Horse breeds

The quarter horse has a powerful, medium-sized body, and stands about 142 to 163 cm (about 56 to 64 in, or 14 to 16 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). This horse frequently is photographed from behind to accentuate its heavily muscled, well-proportioned hindquarters and hind legs. The back is short and straight, the chest wide and deep, and the shoulders long and muscular. A long, flexible neck supports the short, broad head. It has a wide forehead, large, alert eyes, and ears set wide apart.

The quarter horse comes in almost any color. However, no white markings are allowed above the knees, except on the face, for registration with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). With more than 3 million horses registered, the AQHA is the largest horse breed association in the world.

The quarter horse originated in 17th-century Virginia when settlers imported stock from which the English Thoroughbred descended. They crossed those horses with the Chickasaw pony, which descended from wild Spanish horses. The result was the quarter horse, an all-around horse used for farm work, logging, light harness work (pulling carts and wagons), and racing. The quarter horse takes its name from the length of the first racetracks on the American frontier, which were straight and measured a quarter-mile long. Originally prized for its quick start and speed over short distances, this horse soon became more valuable for working cattle.

The nimble quarter horse is a natural for working cattle. It can make short stops and turns and accelerate explosively from a standstill. Even without a rider it will work, or cut, cattle. The quarter horse often is used as a pack (cargo-carrying) animal for camping and hunting trips in mountain country of the American West. It also is used as a mount for calf-roping and bulldogging at rodeos, barrel racing, parades, and recreational riding.

Although many Native Americans became fine horsemen, the Nez Perce were unique for their tightly controlled breeding programs. The Appaloosa was developed of necessity as a hardy, all-purpose horse. It was an excellent hunting mount, responding to leg and weight signals while the rider used both hands for the bow and arrow. The Nez Perce trained the Appaloosa to single out buffalo for the kill amid the confusion of a stampeding herd.

The Appaloosa stands about 142 to 157.5 cm (about 56 to 62 in, or about 14 to 15.2 hands) high at the withers (the sides of the ridge between the shoulder bones). The body is strong and compact, but not heavy. The Appaloosa has been crossed with the quarter horse, and has acquired the exaggerated hind quarters of that breed. A refined head gives this horse a distinct appearance. The edge of the eyeballs are white, adding to the Appaloosa’s expressive look. The skin around the muzzle, eyes, and genitals is spotted or mottled. The firm hooves have vertical dark and light stripes. The toes may turn in slightly, adding to this horse’s ability to navigate mountain ridges.

The Appaloosa has a fine, soft coat similar to that of the Andalusian horse. The mane and tail are silky but sparse, which makes them less likely to snag on brush. There are five Appaloosa coat patterns: leopard (white with dark, egg-shaped spots over the loins and hips); snowflake (spots all over the body with spotting dominant over the hips); blanket (white without dark spots over the hips); marble (spots of similar size all over the body); and frost (white specks with a dark background).

The Appaloosa breed was revived from the few remaining horses still exhibiting the breed’s original characteristics by the Appaloosa Horse Club, which was organized in 1938. It is now the third largest breed registry in the world, with a population exceeding 65,000 animals. The Appaloosa also has been crossed with the Shetland pony to produce the Pony of the Americas, a smaller version of the Appaloosa with its own registry.

The Appaloosa is a popular saddle horse, particularly when sure-footedness and endurance are needed. It is a natural at cutting cattle, and sometimes performs this task without a rider. It is also used widely in rodeo barrel racing, western-riding-club drills, dressage (precision movements in response to a trainer), and jumping.

This ancient, pure breed is widely regarded as the definition of beauty and elegance in horses. Acknowledged as the primary ancestor of the Thoroughbred horse, famed for its speed, strength, and endurance, the Arabian has influenced the development of almost all modern horse breeds. An unmatched combination of great stamina, speed, a solid body, intelligence, longevity, and grace are significant traits the Arabian has passed on to other breeds.

The Arabian has a lean, fine body. It stands about 147 to 153 cm (about 58 to 60 in, or 14 to 15 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder bones). The legs are well-muscled with broad joints, and the feet are small and tough. The Arabian has 17 ribs, 5 lumbar vertebrae, and 16 caudal vertebrae, compared with 18 ribs, 6 lumbar vertebrae, and 18 caudal vertebrae in most horses. This bone structure gives the Arabian a comparatively short back that is slightly concave. It also has a high, banner-like carriage of its tail. A distinguishing feature of the Arabian’s neck is the mitbah, the angle that gives the neck its characteristic arch and the head a wide range of motion. Breeders often emphasize the mitbah by shaving the first 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) of the mane. The wedge-shaped head tapers to a small, soft muzzle. The face has a noticeable dished, or concave, profile. The jaws are round and wide set, and the forehead is high and rounded. The Arabian’s dark eyes are remarkable: large and wide, the eyes are more oval-shaped in the Arabian than in other breeds. The Arabian is chestnut (gold), bay (reddish), gray, or black. Dark skin around the eyes enhances the horse’s dark appearance.

Mystery and mysticism surround the origins of the Arabian. According to an ancient legend, the Arabian descended from 7 ancestors selected by King Solomon, ruler of ancient Israel between 961 and 922 BC, from the 40,000 chariot horses and 12,000 riding horses he owned. Muslim tradition says the breed descended from the 5 mares of the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, that were the first of 85 to reach Mecca after the prophet sent them there with news of a military victory.

Breeders today believe that the Arabian probably descended from the tarpan, a prehistoric, primitive horse, and the Caspian, a pony that is the most ancient horse breed in existence. The Arabian has been bred pure on the Arabian Peninsula throughout its existence. The bloodlines of this horse are traced through the descendants of individual mares. For centuries, Bedouin horsemen kept track of their horses’ pedigrees by word of mouth, tracing them back to at least 2500 BC. Owners who could write noted a mare’s ancestry on a small piece of parchment and placed it together with small blue beads in a bag, which then was placed around the mare’s neck to ward off evil spirits.

The Arabian was used by Bedouins for both transportation and as a mount for battle with neighboring peoples. Traditionally, only mares were ridden into battle. They were called banat er rih, or daughters of the wind. The Arabian also played a key role in the spread of Islam. Muhammad declared that by caring for this horse in life, the faithful would be redeemed after death. Muslim invasions in the 7th and 8th centuries introduced the Arabian to North Africa and Southern Europe where it influenced the development of additional horse breeds. Military leaders who rode the Arabian into battle include George Washington and Napoleon. By the 19th century, breeding programs were well established throughout Europe. Most Arabian horses now are bred in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Poland.

Paint (horse), also called pinto, breed of horse with spotted coloring. The paint played a large role in the early North American West. It descended from Andalusian horses, which Spanish conquistadors brought to the Americas in the 16th century. The name comes from the Spanish pintado, meaning painted, and cowboys simply called this horse the paint.

The paint has a powerful, compact body. It stands about 142 to 158 cm (about 56 to 62 in, or 14 to 15.5 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). The well-muscled legs and the back are short, and the chest is wide and deep. The head is straight with a wide face and medium-sized ears.

Because it lacks uniform physical characteristics, the paint is not regarded as a true breed despite similarities among individual horses. However, the paint is considered a color breed because the primary feature that distinguishes this horse is its color pattern. It appears with either of two types of coloring: overo, a solid-colored coat with large, uneven patches of white all over the body; or tobiano, a white coat with large, uneven patches of solid color. The American Paint Horse Society registers western stock horses with paint coloring, primarily the quarter horse. The Pinto Horse Association registers painted horses of any type.

After Spanish conquistadors brought horses to North America, Native Americans captured spotted horses from these settlers. Those spotted horses eventually developed into the paint. Many Native American tribes—especially the Plains peoples—valued the paint for its decorative-looking coat, as cowboys did later. Plains peoples also appreciated the paint because it blended with the surrounding habitat. Modern day breeding programs have developed the paint as a versatile horse for herding cattle, recreational riding, and show competition.

The beautifully proportioned Andalusian is a strong, medium-sized horse. It stands about 153 to 163 cm (about 60 to 64 in, or 15 to 16 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). The back is short, the hindquarters wide and well-muscled, and the legs strong. The arched neck supports a wide head with a hawk-like profile. The Andalusian’s large, almond-shaped eyes are expressive, and its well-set ears are small. Its coat originally was colored bay (reddish) and black, but most Andalusians now are colored gray. The silky mane and thick, low-set tail are long and flowing.

Ancestors of this horse may have lived on the Iberian peninsula before the last Ice Age. The modern Andalusian probably developed through natural crossbreeding (rather than through a selective process by horse breeders) between the descendants of these ancestral horses, the primitive sorraia pony, and the barb horse brought to southern Europe by Muslim invaders in the 7th century. Later in the Middle Ages, the Andalusian was crossed with the Friesan horse, a mix that was the preferred mount of knights. In the late 15th century, monks in France developed the breed into one of the finest in the world while maintaining its purity. The Andalusian was the horse of the Spanish conquistadors, and Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés claimed it was second only to God in contributing to the successful conquest of the Aztec Empire of Mexico in the early 16th century.

The Andalusian produces outstanding new horse breeds. Descendants include the Lipizzaner, mustang, quarter horse, and American saddlebred. Originally developed as a fine, responsive riding horse, the Andalusian’s strength and agility made it the horse of choice for battles and bullfighting. Today the Andalusian is used for dressage (guiding a horse through a series of complex maneuvers with slight movements of the hands, legs, and weight of the rider), parades, and pulling coaches in international competition.

Peruvian Paso, also known as the Peruvian stepping horse, breed of riding horse that developed in Peru. The Peruvian paso, which was developed from horses brought to South America by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, is distinguished by its unique gait.

The Peruvian paso is a small horse, standing 142 to 153 cm (56 to 60 in, or 14 to 15 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). A deep body allows for its proportionately large heart and lungs, which give this horse the ability to travel for an extended time at speeds of 18 to 21 km/h (11 to 13 mph) in the high elevations of the Andes Mountains. The back is short and straight, and the chest and hindquarters well-muscled. The Peruvian paso has a well-proportioned, straight head, lively eyes, small ears, and flared nostrils. This horse comes in most colors.

The legs of the Peruvian paso are strong with unusually flexible joints, which allow its distinctive natural gait, the paso, a four-beat lateral gait similar to a fast walk. The paso gait is a vigorous movement of the forelegs, which swing sideways from the shoulder in a characteristic arc as the horse brings them forward. The powerful back legs support this movement, then slide forward over the tracks of the forefeet as the forefeet are lifted on each side. The hindquarters are held low and the front high. The Peruvian paso can maintain this smooth-riding gait for considerable distances in rough, mountainous terrain.

The ancestry of the Peruvian paso probably is three-quarters barb horse and one-quarter Andalusian horse. Since this breed originated, it has been developed selectively with little outside influence. The Peruvian paso now is bred in Peru, Colombia, and the United States, and still is used for travel in the mountains and across large estates.

Belgian Heavy Draft Horse, breed of working horse, also called the Brabant for the area of Belgium where it was developed. The oldest of the heavy working-horse breeds, the Belgian heavy draft horse descends directly from a prehistoric European horse and the Ardennais horse. This horse was the foundation for other breeds of heavy work horses, including the Suffolk Punch, Clydesdale, and Shire.

The prominent trait of the Belgian heavy draft horse is its phenomenal strength. This horse has a powerful body with a broad, muscular chest, large shoulders, and huge, muscled hindquarters. It weighs about 800 to 1000 kg (about 1760 to 2000 lb) and stands about 160 to 170 cm (about 63 to 67 in, or 15.5 to 17 hands) at the withers (the sides of the ridge between the shoulder blades). The short, dense legs are extremely strong, and the medium-sized feet are solid. The thick, arched neck supports a square-shaped head, which is small in proportion to the body.

The coat of the Belgian heavy draft horse is colored chestnut (gold), bay (reddish), or roan (black, brown, or chestnut mixed with white hairs). The Belgian heavy draft horse has a smooth, forceful step rather than a high or fancy motion like the Clydesdale.

During the Middle Ages, the Belgian heavy draft horse was known as the Flanders Great Horse and the Great War Horse. William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066, led his army mounted on a Belgian heavy draft horse. William and his horse each wore about 440 kg (about 200 lb) of armor. The Belgian heavy draft horse has been used throughout history for military transport during wars in Europe, including World War II (1939-1945).

The Belgian heavy draft horse—prized for its “legs of steel”—was for centuries used by farmers in Flanders, now Belgium, to plow their wet, heavy soil. Even with today’s mechanized farming techniques, this horse maintains its place on the farm. The wet soil of the European low lands can bog down a tractor, but not a Belgian heavy draft horse. It was introduced in the United States in the late 19th century, where it became the preferred draft horse. It still is used in the traditional collection of syrup from maple trees in New England.

Morgan Horse, breed of horse developed in the U.S. in the early 19th century. The breed is compact and usually reddish, but its coat may be brown or black. The horse is notable for being an ancestor of other important U.S. breeds such as the standardbred, the Tennessee walker, and the American saddle horse. The progenitor of the breed dates from about 1800 and was named for its innkeeper owner, Justin Morgan.

Palomino, characteristic of a distinctive coloration type of show or saddle horse. The coat is yellowish and the mane and tail are silver or white. Some degree of white marking on the face and legs is also allowed by registries. As the offspring do not necessarily show the same color pattern, the palomino is not a true horse breed, although there is a Palomino Horse Association. Palominos may also conform to the standards for the Arabian or the American quarter horse.

The Tennessee walker has a deep, barrel-shaped body. It stands about 153 to 163 cm (about 60 to 64 in, or 15 to 16 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). The short back is straight, and the muscular chest wide and deep. The sturdy legs are muscular with well-defined tendons. An arched, muscular neck supports the large, straight head. The Tennessee walker has gentle eyes, pointed ears, and flared nostrils. It usually is colored black, chestnut (gold), or bay (reddish).

There are two classes of Tennessee walker, which are determined by training. One is for pleasure riding, in which the natural movement of the horse is emphasized. The second class is for show only. A Tennessee walker in this group is trained with ankle chains and heavy shoes to encourage the high step. The tail often is “nicked”—some tendons are cut and reset to give the tail an upright carriage.

The Tennessee walker was developed from crosses between Narragansett pacer, American saddlebred, Thoroughbred, standardbred, and Morgan horses. The most influential stallion in the development of the Tennessee walker was a harness racer named Black Allan that failed as a race horse because its natural pace was a running walk. This famous, bounce-free, running walk is what gives the Tennessee walker its name.

The running walk is an inherited, four-beat lateral gait in which the hind foot on each side hits the ground just before the forefoot, overstepping its track by 15 to 30 cm (6 to 15 in). The horse’s head nods, the ears flop, and the teeth click in time while it walks. The Tennessee walker can maintain a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph) over long distances and 24 km/h (15 mph) over short distances. This horse also has a normal walk and a rocking-horse-like canter.

Akhal-Teké, breed of horse native to the desert oases of Turkmenistan, east of the Caspian Sea and north of Iran. One of the oldest horse breeds, the Akhal-Teké has been bred and raced for at least 3000 years. This horse is prized for its desert hardiness—it has remarkable endurance and resistance to heat.

The Akhal-Teké breed is as old as the Arabian horse, and may have been one of its ancestors. Records show this horse was ridden in the Turkmenistan region around 500 BC. The breed became a modern legend in 1935 when several Akhal-Tekés completed an 84-day, 4128-km (2565-mi) trek from Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan, to Moscow, Russia. This incredible journey, which included 966 km (600 mi) of desert with minimal rations of feed and water, has never been equaled.

The Akhal-Teké stands about 157.5 cm (about 62 in, or 15.5 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). Its long, narrow, tubelike body has the fine, strong build typical of desert horses. The legs and back are long, and the withers are high. The long, slender neck is carried unusually high, joining the body at a 45-degree angle—a distinguishing characteristic of this breed. Large eyes and wide nostrils give the fine-boned face a bold expression. Large ears are set wide apart.

Developed for its racing ability, the Akhal-Teké appears as graceful as it is powerful. This horse is now bred in Kazakhstan, Dagestan, and the northern Caucasus Mountains. It is ridden, raced, and used for show jumping, dressage (guiding a horse through a series of complex maneuvers with slight movements of the hands, legs, and weight of the rider), and competitive long-distance riding.

The Percheron is one of the largest of all horses, standing about 163 to 173 cm (about 64 to 68 in, or 16 to 17 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades) and weighing about 909 kg (about 2000 lb). The compact body is broad and deep with a deep chest. The short legs are stocky, but its stride is long for a draft horse. A thick, slightly arched neck supports the long, handsome head. The Percheron has large, expressive eyes, well-proportioned ears, and flared nostrils. It usually is colored gray or black.

The Percheron probably descended from ancient horses that roamed Europe, and later was influenced by the heavy Flanders horse, now known as the Belgian heavy draft horse. The knights of Charles Martel, who ruled the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia (in present northeastern France and southwestern Germany), probably rode Percheron horses when Martel’s army defeated Islamic invaders at Poitiers, France in the 8th century AD, ending the Muslim occupation of France. This encounter introduced the Percheron to the influence of Arabian and barb horses, which were ridden by Muslim soldiers. Over the years, the Percheron was used as a cavalry horse, a farm horse, a coach horse, a heavy artillery horse, and a saddle horse. This horse was especially popular between 1880 and 1920 when it pulled trolley-like buses in Paris.

The Percheron holds two world records: A stallion named Dr. Le Gear is the largest horse ever documented, standing 213.5 cm (84 in, or 21 hands) at the withers and weighing 1372 kg (3024 lb); a mare in Australia set the unofficial pulling record of 1545 kg (3410 lb) over 4.5 m (15 ft).

Mustang, also bronco, small, semiwild horse of Mexico and the western plains of the United States. Descendants of Arabian and barb horses brought to North America by Spanish explorers in the 16th century and later combined with other breeds, mustangs adapted themselves to the western habitat and multiplied in large numbers. Subsequently many of them were captured, domesticated, and bred by native Americans, most notably the Cayuse people. These domesticated horses became known as Indian ponies or, in the northwestern U.S., cayuses. They had remarkable endurance and intelligence and were valued as saddle ponies. Today the several thousand mustangs that remain in the wild are threatened with destruction by ranchers who claim they damage grazing lands; they are also rounded up and used for dog food. See Horse.

Missouri Fox Trotter, breed of horse developed in the United States, known for its unique gait, the fox trot, a smooth, pace comfortable to both horse and rider. Developed around 1820 as a versatile horse for life on the North American frontier, the Missouri fox trotter now is an all-around horse for shows and trail riding.

The Missouri fox trotter is a small- to medium-sized horse. It stands 142 to 163 cm (46 to 64 in, or 14 to 16 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). The body is wide with a long, broad back, deep chest, and muscular legs. The head is small with a tapered muzzle, large eyes, and pointed ears. The Missouri fox trotter’s coat may come in any color, but chestnut (gold) with white markings is a common coloring.

The Missouri fox trotter was developed by settlers who moved to Missouri from the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia in the early 19th century, bringing with them American saddlebred, Arabian, Morgan, Thoroughbred, and Tennessee walker horses. Because horse racing was popular, many horses were bred at this time for speed as well as for transportation and farming. But as the influence of churches became established on the frontier, horse racing was forbidden for religious reasons in many communities. Settlers then turned their attention to developing a sure-footed horse that could navigate the Ozark Mountains while comfortably carrying a rider all day. The Missouri fox trotter was produced through their breeding programs.

While the Missouri fox trotter is capable of a high, showy step, the fox-trot gait is its featured trait. When moving in the fox-trot gait, the Missouri fox trotter walks with its front legs and trots with its back legs. Its head nods in rhythm with the motion of the front legs, while the tail bobs in time with the steps of the back legs. The legs appear to glide in the fox-trot gait, rather than move in a high or showy action. The natural gait of this horse is emphasized by those who raise it, and alternative training methods are discouraged strongly.

The Missouri fox trotter usually is ridden with a western rather than an English saddle, unlike other horses with a high or showy gait. This horse carries its back level, which gives a smooth, comfortable ride. It does not tire easily: When moving in the fox-trot gait, it can maintain a steady speed of 8 to 11 km/h (5 to 7 mph) over a long distance, and can reach 16 km/h (10 mph) for a short distance.

Trakehner, once known as the East Prussian horse, a breed of riding horse. The Trakehner is considered by many to be the ideal competition horse and Europe’s best warmblood (a horse displaying the lighter, faster qualities of the Arabian and other desert horses).

The athletic-looking Trakehner is a tall horse, standing about 163 to 173 cm (about 64 to 68 in, or 16 to 17 hands) high at the withers (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). The back is straight, the chest deep, and the shoulders well muscled. The legs are muscular with well-defined tendons. A long, well-formed neck carries the straight head. The Trakehner has a gentle face and lively eyes. It usually is colored black, brown, chestnut (gold), bay (reddish), and rarely, gray.

The Trakehner is a direct descendant of the tarpan, a primitive horse. It was developed first by the Order of Teutonic Knights in East Prussia (now Poland) in the 13th century. The knights used the hardy Schweiken pony as the base for the Trakehner. In 1732, King Frederick William I established a royal stud farm at Trakehnen, from which this breed later received its name. The first Trakehners were bred as carriage horses, but soon the emphasis changed to development of a riding horse for nobility that also was suitable as a mount for cavalry soldiers. In the early 19th century, Arabian and Thoroughbred horses were crossed with Trakehners to improve the breed. The Trakehner almost was exterminated during World War II (1939-45), but the breed was restored in West Germany (now Germany) after the war ended. It now is bred in Germany, the United States, and Canada.

The Trakehner makes an excellent competitor. It excels in dressage (guiding a horse through a series of complex maneuvers with slight movements of the hands, legs, and weight of the rider) and jumping, and also is a popular mount for cross-country and endurance riding events.