HORSE BREEDS ALPHABET

By Tosha Wixom

ARABIAN HORSE

The Arabian Horse originated on the Arabian Peninsula

It’s head shape & high tail carriage is very recognizable.

They’ve developed high spirit and alertness, since they were often used for war

Fact: Arabian Horses are about 14.3 hands high, and weighs around 900 pounds

BLACK FOREST HORSE

Fact: Black Forest Horse is about 14-15 hands high & weighs around 1,100 pounds

Also known as the Black Forest Cold Blood

They originated in Germany They are a draft horse, &

originally worked in forests, plus pulled carriages

Since Black Forest Horses are gentle and good-natured they have became a common riding horse

CLYDESDALE HORSEo Clydesdales developed on a

farm in Clydesdale Scotland

o They are a type of draft horse

o Their neck is long & arched, their shoulders are sloped and muscular

o Clydesdale's actions are energetic and ground covering

Fact: Clydesdale Horses are about 16-17 hands high, & weigh around 2,000 pounds

DANISH WARMBLOOD A sport horse breed of

Denmark Common competitions, in

which Danish Warmblood perform is dressage

They are an uncommon breed in the U.S., but a new Association is promoting the breed

Fact: Danish Warmblood Horses are about 16.2-17 hands high

EAST BULGARIAN HORSE East Bulgarian Horse is a

Warmblood breed of horse Their a light work horse,

and can do several competitive sports like dressage and eventing

They have a long straight back as well as muscular neck & legs Fact: East Bulgarian

horse is about 15-16 hands high

FRIESIAN HORSE• The Friesian horse originated in

Friesland, Netherlands • Some characteristics include a

black coat, a black long, thick (often wavy) mane and tail, plus silky hair on their lower legs

• They are a light draft horse and are very quick & graceful for their size

• Their used in harness, under saddle, and dressage Fact: Friesian Horses

are about 14.2-17 hands high

GYPSY VANNER HORSEThe Gypsy Vanner Horse

originated in Ireland They are usually a tobiano

color (a spotted color pattern) Plus they have some draft

horse characteristics, they are heavy boned, and powerful with a short neck & back

They have a outstanding endurance and can go long distances without tiring

Fact: Gypsy Vanner Horses are about 14-17 hands high

HOLSTEINER HORSE The Holsteiner Horse originated in

Germany Before the use of mechanization

Holsteiner horses were used in agriculture as coach horses, and sometimes just for riding

They are very talented in show jumping, dressage, combined driving & eventing

In general Holsteiners will have a round, soft, light gait

Fact: Holsteiner Horses are about 16-17 hands high

Icelandic Horse The Icelandic Horse originated

from Iceland Since horses are prohibited from

being imported to Iceland, and not allowed to return once they are exported they have very few diseases

The breed first developed in the 12th century and brought by early settlers

During this time the Icelandic Horse was almost wiped out due to Iceland’s harsh temperatures, and a volcanic eruption in the 1780s

Fact: Icelandic Horses are about 13-14 hands high and weigh around 730-830 pounds

JUTLAND HORSEo Jutland Horses are a

breed of draft horse which was originated in Denmark

o They are traced back to the Middle Ages when knights would use them for jousting

o They have short stocky legs, usually a high carried, muscular neck and upright shoulders

Fact: Jutland Horses are about 15-16.1 hands high and weigh around 1,430 – 1,760

KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN SADDLE HORSE Developed in eastern

Kentucky United States A distinguished trait that the

Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse has is a natural gait called a amble; this gait is gentle and smooth over rough terrain which allows the rider to sit almost motionless

They are compact well muscled, refined and athletic

Fact: Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horses are about 11-16 hands high

LIPIZZANER HORSE Lipizzaner Horses were

developed in the 16th century at a stud farm in modern day Slovenia

Lipizzaner horses are a sport horse that competes in dressage and driving

They have a sturdy arched neck, small ears, a long head, straight body and are well muscled and strong

The Lipizzaner Horse usually matures slowly, but lives and performs longer than most breeds

Fact: Lipizzaner Horses are about 14.2-15.2 hands high

MORGAN HORSE• Morgan Horse is one of the earliest

breeds of horses developed in the U.S.

• In the 1840’s they were used as harness racing horses because of their trotting ability

• They were also used in many wars as well as the Pony Express

• They have strong legs, laid back shoulders, and a arched neck

• All Morgans can be traced back a stallion named Figure, his owner Justin Morgan is how the breed got it’s name

Fact: (Morgan Horses are about 14.1-15.2 hands high & weigh around 950 pounds)

NORTH SWEDISH HORSE The North Swedish Horse

originated from Sweden They are considered to be a light

draft horse, and are used for agriculture & forestry work, as well as harness racing

They are easy to work with, strong, durable, plus have a long- stride and energetic trot

The North Swedish horse is also a very healthy, & active horse Fact: North Swedish

horses are about 15.1-15.3 hands high

ORLOV TROTTER HORSE The Orlov Trotter Horse

originated in Russia Usually Orlov Trotter horses

are born with a darker gray or black coat, but will eventually lighten up as they get older until their coat is completely white

They are mainly used for riding & harness racing

They are valued for their ability to work hard, combined with their elegance & beauty

Fact: Orlov Horse is about 14-17 hands high

PERCHERON HORSE The Percheron Horse originated

as a draft horse in northern France

The Percheron was specifically bred to be a war horse, it was mostly used in World War 1 by the British, & hauling heavy items

They are now used for forestry work, show jumping, and pulling carriages

Some characteristics include being alert, intelligent, willing to work, and easy to train

Fact: Percheron Horses can be from 16.2-19 hands high and weigh anywhere from 1,900 pounds to 2,600 pounds

QUARTER HORSEo The Quarter Horse was a mixed

breed of English horses, & a Chickasaw breed brought to the U.S. by Spanish Conquistadors.

o They are a sturdy, quick, nimble horse, which soon dominated the quarter mile track (that’s how they got their name)

o Due to their speed, maneuverability, and instinct for working with cattle, Quarter horses soon became a favorite for Cowboys

Fact: Quarter Horses are about 14-16 hands high, and weigh around 1,000 pounds

RUSSIAN DON HORSE The Russian Don horse

originated in Russia Some characteristics are

straight shoulders, long back strong tendons, and tough hooves

They were used in cavalry, since they could cover lots of distance in little time, with energy left for battles, they also pulled tachankas

They are now commonly used just for ridding, & harness

Fact: Russian Don horses are about 15.1-15.3 hands high

SPOTTED SADDLE HORSE The Spotted Saddle breed was

developed in the United States Since it was cross bred with

pinto & gaited horses, the bred possess a smooth gait, strength, gentleness, plus it’s good on rough, or steep trails

Their ears are long, & are very alert, they have long slopping shoulders and hips (very common in gaited horses Fact: Spotted Saddle horses

are about 13.3-16 hands high

THOROUGHBRED HORSE• The Thoroughbred horse

originated in England• Since they are known for their

speed & agility, thoroughbreds are used as racing horses

• They are also used in combined training, show jumping, dressage, & polo

• Because thoroughbreds perform with maximum effort, they have a higher chance of having an accident, or having health problems (including bleeding from the lungs)

Fact: Thoroughbred horses are about 15.2 – 17 hands high

UKRAINIAN RIDING HORSE The Ukrainian Riding

horse was developed in Ukraine

They do compete riding, and are talented at eventing, show jumping, and dressage

They have a long muscular neck, the back is long also Fact: Ukrainian Riding

horses are about 15.1 – 16.1 hands high

VIRGINIA HIGHLANDER HORSE The Virginia Highlander

horse originated in United States

They are very well tempered, and have a natural single foot gait

Their coat colors include gray, roan, chestnut, and white Fact: Virginia Highlander

horses are about 13 - 14 hands high

WALER HORSE The Waler Horse

originated in Australia They have great endurance

and are strong when under extreme stress from lack of water and food due to Australia’s climate

Waler horses were used in cavalry because of their steady gaits allow them to walk fast, for a long time without going into a trot

Fact: Waler horses are about 15 – 16 hands high

XILINGOL HORSEo The Xilingol horse

originated in Mongoliao They are used as a light

draft horse and for riding

o They were developed by breeding a Chinese Mongolian, and Russian Thoroughbreds

Fact: Xilingol horses are about 15.2 hands high

YAKUTIAN HORSE The Yakutian horse was

originated in Siberia They have a thick mane,

and a heavy hair coat in order to stand the extreme frozen climate of Yakutia

They have the ability to search through deep snow to graze on the vegetation

Fact: Yakutian horses are about 14.3 hands high

ZWEIBRUCKER HORSE The Zweibrucker horse

is a type of German warmblood breed

They are a type of sport horse, & compete in dressage, eventing, show jumping, & combined driving

They are a large framed, powerful, elegant horse with a flexible gait

Fact: Zweibruker horses are about 15.3 – 16.3 hands high