding The history of this world-conquering breed began…
HEIGHT: 14.3–15.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: North America, earliest origin probably in the Southeast, but breed organization efforts came from the West SPECIAL QUALITIES: A gaited horse with good stock horse conformation, “cow sense,” and a natural, strong, solid single-footing gait; also known…
HEIGHT: 15–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Hungary SPECIAL QUALITIES: A rare breed with the beautiful look of the Arabian but with more bone and substance; known for exceptional athleticism, endurance, courage, and an affectionate nature BEST SUITED FOR: Jumping, dressage, endurance, eventing, and driving…
HEIGHT: 16–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: France SPECIAL QUALITIES: Exceptional temperament, jumping ability BEST SUITED FOR: Show jumping, dressage, eventing Selle Français means “French saddle horse,” but today these horses are internationally renowned for their jumping ability. Olympic show-jumping teams from many countries include…
HEIGHT: 13–14 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Nova Scotia SPECIAL QUALITIES: Adapted to life on Sable Island; natural amblers; recognizable Spanish traits BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance, pleasure riding, and ranch work Sable Island, a twenty-mile-long, treeless, grassy sandbank, lies about one hundred miles off the…
HEIGHT: 14.2–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Eastern Kentucky SPECIAL QUALITIES: A naturally gaited horse known for gentleness and versatility; many are a striking chocolate color with white mane and tail BEST SUITED FOR: Pleasure riding, trail and endurance riding, showing, ranch work; well suited…
HEIGHT: 15.2 hands (average) PLACE OF ORIGIN: Southern United States SPECIAL QUALITIES: A natural rack, stamina, willingness, and versatility BEST SUITED FOR: Pleasure riding, trail riding, bird-dog field trials, and showing Racking Horses have been popular, especially in the deep South, since before the…
HEIGHT: 13–15 hands, with an average of 14–14.2. PLACE OF ORIGIN: Pryor Mountains, on the border between Montana and Wyoming SPECIAL QUALITIES: A gaited breed of Spanish Colonial type, showing a wide array of solid colors; many exhibit primitive markings such as dorsal…
HEIGHT: 14–15 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Peru SPECIAL QUALITIES: A gaited horse known for elegance, endurance, brilliance, and spirit; easy to handle and ride BEST SUITED FOR: Pleasure riding, trial riding, showing The word paso means step or gait. The Peruvian Paso is a smooth-gaited horse…
HEIGHT: 14–15 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Puerto Rico SPECIAL QUALITIES: Easy keepers with a unique, very short-strided, four-beat gait; known for their brio: lively, proud bearing BEST SUITED FOR: Trail and pleasure riding, and showing The name Paso Fino means “fine step,” and that is…
HEIGHT: 16.2–17.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Germany SPECIAL QUALITIES: Power combined with a kind disposition, good movement, and an air of nobility BEST SUITED FOR: Dressage, jumping, and combined driving The history of the development of the Oldenburg has two “chapters.” The first extends…
HEIGHT: 13.2–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Norway SPECIAL QUALITIES: Good disposition, sure-footedness, extremely comfortable gaits, and excellent endurance BEST SUITED FOR: Riding, driving, packing, farmwork; excellent children’s mounts and all-around family horses; successful at the lower levels of dressage, jumping, and eventing Primitive wild…
HEIGHT: Traditional Nokotas, 14–14.3 hands; Ranch Nokotas, 14.2–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: North Dakota SPECIAL QUALITIES: Tough, intelligent, sound horses of Spanish ancestry BEST SUITED FOR: Pleasure and trail riding, endurance racing, ranch work, dressage, and jumping The Nokota Horses from the southwestern corner…
HEIGHT: Not specified by breed standard PLACE OF ORIGIN: Arizona SPECIAL QUALITIES: Beauty, presence, brilliance, and stamina BEST SUITED FOR: Showing under saddle and in harness In 1981 Gene LaCroix, an Arabian horse trainer from Arizona, had the idea to develop a new horse…
HEIGHT: 13.2–15 hands, average about 14.2 PLACE OF ORIGIN: North America, particularly the Great Plains SPECIAL QUALITIES: Toughness, cleverness, adaptability BEST SUITED FOR: Trail riding No other horse is quite as American as the Mustang. The genuine history of these horses is often so…
HEIGHT: 14.3–15.2 PLACE OF ORIGIN: Idaho SPECIAL QUALITIES: Frontal bosses, or horns, on some individuals; tremendous endurance BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance rides, trail riding, and ranch work One of North America’s most remarkable breeds is not a horse with a registry and a member…
HEIGHT: 14.1–15.2 hands, may reach 16 PLACE OF ORIGIN: Vermont SPECIAL QUALITIES: Exceptional strength, staying power, soundness, and versatility BEST SUITED FOR: All-around athletes; compete successfully in almost every discipline, from dressage and jumping to Western pleasure and cutting One of the greatest true…
HEIGHT: 14.3–15.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: The United States; the geographical history of the breed extends from New England, to Kentucky, to Texas, to California SPECIAL QUALITIES: Steady disposition, strength, sensitivity, excellent free gaits BEST SUITED FOR: Family and pleasure horses, trail riding, driving,…
HEIGHT: 14–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Ozark Mountains of Missouri SPECIAL QUALITIES: A gaited breed known for its rhythmic diagonal gait called the fox trot BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch work, trail riding, forest service work, handicapped riding programs, team penning, and showing The Ozark…
HEIGHT: 34” and under for Division A, 38” and under for Division B PLACE OF ORIGIN: Developed in this country, but the original stock probably came from England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Diminutive animals of strength and athleticism with the proportions of full-sized horses rather…
HEIGHT: 14.2–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Alabama SPECIAL QUALITIES: A gaited horse, specializing in the “McCurdy Lick,” a four-beat, single-footing gait; other gaits are the flat walk, the running walk, the natural rack, and the stepping pace BEST SUITED FOR: Trail and pleasure riding,…
HEIGHT: 14.2–15.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: India SPECIAL QUALITIES: An extremely rare breed with a bold, arrogant presence and scimitar-shaped, hooked ears; some individuals are gaited BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance riding, spirited pleasure riding, dressage There have been horses in India for a very…
HEIGHT: 15–15.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Developed in Lipizza, which was then in Austria but is now in Slovenia, from Spanish bloodlines SPECIAL QUALITIES: Uniformity of conformation, size, and color; faces of great character; remarkable talent for dressage BEST SUITED FOR: Dressage, pleasure riding,…
HEIGHT: 14–15 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Discovered in the Kiger Gorge on Steens Mountain in eastern Oregon, but genetic heritage goes back to the early Spanish horses and the ancient Sorraia of Iberia SPECIAL QUALITIES: Always dun, grulla, or buckskin with dorsal stripes,…
HEIGHT: 11–15.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Eastern Kentucky SPECIAL QUALITIES: Small to medium, attractive, gaited horses known for sure-footedness, stamina, and their ability to carry riders safely and comfortably over extremely rough ground BEST SUITED FOR: Trail riding, all-purpose family horses, small-scale farming The…
HEIGHT: 15.2–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Ireland SPECIAL QUALITIES: Consistency of type, excellent gaits, gentle disposition, jumping talent BEST SUITED FOR: Jumping, hunting, driving, dressage, and eventing By today’s North American standards and current usage, the Irish Draught (pronounced draft) Horse isn’t technically a…
HEIGHT: 12.2–14.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Iceland, with genetic contributions from the horses of the ancient Celts SPECIAL QUALITIES: A small gaited breed with the strength and stamina to carry adults; known for its very fast and extremely smooth gait, the tolt BEST SUITED…
HEIGHT: 15.3–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Hungary SPECIAL QUALITIES: Outstanding athletic ability, excellent gaits BEST SUITED FOR: Show jumping, dressage, eventing, and combined driving Hungary’s renowned position among the finest horsemen in the world goes back for centuries. Horses formed the essence of the…
HEIGHT: 16–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Germany SPECIAL QUALITIES: Power, excellent gaits, tremendous jumping ability BEST SUITED FOR: Dressage, show jumping, and combined driving The first written record of Holstein Horses appears in 1285 CE, when the count of Holstein and Storman gave permission to…
HEIGHT: 16–17.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Germany SPECIAL QUALITIES: Spectacular movement, tremendous athletic ability BEST SUITED FOR: Show jumping, dressage, combined driving, show and field hunters Strong, elegant horses of noble bearing have been selectively bred in Hannover, Germany, for more than four hundred…
HEIGHT: 13–15 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: The Tyrol region of Austria and Italy SPECIAL QUALITIES: Attractive, sturdy small horses with an excellent disposition; always some shade of chestnut or sorrel with white or flaxen mane and tail BEST SUITED FOR: Pleasure, competitive, and hitch…
HEIGHT: 14.2–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Driving horses of substance, soundness, and endurance famous for their spectacularly high ground-covering motion BEST SUITED FOR: Driving, jumping, and improvement of other breeds The word hackney derives from haquenée in French, a language commonly spoken in England in…
HEIGHT: 14–15.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: England SPECIAL QUALITIES: Compact, strong cobs; often black-and-white pintos; abundant manes and tails and heavy leg feathering BEST SUITED FOR: Driving, pleasure riding, dressage It is highly unusual for an entire breed of horses to go quickly from…
HEIGHT: 12–14.1 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Northwestern Spain SPECIAL QUALITIES: A very rare breed of gaited, pony-sized horses with the character, presence, courage, and stamina of other Spanish breeds BEST SUITED FOR: Trail and endurance riding, cutting, and reining The Galiceno breed originated in…
HEIGHT: 15–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: The area along the coast of the North Sea once known as Friesland, stretching from present-day Netherlands to Denmark SPECIAL QUALITIES: Striking profile, regal bearing, solid black color, full manes and tails, and feathered fetlocks BEST SUITED…
HEIGHT: 13.2–15 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Southeastern United States; descended from early Spanish horses SPECIAL QUALITIES: An extremely rare breed of gaited horses with excellent “cow sense” BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch work, endurance, trail riding, team penning, team roping The Florida Cracker Horse’s long,…
HEIGHT: 15.2–17 hands, average is about 16.1 PLACE OF ORIGIN: Holland SPECIAL QUALITIES: World-famous for their athletic ability BEST SUITED FOR: Jumping, dressage, and driving Although most North Americans think of Holland as primarily a country of tulips and windmills, the Dutch tradition of…
HEIGHT: 14.2–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: The high plains of eastern Colorado SPECIAL QUALITIES: Excellent endurance, athleticism, and “cow sense”; some individuals exhibit the leopard-complex genes (Appaloosa coloring) BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch work, pleasure and trail riding, all Western events The story of the…
HEIGHT: 16–16.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Yorkshire, England SPECIAL QUALITIES: A category 1, Critical Rare Breed; demonstrates great uniformity in color, type, and quality; has long been used for the improvement of other breeds BEST SUITED FOR: Field and show hunters, dressage, combined driving,…
HEIGHT: 13.2–14.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Northwestern Arizona; genetic heritage goes back to the early Spanish horses SPECIAL QUALITIES: A critically rare breed of sure-footed, tough, athletic horses; conformation is representative of Spanish Colonial Horses; some are gaited BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance, trail, ranch…
HEIGHT: 10–12 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: A very ancient breed rediscovered in northern Iran in 1965 SPECIAL QUALITIES: Small, beautiful, fine-boned, tractable horses of surprising, strength and athleticism BEST SUITED FOR: Driving, jumping; elegant and reliable children’s mounts In an astonishing and incredibly lucky…
HEIGHT: 16 hands and taller PLACE OF ORIGIN: Canada, especially Ontario SPECIAL QUALITIES: An evolving breed of large, solid horses that are structurally correct and have fluid movement, excellent jumping talent, and a natural ability to work with their human partners BEST SUITED…
HEIGHT: 14.3–16.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Quebec SPECIAL QUALITIES: Hardy, sound, easy keeper BEST SUITED FOR: Riding, jumping, and driving The Canadian Horse has a long, underreported yet illustrious history, marked by repeated surges and precipitous falls in popularity. The breed has contributed much…
HEIGHT: Male horses 15–16.1 hands, mares 14.3–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Mexico SPECIAL QUALITIES: Spirit, intelligence, agility, power, strength, elegance, and style BEST SUITED FOR: Dressage, bullfighting, reining, cutting, team penning, roping, polo, and pleasure riding Although the Azteca is the national horse of…
Arabian HEIGHT: 14–15.3 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Middle East, especially Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Jordan SPECIAL QUALITIES: Great beauty, tremendous endurance, high tail carriage, and unflagging spirit BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance, pleasure, and showing Among the most beautiful of all horses, the Arabian…
Appaloosa Horse HEIGHT: 14.2–16.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Western Washington state and eastern Idaho SPECIAL QUALITIES: Bold coat-color patterns, striped hooves, mottled skin on nose, lips, and genitals BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch work, trail riding, Western sports, jumping, and middle-distance racing The distinctive patterns…
HEIGHT: 15–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Spain and Portugal SPECIAL QUALITIES: Exceptionally even temperament, elegance, agility, power, “cow sense” BEST SUITED FOR: Dressage, all general riding purposes, ranch and cattle work, and mounted bullfighting The differences between Lusitanos and Andalusians are a matter of…
HEIGHT: 15–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Eastern United States, especially Kentucky SPECIAL QUALITIES: Elegance and beauty; can have three or five gaits BEST SUITED FOR: Showing (riding and driving); trail and pleasure riding The roots of this truly American breed go back to the…
HEIGHT: 14.2–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: North America; originated along the eastern seaboard and solidified into a breed on the ranches of the American West SPECIAL QUALITIES: Exceptional athleticism and versatility; extreme speed for short distances; most highly developed “cow sense” of any…
HEIGHT: 14.2–16.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: The American West SPECIAL QUALITIES: Striking color patterns, stock-type conformation, versatility, athleticism, gentle temperament BEST SUITED FOR: Western competition, ranch work, and trail riding That colored horses have always attracted attention is well documented in the art of…
HEIGHT: 13–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Throughout North America SPECIAL QUALITIES: Tough and durable; features vary according to tribal and family lines BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance The history of the American Indian Horse is the history of the American West. These animals transformed entire…
HEIGHT: 14.3–15.2 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Western North America SPECIAL QUALITIES: Unique curly coat and mane; smooth lateral gaits BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch work, trail riding, endurance, and all pleasure sports Nevada rancher Giovanni Damele and his family first saw horses with dense, curly…
HEIGHT: 13 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Spain SPECIAL QUALITIES: Colorful, Spanish-trait horses; some rack or pace; only 12 living representatives of breed in existence The Bahamas is a chain of 700 islands with a total landmass of 5,360 square miles, a bit smaller…
HEIGHT: 15–16 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Turkmenistan SPECIAL QUALITIES: Metallic sheen to coat; soft, gliding gaits; extraordinary endurance BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance and dressage Most sources consider the Akhal-Teke (pronounced ah-kul TEHkey) to be a strain closely related to the Turkmenian, an ancient, influential…