Small but mighty, miniature horse breeds pack a large punch in a diminutive body. In fact, the world’s smallest horse is a miniature horse breed.

But what is a miniature horse? Aren’t we just talking ponies here?

Is a miniature horse a pony?

Crucially, no. There’s a horse fact for you to break out at parties!

Miniature horses and ponies are two different classifications of equine – it’s all to do with conformation.

Hundreds of years of selective breeding give us the miniature horses we recognise today. Stand a miniature horse next to a pony of the same height, and you’ll soon see the difference.

In general, ponies have short, stocky legs and thicker necks. They usually have a wider barrel compared to horses and have proportionally shorter bodies, too.

In contrast, a miniature horse looks just like a scaled down sport or competition horse. They have proportionally longer bodies and legs, slender necks and elegant heads.

Can you ride miniature horses?

Miniature horse breeds are not commonly used for riding – only a very young child would be small and light enough to do so. They would still need to be backed, trained and selected for an appropriate career like a regular-sized horse.

Many minis are used in driving, showing, and agility, and are also bred as pets and used as therapy animals.

Miniature horse breeds

1. Falabella

Height: 24–28 inches

Weight: 50–80kg

Country of origin: Argentina

This tiny rare horse breed is the world’s smallest, and quite possibly the hardiest because they can withstand extreme temperatures and unforgiving landscapes.

Spanish horses brought to South America from the 16th century represent this breed’s origins. After some of them ended up getting loose and turning feral – even wild – they carved a path to some of the most hard-to-reach areas, such as isolated places outside Buenos Aires. Some of this equine population joined the indigenous Mapuche people.

How did the breed become so small? Generation upon generation was exposed to harsh climates, limited food and scarce water. The Falabella grew smaller and smaller to adapt to these conditions. And, because finding food and water was so tough, they became more intelligent over time in order to survive.

Falabellas were noticed by outsiders in 1845, when Irish settler Patrick Newell observed the remarkably small horses were kept alongside the Mapuche’s riding horses. He and his family took to keeping Falabellas and breeding them. His son-in-law, Juan Falabella, took up the mantle and gave the breed his name.

Juan brought Shetland pony and English thoroughbred blood into the breed to refine the Falabella into what we know today.

2. American Miniature

Height: Less than 34 inches

Weight: 68–136kg

Country of origin: USA

According to the American Miniature Horse Society, American Miniatures are the result of nearly 400 years of selective breeding, with the earliest record of a small horse arriving in the country from overseas appearing in 1888. However, mini horses didn’t land in the wider public consciousness until as late as 1960.

The breed is understood to have been cultivated from the blood of English and Dutch working horses, particularly those put to work in mines (no prizes for guessing why!). These horses arrived in the US in the 19th century and went into the Appalachian Mountains to mine.

There is some evidence that the Shetland pony was also introduced to help achieve the desired miniature stature.

3. Dutch Miniature

Height: 42 inches or less

Weight: 68–159kg

Country of origin: Netherlands

In Dutch, this tiny horse’s name is the Nederlands Minipaard.

With a studbook established in 1993, the original rules for registration with the breed society (Nederlandse Mini Paarden Registratie Stamboek) allowed any horse under 42 inches (106cm) to register. This allowed the inclusion of greater genetic diversity when establishing this miniature horse breed.

Today, foals hoping to enter the stud book must follow much more stringent criteria. This includes having registered parents.

The breed society hosts an annual summer show for all mini breeds in July. There are no ridden classes on the schedule, but participants compete in competitions like showing, jumping and driving.

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Do you have a handle on the world’s rare horse breeds?

All over the world lie elusive and rare breeds that you should definitely know about, many of which are British native breeds. Organisations such as the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) and individual breed societies oversee populations and campaign for the breeds’ conservation.

Here, we bring you a selection of rare horse breeds from across the globe, and some interesting facts about them…

Rare British horse breeds

1. The Dales pony

• Height: 14hh–14.2hh
• Colour(s): black, brown, grey, bay and roan
• Place of origin: the Pennines region
• RBST status: Priority breed

The Dales pony is native to the upper dales of the eastern slopes of the Pennine range, from the High Peak in Derbyshire to the Cheviot Hills near the Scottish Border.

The breed originates from the crossing of Scotch Galloways used for pack work in the 17th Century, and native mares. According to the Dales Pony Society: “it was that the black Galloways of the mixed herds eventually superseded the Scotch Galloway, and eventually became the Dales Pony through a series of improvements from several sources.”

Bloodlines from the now extinct regional trotter (or roadster) breeds also helped develop the Dales pony we know and love today.

According to the Dales Pony Society: “the combination of strength, agility, thrift, hardiness and high courage, with good conformation and a calm, intelligent nature, makes the Dales Pony a first-class riding and driving pony with all the abilities of a true all-rounder.”

2. The Cleveland Bay

• Height: 16hh–16.2hh
• Colour(s): traditionally bay with black points, with a small white star the only permitted white marking
• Place of origin: the Cleveland Hills, Yorkshire
• RBST status: Priority breed

The Cleveland Bay horse can be traced back to the Chapman horse of the 17th century. According to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, it is the oldest established native British breed.

In former times, the only acceptable colour was solid bay in colour with no white with the possible exception of a very small star. Nowadays, horses with white hairs exceeding this breed standard can still be registered to protect their genetic value to the breed. However, their passport/studbook will note the deviation.

Initially bred in the Cleveland Hills, farmers used Cleveland Bays on the land, for riding and as pack animals.

The Cleveland Bay Horse Society acts as guardian of the breed. Formed in 1884 to preserve and promote the breed, it continues its role today.

The Royal family have given the breed a great boost. The late Queen’s grandfather had been a breeder of Cleveland bays in the 1920’s, and The late Queen purchased a Cleveland Bay colt named Mulgrave Supreme. They have been known to pull Royal carriages.

3. The Exmoor pony

• Height: 12hh–13.2hh
• Colour(s): bay, brown or black, typically with pale points (mealy markings) on the face, especially around the eyes, flanks and inside the legs
• Place of origin: Exmoor, Devon
• RBST status: Priority breed

Ponies have been on Exmoor since ancient times, and this environment shaped their size, characteristic hardiness, independent spirit and native intelligence. Many consider Exmoor ponies one of the country’s oldest pony breeds, roaming the land for approximately the last 5,000 years.

In 1818, the crown sold the Royal Forest of Exmoor to industrialist John Knight. The outgoing Warden, Sir Thomas Acland, took 30 of the ponies and founded the Acland herd (now known as the Anchor herd) running on Winsford Hill. Farmers from Withypool and Hawkridge, who had worked for the warden, also bought stock at the dispersal sale and founded several herds which still exist.

Although some breed Exmoor ponies on studs throughout the country, herds of semi-feral free-ranging ponies still run on the moor.

The late 1940s nearly saw the demise of the Exmoor pony.

Today, while still a rare breed, they are a popular riding pony for children and small adults.

4. The Eriskay pony

• Height: 12hh–13.2hh
• Colour(s): grey, occasionally black or bay
• Place of origin: Eriskay, Outer Hebrides
• RBST status: Priority breed

The Eriskay pony is among the last surviving remnants of the original native ponies of the Western Isles of Scotland.

Essential to the crofting community, this breed was instrumental in the retrieval of seaweed and peat for fertiliser and fires. People also used them for transport and all kinds of farm work.

Unfortunately, like many rare horse breeds, the Eriskay declined in the 19th century due to the advent of farm machinery. By the early 1970s, there were only 20 pure-breds on the remote island of Eriskay, so a dedicated group of people got together in an attempt to increase numbers. The Eriskay Pony Society was founded in 1995.

According to the breed society, there are around 420 Eriskays left in the world.

5. The Suffolk Horse

• Height: 16.1hh–17.2hh
• Colour(s): chestnut, from dark liver to light red
• Place of origin: Suffolk, England
• RBST status: Priority breed

The Suffolk horse is the oldest breed of heavy horse to exist in its present form. They are also known as the Suffolk Punch. In local Suffolk dialect, their chestnut colour is called ‘chesnut’ without the ‘t’.

The earliest stud book of any heavy horse breed, and all modern Suffolks, are descended from just one horse, Crisp’s Horse of Ufford, which was born in 1768.

During the First World War, the strong horse was a popular working animal. Consequently, there were 1000s of Suffolks residing throughout East Anglia. They were known for their ability to be used for draught work and forestry

The rare breed declined rapidly when farmers swapped horses for tractors and machinery, and in 1966 there were only nine Suffolk foals registered.

Today, they are a popular cross to produce heavy sports and show horses, and they are being increasingly seen in ridden heavy horse classes.

6. The Hackney

• Height: 12.2hh–14hh (pony), 14hh–16.2hh (horse)
• Colour(s): solid colours, such as black, bay and chestnut, with white markings
• Place of origin: Norfolk and Suffolk
• RBST status: Priority breed

The Hackney had its origins in the Norfolk and Yorkshire Roadsters (trotting horses) of the 18th and 19th centuries, but is first mentioned in medieval times.

Early thoroughbred stallions had a great influence on the breed. According to the RBST: “Following improvements in the roads during the 16th and 17th century there was an increased demand for carriage horses and the highest status symbol was to be seen out in a stylish equipage with proud high-stepping horses.”

Known to trot at high speed for extended periods, these slender, muscular and elegant animals were perfect for the job. In 1883, the Hackney Horse Society and Stud Book was formed.

The signature high-stepping action characterises both the horse and pony versions of the breed. Efforts to preserve the breed include highlighting its versatility as a driving, riding and show horse.

Rare horse breeds from around the world

7. The Sorraia

• Height: 13.3hh–14.4hh
• Colour(s): dun of all kinds with primitive markings
• Place of origin: Portugal

Sorraia horses are a remnant population of an indigenous, South Iberian wild horse, which survived in the formerly inaccessible lowlands of the river Sorraia in Portugal until the early 1900s.

The Iberian scientist and horse expert Dr Ruy d’Andrade discovered these horses in 1920 and is responsible for their preservation.

Occasionally, locals caught the horses to train for herding and farming. However, the population is largely feral.

Today, there are only 200–300 Sorraias. Private owners hold most of this population.

All Sorraias descend from only 11 or 12 animals that d’Andrade secured in the 1930s, and in-breeding is therefore incredibly high.

8. The American Cream Draft Horse

• Height: 13.5hh–16.3hh
• Colour(s): pale cream to gold with a white mane and tail
• Place of origin: Iowa, US

The American Cream Draft is a relatively new breed and is the only draft breed to have originated in the United States. Varying reports say there are between 250 and 400 in the world.

Many believe that the Cream traces its roots back to a draft-type mare named Old Granny. She is believed to have been foaled around the turn of the last century in Iowa and was cream in colour.

Gaining popularity in the 1930s, an owner called Clarence T Rieson was especially proactive in breeding Creams. Sadly, they became popular just as mechanisation began making working horses obsolete.

The American Cream Draft Horse was recommended for recognition by the National Stallion Enrolment Board in 1948. In 1950 they were recognised as standard by the Iowa Board of Agriculture.

9. The Curly Horse (American Bashkir Curly Horse)

• Height: 14hh–16hh
• Colour(s): any
• Place of origin: Nevada, US

While there is no real limit to a Curly Horse’s size, colour and type, all carry a gene for a unique curly coat of hair.

Curlies are claimed to be the only hypoallergenic horse breed. They originated in North America with less than 1000 in the world today. Some say that a man named Peter Damele discovered them at the turn of the 20th century. He spotted curly-coated horses while riding out in the Nevada desert.

The American Bashkir Curly Registry, the first breed registry, formed in 1971.

Most of today’s curly horses have ancestry to one or more of the three stallions Copper D, Curly Jim or Eli Bad Warrior’s sire (name unknown).

The British Curly Horse and Pony society was founded in 2010.

10. The Marwari Horse

• Height: 14hh–15.1hh
• Colour(s): any
• Place of origin: Marwari (Jodhpur)

The Marwari Horse descends from the mounts of the Rajput warriors. A slender, elegant horse, it is recognisable for its inward-turned ear tips, which sometimes touch. With their lineage traced back to Arabian and Mongolian horses, this detail could link them to the Kathiawari horse.

The breed sadly fell out of favour with British colonisers, who preferred the thoroughbred.

Because the breed was rare and faced extinction, an export ban was placed in the 1930s and no Marwari horses were able to leave India. In 2000, Francesca Kelly in the United States received the first shipment of six horses.

Today, the breed is still rare with fewer than 5,000 purebred horses in the entire world.

11. German Black Forest Horse

• Height: 14.2hh–16hh
• Colour(s): chestnut (any shade) with a flaxen mane and tail
• Place of origin: The Black Forest, southern Germany

This striking, cold-blooded, light draft horse originates from the Black Forest of southern Germany, where breeding dates back to the 15th century. The records of the Abbey of Saint Peter in the Black Forest.

A versatile breed, they were originally used for farm work and forestry. Today, many people ride and drive them.

The rare German Black Forest Horse has many names. These include Schwarzwälder Füchs, Schwarzwälder Kaltblut, Wälder Horse, and Saint Märgener.

As of 2017, it was recorded that there was a population of 88 stallions and 1,077 mares, and one of the key breeding programmes is at the Marbuch Stud horse farm in Germany.

12. The Canadian Horse

• Height: 14hh–16hh
• Colour(s): most commonly black, but other colours appear
• Place of origin: Quebec, Canada

The Canadian Horse became the country’s national horse in 2002 and is registered as ‘at risk’ by Heritage Livestock Canada due to dwindling numbers. There are around 6,000 animals globally.

Canadian horses descend from a load of Spanish, Norman and Breton-bred horses sent to Canada in 1665 by King Louis XIV to his subjects in New France. From those foundation horses, a distinct breed of horse emerged, and became known as ‘Le Petit Cheval de Fer’ or ‘The Little Iron Horse’.

The Canadian Horse Breeders Association says the breed is known for “its calm and willing disposition, excellent feet, stamina and strength”. Additionally, the breed is understood to have influenced the Morgan horse.

13. The Caspian Horse

• Height: 10hh–12hh
• Colour(s): any solid colour
• Place of origin: ancient Persia (modern day Iran)

Caspian horses average only 11.2hh but despite their height, they considered horses rather than ponies due to their conformation.

The rare horse breed dates back to ancient Persia, at least as far as 3,000 B.C. Experts now believe the Caspian to be the forerunner to the Arab horse and therefore to most of the hot-blooded horses in existence today.

Caspians have spectacular action as well as speed. The breed underwent a resurgence when native Virginian Louise Firouz and her Iranian husband Narcy began a breeding programme, hearing the Caspian was an ideal horse for children.

In the 1970s, the late Prince Philip received a breeding pair of Caspians and conservation developed in the UK. There are fewer than 500 in Britain, and around 2,000 worldwide.

14. The Newfoundland Pony

• Height: 11–14hh
• Colour(s): bay, black, brown, chestnut, dun, grey, roan and white only
• Place of origin: Newfoundland, Canada

According to the Newfoundland Pony Society: “The Newfoundland Pony is known for its strength, courage, intelligence, obedience, and common sense.”

During the later part of the 20th century, the estimated population of 12,000 (1970s) dropped to fewer than 100 in the 1980s.

In 1997, the provincial government of Newfoundland passed the Heritage Animals Act of Newfoundland and Labrador. This Act provided legal protection to the Newfoundland Pony by making it illegal to transport Newfoundland Ponies off the Island without export permits. The Act also designated the Newfoundland Pony Society as the public group responsible for registering, promoting and protecting the Newfoundland Pony.

Truly one of the most rare horse breeds, there are an estimated 500–600 animals in Canada and the US.

15. Akhal-Teke

• Height: 14.2hh–16hh
• Colour(s): any colour with a metallic sheen, but frequently palamino, cremello and perlino with pale eyes
• Place of origin: Karakum desert, Turkmenistan

Developed for endurance and speed, the Akhal-Teke is one of the oldest domesticated horse breeds, with links as far back as a 6th-century Siberian burial site. Here, archaeologists discovered equine remains similar to the Akhal-Teke. According to legend, Macedonian King Alexander the Great once rode them.

In 1881, Turkmenistan became a part of the Russian Empire and the first official breeding farms of Akhal-Tekes were established. Numbers declined due to the turmoil that marked the early days of Soviet Russia.

The breed came to the United States in 1972. In the same year, the breed registry began with the founding of the Akhal-Teke Association of America.

This rare horse breed possesses great athletic ability and crossing with thoroughbreds and sport horses is common. There are an estimated 6,600 in the world.

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Stylish, sociable and with enthusiasm in spades, the British Spotted Pony is a breed who’ll give anything a go. With a variety of heights, builds and spotty patterns across the breed standard, no two look the same. Their willing, trainable natures combined with their strength and agility makes them the perfect child’s pony, though they can be found thriving in all manner of settings.

Jump to: History at a glance | Breed standard | Conformation | Colouring | Uses

About the British Spotted Pony: history at a glance

There’s evidence of ponies sporting spotted coats in Europe stretching back to the Stone Age, according to spotted horse paintings found in the cave of Pech Merle, France. This, plus DNA samples from the period indicating the possibility of dappled patterning on equine coats, proves that spotted horses roamed Europe as many as 25,000 years ago.

As France and Great Britain were part of one land mass at this time, it’s not impossible that spotted ponies migrated across and established populations here.

Further evidence of spotted ponies in Europe can be found in medieval manuscripts and tapestries spanning Europe from Spain to Turkey. On home soil, a record from the year 1298 states that Edward I of England had a spotted Welsh horse. It is also said that Charles II rode a white horse with irregular red markings whose name was ‘Bloody Buttocks’.

Spotted horses and ponies were formalised as a British breed in 1946 with the formation of the British Spotted Horse and Pony Society. As spotted ponies became more and more scarce throughout the 1960s and 70s due to export overseas, the society split in 1976 to form the British Appaloosa Society and the British Spotted Pony Society. Since then, society has kept a detailed register composed of multiple sections to reflect the numerous classifications of the British Spotted Pony.

Breed standard

The British Spotted Pony varies in height from 8–14.2hh, and the society recognises three distinct types:

• miniature (42in/10.2hh or less)
• riding pony (up to 14.2hh)
• cob type (up to 14.2hh)

All types of British Spotted Pony must display some or all of the following:

• White sclera around the eye – this is a white outer layer of the eyeball and gives the eye a ‘human’ appearance
• Mottled skin – skin that is flecked part pink, part dark and is most visible in areas such as the muzzle, eyes and genitals
• Striped hooves

Conformation

Head: well-proportioned with a flat, wide forehead and large, expressive eyes. The head should feature prominent nostrils and the throat should be well-defined

Body: compact and muscular with a short, strong back, deep chest and sloping shoulders

Legs: square, clean and true. The forelegs should be long in the forearm with strong knees. The hindlegs should feature a hock well let down, the point of which should not be set behind the line from the point of the quarter to the fetlock. The cob type should have plenty of bone and may have feather

Mane and tail: Both should be thick and abundant with the tail well set on the quarters

Colouring

The breed society does not accept piebald or skewbald markings of any kind. However, permissible coat patterns range widely:

Leopard: spots of any colour on a white or light coat

Near leopard: as leopard, but with a darker head and/or legs

Few spot leopard: as leopard, but only very few spots

Snowflake: white spots on a dark overall coat

Blanket: an area of white colouring over the pony’s hindquarters, with or without spotting, on any overall coat colour. The “blanket” can extend over the back

Mottled: a coat irregularly flecked with white and that may feature roan spots of any size, which are often coloured with dark blots

Solid colour ponies with proven British Spotted Pony genetics are also accepted onto the appropriate register by the society. The society also notes that solid colour ponies can “spot out”, or develop a spotted pattern as described above, as they age. Such ponies will switch to the appropriate section of the register.

Uses

Thanks to their trainability, athleticism and high spirits, British Spotted Ponies of the riding pony and cob varieties can make excellent children’s Pony Club mounts. They can be seen in all areas of pony sport, from gymkhana games and pony racing to pony trials, showjumping and dressage. Their strength and sturdiness also make them highly suited to driving.

Britsh Spotted Ponies’ eye-catching coats suit them to in-hand and ridden showing classes. Many miniatures find their wheelhouse as in-hand show or lead-rein ponies, while others thrive as much-loved companions and pets.

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When we talk Great British heavy horses, we often land on the Shire or Clydesdale first – but what about the Suffolk Horse?

The Suffolk Horse, historically known as the Suffolk Punch, is one of the UK’s four native species of heavy horse bred for draught work. They replaced oxen in the UK primarily because they are easier to shoe and can work in a collar, which is more efficient than a yoke for pulling. Suffolks ploughed and drilled the land, and undertook forestry work.

An icon of the county of Suffolk, these gentle giants played a vital role in our agricultural and military history. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, you’d have seen them everywhere. Today, though, the Suffolk Horse numbers fewer than 500 in the UK.

Not only due to their scarcity, these sturdy equines are also special due to their very own colour terminology. Indeed, you must always refer to Suffolks as ‘chesnut’, without the ‘t’, because this is the traditional regional spelling of the word.

 History at a glance

It’s said there have been heavy horses in Suffolk since the 16th century. The Suffolk Horse Society was founded in 1877 and the first studbook published in 1800. All studbook horses can trace their male lines back to one stallion, ‘Crisp’s Horse of Ufford’, who foaled in 1768.

The East Anglian counties of Suffolk and Norfolk both have a coastline and much of the land is flat, fertile and used in growing cereals. Suffolk horses were therefore highly valuable – and sought after – for farming the land. As such, many Suffolks were bred in the early to mid nineteenth century to meet demand. Some even went to the continent lend their talents to agricultural operations in mainland Europe.

Their strength, endurance and willingness to work were all traits that didn’t just make Suffolks excellent working farm animals. Undoubtedly, these qualities also made them standout candidates for pulling First World War artillery. On 13 August 1914, one division of the cavalry sent some 25,000 horses to France to help the war effort – no doubt many came from East Anglian farms. The army requisitioned some 120,000 horses from civilians in the first week of the conflict. Only those essential to farming operations remained in their homes.

The Great War depleted Suffolk numbers, but the 1940s and the rise of mechanised agriculture spelled disaster for the breed. As tractors were employed on the land, hedgerows removed and fields made larger, the population suffered a rapid decline. Sadly, many went to the meat market and fewer and fewer foals appeared – the society registered only nine Suffolk foals in 1966.

Conformation of the Suffolk Horse

Height: At maturity, the Suffolk generally ranges between 15.3–17hh, though there are instances of horses exceeding 17hh.

Colour: a Suffolk can only be chesnut (with one ‘t’), and the breed society will accept liver, dark, red, light or bright chesnut. A certain amount of white face markings, such as a star, is acceptable. In addition, they can have a scattering of silver or white hairs on the body. The breed society does not accept stallions with white leg hair for breeding.

Head and neck: A large yet elegant head with a broad forehead with well set, bright eyes. The neck should be deep in collar and taper up gracefully to the setting of the head.

Limbs: Short in proportion to body with big flat knees and long clean hocks. Short canon bones. Minimal hair allowed at the heels.

Body: Long, muscular shoulders, broad in front with a wide, level back that has a graceful outline. Girth in proportion and deep round ribbed from shoulder to flank.

The Suffolk Horse today

These days, breed conservation efforts have sprung into action to help protect, promote and increase numbers of the breed. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust list the Suffolk as a ‘priority equine’, plus there is an active community of Suffolk owners and breeders in the UK. The Suffolk Horse Society registered 32 foals in 2020.

Although Suffolks continue employment in some heritage land and conservation work, diversification of use continues to improve their popularity. The breed is gaining traction in the show ring, with four-year-old Suffolk mare Holbeache Scarlet taking the 2023 Search For A Star Championship at Your Horse Live.

The Suffolk Horse: An enthusiast’s view

Sam Maloy has two Suffolks of her own – a three-year-old gelding called Ashmead Red Romeo and his dam, 14-year-old Whatton Gertrude, who is in foal to stallion Whiterode Phoenix.

“Temperament wise, both my Suffolks are loving, and adore people,” says Sam. “Gerty is more of a homebody, preferring to stay at home than go to shows. She is a kind mare but can worry if she’s somewhere new without me.

“Romeo is more outgoing than his dam, and enjoys shows more. He doesn’t worry about the big shows, enjoys exploring new places with me.”

Sam drives both horses and backed Gerty herself. She competes in Ridden Heavy Horse classes at county shows and qualified for Equifest in 2018.

While Sam describes her Suffolks as softies who love attention and love to please, they shouldn’t be underestimated.

“They aren’t always for everyone,” she continues, “and in the wrong hands (like any breed) can be a bit much. They require firm, kind and consistent handling to bring the best out in them.

“I definitely prefer my Suffolks over my daft, reactive warmblood gelding.”

More than just “gentle giants”

Claire Bartram, who’s based on the Lincolnshire/Norfolk border, owns three Suffolks of her own. She works with nine others at Tommyshop Farm near King’s Lynn.

“We do a bit of everything,” she tells H&H. “We’ve got a couple that enter the ridden classes, showing, displays, driving – we just started two pairs ploughing at the back of last year. They go in agricultural vehicles to maintain a bit of the grazing at the farm, and we’ve horse-drawn fertilisers.”

Claire keeps the horses fit under saddle mostly – with so many to work, it’s more efficient than harnessing up and driving every day.

“They’re a lovely, active ride and really enjoyable. We err on the side of caution and keep them fit through a lot of walk and trot. In my opinion, they’re not made for a lot of canter work. They’re very short in the pastern and they’ve got a tonne coming down their feet each step. It’s about being aware of their size, weight and fitness level.”

An important thing about the Suffolk horse is that their size and nature shouldn’t be underestimated.

“They’re clever,” continues Claire, “and once they learn something they don’t forget it — that can be good or bad.

“The worst phrase for me is ‘gentle giants’. They’re well aware of their size and they’re not low energy. I think they’re spicier than the other heavy breeds.”

As a traditionalist, Claire shows the Suffolks with the mane and tail braided in with raffia, with the tail folded up. She puts tulip flights in the mane, always an odd number.

“We can get the mane and tail done in about 25 minutes each now,” she says. “But I will say, it used to take me over an hour!”

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Subscribe today and enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus unlimited website access and digital versions of the magazine dating back to September 2012.

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A practical build, a wide-ranging ability and a bright, friendly demeanour – there’s lots to love about the Haflinger horse. Combining the hardiness to withstand their mountainous origins and enough athleticism to support all types of work, the Haflinger can be found in all manner of equestrian settings from the hacking home to the show ring.

History at a glance

The Haflinger horse comes from South Tyrol, a mountainous region located in northern Italy next to the Austrian border. The breeds origins are believed to date back to the Middle Ages, but the modern Haflinger can be traced back to 1874 and the birth of a golden colt called 249 Folie. Sired by an Arabian stallion, 249 Folie became the breed’s foundation stallion.

By 1904, the first Haflinger Studbook of 250 horses was introduced by the Meltina/Mölten First Association of Haflinger Breeders. Haflinger horse breeding took off for a time with support from the Ministry for Agriculture of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but programmes were interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War, when many Haflingers were seized by the army.

The region of Tyrol was once part of Austria-Hungary, a nation defeated by Italy in November 1918. Italy’s occupation and subsequent annexation of South Tyrol caused upheaval in Haflinger breeding efforts. In the main, this was caused by the separation of Haflinger population – most breeding stallions were located in North Tyrol, which remained within Austria, while the broodmares were kept South Tyrol. Lack of co-operation between the two regions damaged breed numbers, but throughout the 1920s and 30s several breeding efforts were established on both sides of the border and Haflinger breeding spread into Germany and beyond.

Conformation of the Haflinger horse

Height: Haflingers should be no more than 155cm (15.1hh) in height. The ideal height for stallions is between 146–152cm and for mares it is 145–150cm.

Colour: all shades of chestnut, from pale to dark liver, are encompassed by the breed specifications. However, the colour should be uniform – white hairs or dorsal stripe are not desired traits. Head markings, such as a blaze or star, are part of the breed standard, but leg markings are not. The main and tail are always flaxen and should be long, straight and flowing.

Head and neck: a refined and noble head is desirable with a flat, broad forehead. The ears should be well-proportioned and flexible, the chin small and the throat latch wide. The neck is well-set and of medium length with a slim nape and flexible poll.

Limbs: these should be refined and muscular, and of proportional length to the body. The shins should be strong and the tendons defined. Fetlock should be sufficiently long and delicate feather is to be expected.

Body: the shoulders should be long and sloping and the back firm and well-muscled. The loin is short and wide, connecting gracefully to the quarters with a short flank. The barrel is long and deep with a longitudinally oval ribcage.

Uses

Coupled with his robust yet graceful physical attributes, the Haflinger’s easygoing, biddable yet courageous temperament makes him suitable for the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines. The breed’s uphill movement is ideal for dressage while his sturdy limbs and medium build make for an aptitude for athletic pursuits such as showjumping, eventing and endurance.

Haflinger horses are also widely used in driving, Western riding and even the lesser-known equestrian sports, such as skijoring and traditional Tyrolean trot and gallop races.

Their kind, calm and friendly natures make them, when trained, the perfect horse for novices and they can regularly be found in riding schools, trekking and equine-assisted therapy centres.

A Haflinger horse enthusiast’s view

Petra Ingram, Chief Executive of HorseWorld and patron of the Haflinger Society of Great Britain, is a breed enthusiast and owns four Halfingers – Alfred (22), Otztaler Samalfi (3), Oxnead Odette (11) and Frohe Fantasie (10).

“You do end up collecting them,” she admits, “and they are very difficult to part with. That’s why there are so few mature Haflingers on the market – people buy them direct from the stud and keep them for life.”

Her involvement with the breed society means Petra experiences first-hand just how versatile Haflingers are. “My own Alfy was originally Western trained,” she explains, “now he hacks and does a bit of riding club and I do British Dressage (BD) Quest and Riding Club dressage with Odette.

“But there are active members of the society doing amazing stuff. The horses are often around 15-151.hh, so they’re a wonderful small adult size. We’ve got members who compete in everything you can think of – side saddle, agility, one-day eventing, you name it.

“The breeding is very well controlled. Horses are inspected at three to ensure future breeding stock is of high quality. We look at conformation, but temperament as well.”

While Haflingers are known to be loyal and good-natured, they have a reputation for being strong-willed, too. “You have to know what you’re doing, particularly if you’re getting a youngster,” advises Petra. “But they are beautiful souls who love to please.

Petra says the biggest challenge a Haflinger horse owner faces is maintaining their horse’s weight. “They’re such good doers, but they can happily live out, which helps keep them fit.”

“The most striking thing about the Haflinger is their ability — I know of Haflingers competing in dressage at advanced medium. They’re always happiest when they’re doing something, and when they have a really strong relationship with their rider.”

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Any breed of horse that frequently measures over 18hh is in the running for fielding the biggest horses in the world. Some of the taller individuals of these heavy horse breeds can measure over 20hh. There is some debate over the largest horse ever recorded, as it depends whether the records refer to height or weight. The tallest horses on record are Shire horse Sampson, foaled in Bedfordshire in 1846, who measured 21.2½hh; while over the pond Belgian Draft gelding Big Jake was measured at just shy of 20.3hh in Wisconsin, a Guinness World Record in 2010.

Largest horse breeds

Five breeds that tend to produce the largest horses are Shire, Clydesdale, Belgian Draft, Percheron and Suffolk.

Shire horse

Renowned for its height and strength, Shires have held various records for largest and tallest horse. They are a fantastic draft horse, and were traditionally used for farm work, pulling brewers’ drays and towing barges. The breed, which originated in Britain, is still used for forestry and as draft horses for a some traditional breweries as well as a leisure horse for riding.

Tallest Shire: the 19th-century giant Sampson, 21.2½hh, who was renamed Mammoth as a four-year-old.

Clydesdale

Typically measures at least 17hh, but is lighter than the other large breeds due to its slighter frame. The Clydesdale is known for its height and strength, but it is also elegant, with a high-stepping showy action. Although the breed originated in Scotland, they are famous in America due to featuring in the Budweiser commercials.

Tallest Clydesdale: Digger, a 19.2hh, who was rescued as a foal and trained as a drum horse for royal parades.

Belgian Draft

Holds one of the records for the world’s largest horse, although more typically they are a maximum of 17hh. The Belgian draft is particularly known for its capacity to pull great weights and have won championships in this sphere. Belgian draft horses were exported throughout Europe and to the US, where it is now known as the American Brabant and is typically slightly more compact than the European version. They can be ridden, but are particularly popular in forestry and farm work, and even pulling sledges.

Tallest Belgian Draft: Big Jake, measuring 20.2¾hh.

Percheron

Perhaps a surprising inclusion in this list as this French-bred draft horse can be as small as 15.2hh. However, most are much taller and have at times held biggest-horse records. They are also among the strongest in terms of their pulling power. They were traditionally used for transport – whether artillery and soldiers during wars, or stagecoaches during peacetime – as well as for agricultural work. Nowadays, they are used for conservation and forestry work, and also as a riding and driving horse.

Tallest Percheron: Dr Le Gear was recorded in 1915 as the world’s biggest horse, standing 21hh and weighing 2,995lb (1,359kg).

Suffolk or Suffolk Punch

Always chesnut (and spelt without the T), Suffolk Punches are another of Britain’s established heavy-horse breeds and originated in the East Anglian county of Suffolk. Traditionally used for farm work as well as transporting artillery in the wars, they are nowadays used for riding as well as driving. They are a little more compact than the Clydesdale and Shire, standing typically at 17hh max, although there are instances of individuals exceeding 17hh, and they are particularly powerfully built. They might not be the very tallest, but they are said to be the oldest heavy horse breed in Britain, dating back to the 16th century.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

With its golden creamy colour and spiky two-tone mane, the distinctive Fjord horse is a unique and ancient breed. It combines echoes of wild and primitive horses with a friendly, willing temperament that has proved popular for use in equine therapy, riding schools and general all-rounders for riding and driving.

In this article: Potted history | Conformation | Uses | Future

Potted history

One of the world’s oldest and purest breeds, herds of wild Fjord horses existed in Norway after the Ice Age. According to archaeological findings, the Fjord horse has been selectively bred for the past 2,000 years, and domesticated for the past four millennia. The modern Fjord originates from the fjord areas in the west of Norway, where its hardy and surefooted attributes are well adapted to getting around the harsh and rugged terrain in this area characterised by steep mountains and fjords.

Although the Fjord shares many similarities with the Przewalski horse – such as primitive markings and colour – the Fjord’s genetic material shows they are not closely related. However, the Fjord may share some heritage with the now-extinct Tarpan. It is likely to have some influence from Icelandic and British breeds as there was contact between the seafaring nations of Norway, Iceland and Britain in that era.

Around 1840, the breeding of Fjord horses was formalised, with a stud established in the Dovre Mountains (Dovrefjell) in central Norway at an altitude of 1,000m. At that time, the Fjord horse was used on farms, for forestry work, harvesting, as a pack horse and pulling a cart.

Until 1947, the breed was called the Vestlandhest – the west country horse, as this has been the breeding centre for the Fjord. This sure-footed, hardy and charming breed is considered part of Norway’s national heritage and some regard the Fjord as a Norwegian national symbol.

Looks and conformation

According to the studbook, the breed’s type and character are paramount.

Height: there is no maximum or minimum but the desired height is between 135cm and 150cm (13.1hh to 14.3hh).

Colour: the vast majority (90%) of Fjords are brown dun (varying from creamy yellow to nearly brown). The remaining 10% are also dun, but red, uls (white) or yellow. To be the colour dun means they have a base coat of any colour, with a dun dilution gene. The base coat determines what variation of dun they are.

In keeping with their dun colour, they carry primitive markings, including zebra stripes on the legs and a dorsal stripe running from the forelock all the way down the neck, back to the tail. Darker stripes may also be seen on the withers.

Mane: this is characteristic of the breed, with the centre hair being black or dark, while the outer hair is white. The mane is traditionally cut to be upstanding, with a convex form following the topline of the horse. It is thought that this upstanding mane goes back to the time of the Vikings, to give the impression of a taller, stronger horse in battle.

Head: this is the main feature as regards type and character. It should be small and well-defined with a broad, flat forehead. The bridge of the nose should be short, and preferably concave. The nostrils should be large and open, with a square muzzle. The lower jaw and cheekbone should be strong without being heavy. The ears should be small, wide apart and pointed. Eyes should be large, dark and friendly.

Body: the overall impression should be strong and well-muscled. The neck should have a convex topline and be muscular. Originally, as the breed was primarily a working horse, the neck was short and heavy, and the shoulder straight, but nowadays the preference is for a slightly longer neck and more sloping shoulder.

In the 19th century, when the breed was being formalised, the typical Fjord was described as having “a head like a brisling [a Norwegian sprat], neck like a spinning wheel, body like a turnip and limbs like steel springs”. This may not shed much light on its appearance, however the breed has since evolved as times have changed and a more athletic build is preferred.

Uses

The Fjord was originally valued for its strength and surefooted capabilities as a work animal – in forestry, pulling carts, and as a pack horse – so ideally suited to the small, hilly farms of Norway. In the early days, breeders tried to produce a heavier draught animal for the agricultural demands, however since machinery has replaced the horse, a more athletic build is now preferred. The aim is to breed a supple horse with a good temperament for both riding and driving, which is at at home in the manège as on the mountain.

Fjords are popular in riding schools and are also quite capable of contesting grassroots competitions. They can be an ideal horse for beginners to learn to ride on, being typically calm in temperament, sturdy, strong and gentle. They are often used in programmes for disabled riders and in equine therapy due to their easy going nature.

Future of the Fjord horse

The Fjord is now an endangered breed in Norway as there are insufficient numbers of foals being born there each year. There are around 5,000 Fjords registered in its native country. However, there are larger populations of this likeable breed in other countries, such as Denmark, German and the US.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The Cleveland Bay horse is said to be England’s oldest horse breed, which has adapted through the ages to become the versatile breed we know today. Whether the fashion of the day was ploughing fields on the farm, pulling coaches of the nobility or the family cart, to being successful in the current sporting disciplines, the Cleveland Bay has retained its traditional quality while transforming to fit the requirements of each era.

In this article: History | Royal connection | Conformation | Temperament

History

Although the official history of the Cleveland Bay dates from 1884, when the Cleveland Bay Horse Society was founded, the breed’s roots go back centuries.

The breed’s name comes from where the horse is believed to have originated, the Cleveland Hills in Yorkshire, in the north-east of England – combined with the horse’s colour.

Back in mediaeval times in Yorkshire, there were clean-legged bays used for both riding and as pack horses. As they transported goods of the travelling salesmen, who were known in those times as “chapmen”, these horses were initially called Chapman horses. Their role developed over the years to become the horse of choice for pulling coaches when these became mainstream, thanks to their strength, endurance and quality. This was a tough and versatile horse, as adept at working in the fields as pulling a carriage.

As the standard in roads developed, a faster horse was required and so hot-blooded stallions descended from the early thoroughbreds, Barbs and Arabs were used on Cleveland mares, which added fineness and speed to this traditional breed. In turn, warmbloods such as the Oldenburg have used Cleveland Bay stallions to improve their bloodlines. Nowadays they are often crossed with thoroughbred bloodlines to produce sport horses.

Naturally, as the era of the coach horse dwindled and railways developed in the 19th century, the Cleveland Bay became more and more redundant. The Cleveland Bay Horse Society was formed in 1884 to preserve and promote the breed which has throughout the past 150 years been to various degrees at risk of extinction.

A helping royal hand

While the 1880s signalled trouble for the future of the Cleveland Bay in the UK, the breed was establishing itself in the US, which imported thousands of these horses. Across the pond, coaching was becoming increasingly popular as a pastime, and this outstanding coach horse was in hot demand. However, its popularity was short-lived and began to decline. To make matters worse, back in Europe thousands were being killed in the world wars on the battlefields, where they were a great asset pulling the artillery.

At the end of World War II, there were only a handful of stallions in England, and few mares. Soon after this, in the early 60s, The Queen stepped in. Her grandfather George V had been a Cleveland Bay breeder and when one of the rare Cleveland Bay colts, a horse named Mulgrave Supreme, was set to be exported, The Queen bought him. Mulgrave Supreme was made available at public stud, and this marked a resurgence in Cleveland Bay breeding, with his progeny proving competitive across the disciplines.

The Queen continues to work to promote the breed, and uses them in her own carriage-breeding programme. She is also patron of the Cleveland Bay Horse Society.

The popularity of the breed has continued to ebb and flow with numbers of breeding stallions dropping to critical levels at various points in its history. However, thanks to the efforts of the Cleveland Bay Horse Society and its breeding programmes, the Cleveland Bay has survived. Yet it is still at risk – along with 11 other of Britain’s 14 native breeds.

Nowadays, this British breed is popular all over the world, especially in Australian and the US. In Pakistan, Cleveland Bays are the only breed of horse used to pull state carriages and are also used in government work.

Conformation of the Cleveland Bay

This is a medium-sized semi-draft horse, similar in build to a warmblood, with clean legs and no feather. They look like a quality, substantial hunter showing dignity and strength.

Height: 16hh–16.2hh

Colour: they are traditionally bay with black points, and the only white marking permitted is a small white star. However, since 2005 horses outside this breed standard can still be registered to protect their genetic value to the breed, but this will be noted in their passport/studbook. Legs that are not black to the knee and hocks are regarded as a colour fault

Body: wide and deep, with a compact and strong back. Sloping, muscular shoulders; level and powerful quarters

Head: bold and of a decent size rather than fine; carried on a long, lean neck, with large, fine ears

Limbs: nine inches-plus bone below the knee. Legs should be clear of superfluous hair and clean and hard. Muscular upper legs, with large knees and hocks

Feet: a significant feature of the breeds, should be excellent quality and blue in colour – never shallow or narrow

Action: free, good-moving horse with sufficient shoulder and knee/hock flexion. High action is not characteristic – they should cover the ground

Temperament

The Cleveland Bay is typically a docile, sensible character with a placid temperament. They tend to be well-disciplined, mannerly and easy to train – but as all horse owners know, every horse is an individual and how they turn out is down to many influences, from breeding to training, genetics and character.

Its hallmark is its versatility – it can turn its hoof to all disciplines, as it has shown through its need to adapt through the ages to the changing face of civilisation.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The flashy Hackney horse is renowned for its spectacular high-stepping trot under harness. However, despite its impressive gaits, natural athleticism and straight action, the breed is classified at risk.

Although they are famous for their ability in harness, their agility, flair and activity make them an enjoyable riding horse, too, particularly when crossed with other sport horse breeds. However, probably due to the fact that they are endangered, pure-bred Hackneys are not a common sight under saddle.

In this article: History | Conformation | Movement | Royal approval

History

The Hackney was developed in England in the 18th century by crossing the Norfolk and Yorkshire Roadsters (trotting harness horses) with the thoroughbred. This produced a stylish carriage horse breed with a flashy trot for which the breed is renowned today. The Hackney Horse Society was formed in 1883 to promote Hackney breeding and is still in operation today, maintaining the studbook and holding two Hackney shows a year.

As the state of the roads improved in the 17th century, a faster type of carriage horse was in demand, leading to the introduction of thoroughbred bloodlines. These high-stepping horses became a status symbol, coupled with their ability to trot at high speed for long periods. They are still known to be characteristically tough, hardy and sound horses.

Quality thoroughbred stallions were influential on the breed, including their most significant foundation sire, Shales – also known as Original Shales and Old Shales. He was a grandson of the unbeaten Flying Childers.

Today the Hackney horse is classified as critical by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. In 2022, the RBST declared there were just 12 stallions and 31 broodmares left in the UK. However, the Hackney has been exported to other countries, such as the US.

Conformation and looks

• The general impression should be of poise and muscular elegance, with an alert and active outlook
• They can be a range of solid colours, and can have white markings on their face and legs. Bay, followed by black, are the most common, with chestnut fairly rare.
• The Hackney is a medium-sized horse, typically standing at a maximum of 16hh
• Head and neck: while standing, the Hackney should have its head and neck raised. The head should have a straight or slightly convex profile with eyes set wide apart. Ears should be well-formed and active, while the throat should be fine
• Body: neck well-set on reasonably high withers over powerful, obliquely sloping shoulders. Well-sprung girth of adequate depth, while the back is of a reasonable length. The upper line of the croup from the loins to tail should form a convex curve with a well-carried tail
• Legs: clean, flat bone with clearly defined tendons. Excessive fineness is undesirable. Forelegs attached well forward, beneath the point of the shoulder. Pasterns should be long and sloping to provide the light and springy step that is the breed’s hallmark
• Hooves: well-rounded with the front feet more sloping than the back. The hooves should be open at the heels and have concave soles

The Hackney is one of very few breeds to have both horse and pony sizes, but a pony is expected to show distinct pony characteristics, such as small, neat ears and a small, fine muzzle. It should be more compact than a Hackney horse, but the general conformation is similar. Likewise their movement will be brisker but with the same impressive action. They may include Welsh or Fell pony bloodlines, and are especially popular in the US.

Movement

The breed is renowned for its high stepping action in trot, with remarkable flexion. Hackneys should show a well-rounded front action, with the hocks flexed and following through under the body in a piston-like action. Although their trot is very dynamic, excessive speed is undesirable; instead it should look well-balanced and elegant. They should move straight, with no dishing or crossing of the forelegs.

Hackneys are most famous for their spectacular brilliance in the driving arena, however, they can also be used as riding horses, for showing, jumping and dressage. They are a popular cross in various sport horse breeds, especially Gelderlanders and Holsteins.

Royal approval

HRH the Prince of Wales is the current patron of the Hackney Horse Society. Over the years, the society has had a number of royal presidents, including The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal, Prince Michael of Kent, The Duchess of York and the Prince of Wales.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The Lipizzaner horse is inextricably linked to the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. With its white coat and spectacular airs above the ground, it is one of the most recognisable horse breeds in the world. But how did a Spanish warhorse of ancient North African origin become synonymous with classical equitation in Austria?

In this article: History | Spanish Riding School | Factfile

History

It could be said that the Lipizzaner is the oldest pure-bred horse in Europe. It goes back to the eighth century when the Moors of Arabia conquered Spain and set about ruling their Iberian peninsula with the help of their own war horses, the Barb (or Berber) and Arabs. These were crossed with native breeds, which produced what became known as the Andalusian.

Fast-forward to the 1500s, when Austria was a major military power in Europe and the Austrian court recognised the need for the ultimate war-horse. During this time, the Andalusian and Iberian horses, renowned for their speed, grace and performance on the battlefield, were considered the best in the world.

In 1562 Maximillian II, of the Hapsburg dynasty, imported Andalusian stallions to Austria and founded the Court Stud at Kladrub. In 1580, his brother, Archduke Charles, bought nine Andalusian stallions and 24 Karst mares to stand at the newly formed stud in Lipizza (now spelt Lipica), creating the Imperial Herd. The name Lipizzaner was first recorded in the 18th century.

They also imported horses from Italy, but these had predominantly Spanish blood. In the 15th century, Spanish horses were brought into Italy for use in equitation schools in Naples during the Renaissance when the athletic skill and intelligence of classical riding was highly valued. They used Spanish horses to make a lighter, more agile breed – the Neapolitan, which is now extinct, but its bloodlines live on in the breeds it has influenced, such as the Lipizzaner.

From the Imperial Karst Stud stud the major bloodlines were established and continue today through the the six major stallion families — Pluto, Conversano, Favory Senior, Maestroso, Neopolitano and Siglavy.

The Spanish Riding School

The Spanish Riding School is the only institution in the world which for 450 years has practised and continues to cultivate classical equitation in the Renaissance tradition of the Haute Ecole. Their tagline is “living tradition, the values of the past blending with the passion of the present”. The only horses used to perform at the school are Lipizzaner stallions.

Renowned for its amazing displays of classical equitation, unchanged since the Renaissance period, the Spanish Riding School of Vienna derived its name from the horses, of almost exclusively Spanish blood, that were sent there for training.

The Lipizzaner horses that perform with the school today have earned international acclaim and a worldwide following. Performances include steps and movements of the classical school, pas de deux, displays on the short rein, displays on the long rein, schools above the ground and the school quadrille.

While the riding school’s Lipizzaners originate from the Kladrub and Lipica studs of the 16th century, since 1920 the stud has been located in Piber, also in Austria. They breed around 40 Lipizzaner foals each year, and only the very best colts go on to be the stallions that perform at the Spanish Riding School.

To train as a Spanish riding school rider takes eight to 10 years, starting with three years training as a groom. If the trainee impresses, they may also undergo a year or two of lungeing and non-stirrups work while they are being assessed as potential riders. It’s a programme which, according to the Spanish Riding School itself, “is a lifelong education, always subjected to the needs of the horses. It is tough, and requires iron discipline.”

About the breed: conformation and factfile

• A compact and powerful horse standing 14.2h–16hh
• Long head with flat or convex profile
• Muscular and well-arched neck
• Deep, wide chest, with powerful, sloping shoulders
• Foals are born bay or brown, and lighten to white as the horse matures

Traditionally all horses are marked with family brands that give details of foal number, stallion dynasty, mare family and stud origin

In 2008, The Queen was given a Lipizzaner from Slovenia.

The Livestock Conservancy lists the Lipizzaner as a rare breed, with an estimated global population of 3,000. However, the Lipizzan International Federation puts the figure at around 12,000.

The grey coat of the Lipizzaner has a special religious and symbolic significance. The Moors believed that God chose the pure white coats of the Andalusian, while pure white horses of the Romans were also believed to be of divine influence and were chosen to pull the chariots of emperors. This trait is carried through the Lipizzaner to this day, and to see a non-grey adult horse is very rare

While famous for its airs above the ground, the Lipizzaner excels in dressage – the Spanish Riding School performs the purest form of dressage. But Lipizzaners are also used as an all-rounder, participating at various levels of equestrian activities, such as jumping, driving and hacking.

For those who want to buy a Lipizzaner, the Piber Stud offers general riding horses, youngsters, backed horses and breeding horses for sale, all pure-bred Lipizzaners of the best quality. Of the 40 that are bred each year, very few go on to make it as the performance stallions in Vienna or to be used for breeding.

As with any horse, there is no ballpark figure on how much a Lipizzaner costs. Prices are dependent on age, training, temperament, conformation, ability and so on.

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The appaloosa horse is known for its typically eye-catching spotted coat, and many people tend to refer to all spotted horses as appaloosas. However, the appaloosa is a horse breed in its own right with a colourful ancestry going back to prehistoric times. Spotted and distinctively marked horses feature in art throughout history, but it’s only in the last 100 years that the Americans began to establish these ancient bloodlines into a true breed. Today, it’s a popular breed worldwide.

In this article: Colouring | Uses | History | Famous appaloosa horses

Colouring of the appaloosa

Not all appaloosas are spotted, and not all horses with spots are appaloosas. There are other characteristics that denote an appaloosa:

• Mottled skin: this pink skin with small dark spots is most apparent around the muzzle, anus, genitalia and eyes
• White sclera: like humans, appaloosas have a white sclera around their iris on their eyeball, whereas a dark sclera is predominant in other horses
• Striped hooves: vertical stripes on the hoof – although there is a proportion of solid coloured appaloosas which may not have this trait

Appaloosas have a variety of base coat colours, such as bay, black and chestnut. The patterns of their spots also vary widely:

• Leopard: white base with evenly distributed dark spots from head to hoof. These are present at birth and remain as they mature
• Near leopard: born with leopard markings, but with the head and legs darker coloured. This may fade as the horse matures
• Fewspot leopard: white base, sometimes with roan “varnish marks” (silvering on the bony prominences, such as on the face and legs) and just a few spots
• Near fewspot leopard: similar to the fewspot, but with solid markings on the head, neck and legs
• Spotted blanket: dark, solid colour at the front of the horse and legs, with white over the loin and hips as if it was wearing an exercise blanket (can be just a patch, or extending up to the withers). The white may be have large spots
• White blanket or snowcap blanket: as the spotted blanket, but without spots on the white
• Frosted blanket: dark base colour with white spots on the loin and hips
• Snowflake: dark base colour with spots all over the body. These often become roan as they mature
• Marble: roan base colour, often with darker varnish marks on bony prominences
• Solid: some appaloosas are born completely solid and never develop spotting or markings

Spotted horses do exist in other breeds, for example, the British Spotted Pony, the Australian Noriker, Australian Palouse Pony and Danish Knabstrup, which may share a common ancestry with the appaloosa. Spotting used to be more prevalent in Welsh ponies and some Iberian breeds but it has likely been selected out in breeding programmes, so this is now rare.

What are the appaloosa’s uses?

Multiple breeds have influenced today’s appaloosa, and therefore a wide range of body types – and therefore abilities – is represented within the breed. It is a very popular breed in the US, where the breed was formed coming up to a century ago.

Appaloosas were developed chiefly as a stock horse, and so they are commonly used in various western riding disciplines, such as cutting, reining, roping, barrel racing and pole bending, however they adapt well to any ridden work. While they are still rare in the upper echelons of dressage, showjumping and eventing, they are popular in endurance, trail-riding and grassroots competition.

They characteristically have high levels of stamina and strength, and are medium-sized (typically between 14hh-16hh), making them suitable for a range of ages and sizes of rider. They are known to be a loyal, dependable and versatile horse who is eager to please.

They are frequently used for movies, especially for ranch and cowboy scenes, where their trainability and distinctive markings make them the ideal horse for filming. There is even an eponymous western movie, The Appaloosa (1966), starring Marlon Brando.

Like any horse, each appaloosa in an individual. Some will be calm and docile and might be suitable for beginners to learn on, while others are bred and trained to be more fiery and sensitive, and produced for the competitive rider. But as a general rule, they are known to have kind temperaments, to be trainable and eager to please.

The cost of buying an appaloosa is comparable with other popular breeds. It’s impossible to put a ballpark figure on buying any horse. Prices are dependent on age, training, temperament, conformation, ability, pedigree and so on. With appaloosas, the more striking patterns may command a higher price.

The history of the appaloosa

Although the appaloosa is an established and distinctive American horse breed, its presence in Europe may well have predated its arrival in America. Spotted horses have been represented in prehistoric cave art in southern France dating back to 20,000BC, while in Britain they were depicted in cave paintings and feature in Celtic religious rituals as fertility and growth symbols. There are also examples in ancient Greek and Chinese artwork.

Parchment from 1298 lists the horses purchased by Edward I for a campaign and among them is an expensive spotted Welsh Cob from Powys. These spotted ponies featured in old Welsh studbooks, including the famous sire, Gwynte Hero, foaled in 1916. During the 17^th century, gifts of spotted horses were sent between European and Asian royal families. Charles II rode what looked like an appaloosa, named Bloody Buttocks; while spotted horses also appear in 18th-century English portraits.

Appaloosas in America can be traced to the Spanish invasion of the 1500s, bringing “raindrop” horses to Mexico and North America. The Nez Perce tribe “liberated” the Spanish of some horses, becoming renowned horsemen and the first tribe to breed selectively.

The Nez Perce believed the spotted horse to be hardier, with more stamina than solid-coloured horses and began to establish herds bred for their endurance, hard feet and good nature.

During the wars with New World settlers of 1877, Nez Perce herds were dispersed or culled and by the 1900s, spotted horses began to appear in western round-ups and rodeos. Sellers called these horses as “Apalouse”, in reference to their Nez Perce origin near the Palouse River running through Idaho, which then evolved into the name appaloosa.

By 1938, the Appaloosa Horse Club was founded and formally established the appaloosa as a breed. It is now the state horse of Idaho.

Differences between American and European appaloosas have occurred through breeding with native stock. The American breed standard is based on the size and build of the quarter horse, which has been used extensively to improve the American appaloosa, with Arabian and thoroughbred blood also incorporated.

While spotted horses have been around on British shores for centuries, a specific breed – the British appaloosa – is in its infancy, deriving from American and Danish lines which were imported to Britain, often via Ireland. The British Appaloosa Society has co-ordinated a basis for a future breed, having implemented a grading system in 1987 to provide a six-generation journey to studbook status. These sixth-generation horses are currently being produced, making them the first pure-bred British Appaloosas. The aim is to “produce a superior riding horse – athletic, colourful and willing”. They should be hardy good-doers that can live out in winter, as well as loyal, eager to learn and of good temperament.

Famous appaloosas

Cojo Rojo, a black-blanketed appaloosa stallion who played the main part in The Appaloosa, with Marlon Brando. Other appaloosas were used for some of the stunts, but Cojo Rojo did the majority of the work.

Pay N Go, a bay leopard grand prix dressage horse who performed at the 1998 New York memorial service of Linda McCartney, wife of Paul McCartney of The Beatles fame.

Zip Cochise, ridden by John Wayne in the 1966 movie El Dorado.

Endo, a blind Appaloosa horse that became a social media sensation: able to compete, do trail rides, travel, jump, perform liberty work and generally participate in an active life. despite having had both eyes removed due to disease.

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'she’s enjoying life to the fullest...'

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There are a wide variety of native horse breeds in the UK, ranging from the diminutive hardy Shetland pony that still roams freely across the Shetland Isles off the north east coast of mainland Scotland, through to the majestic Shire horse that is believed to have originated in the east midlands of England and stands over 17hh.

From the speed and intelligence of the athletic British thoroughbred to the versatility of Britain’s popular native ride-and-drive ponies, whatever type of equestrian activity you are looking to follow, there will be UK horse breeds that can cater for your needs.

British native ponies

There are 12 different breeds of British native ponies that are allowed to compete in Mountain & Moorland (M&M) showing classes, which are typically held under British Show Pony Society and National Pony Society rules. These classes can be split by breed, by height (typically for working hunter pony classes) or combined into small breed (Shetland, Exmoor, Dartmoor, Welsh A and Welsh B) and large breed (Welsh D, Welsh C, New Forest, Connemara, Dales, Fells, Highland) classes.

Shetland pony

Starting at the most northern point of the British Isles, The Shetland pony is the smallest of the UK’s native ponies, standing between 28 and 42 inches high at the wither. The breed developed on the Shetland Isles with little influence from more modern breeds, and the ponies are notable for their hardiness and longevity. Their size and strength meant they were in demand as pit ponies when they arrived in mainland Britain during the mid-19th century. Now they are popular mounts for small children, make good driving ponies, are used as therapy ponies and are popular as companions for larger equines. The ponies can be good jumpers and can be seen at county shows around Britain taking part in the popular Shetland Pony Grand National series.

Highland pony

Also originating from Scotland, the Highland Pony is one of the largest of the British native breeds. It is a strong, well-balanced, compact pony that should show substance and strength. The breed is a popular family pony for riding and driving and is also used as a pack animal, being used to transporting deer and other game off the Scottish hills. Many Highlands are capable jumpers and can also perform well during long distance rides. The breed is a favourite of The Queen, who has a large working stud of Highland ponies at Balmoral.

Dales pony

The Dales pony is native to the upper dales of the eastern slopes of the Pennine range, from the High Peak in Derbyshire to the Cheviot Hills near the Scottish Border. It is typically between 14hh and 14.2hh with only black, brown, grey, bay or roan coats (and only limited white markings) allowed. Dales ponies are popular for both riding and driving, where their impressive and stylish trot also makes them much sought-after, as well as being a solid choice for a working hunter or an all-round mount due to their intelligent, kind natures and versatility.

Fell pony

The Fell pony breed is native to the north west of England, and are mostly found in Cumbria where herds of registered ponies still live on the Cumbrian fells. The Fell is an ideal all-round family pony for adults and children as well as a popular choice in the show ring. They cannot exceed 14hh in height and while there is no lower height limit, there are very few under 12.2hh. Historically Fells were used for pack work carrying loads of fleeces, woollen goods, foodstuff and local metal ores. They were also used for shepherding and to hunt wolves. Known locally as ‘galloways’ , Fell ponies were also used for the Cumberland sport of trotting races as well as by big Northeastern collieries.

New Forest pony

The New Forest pony is native to central southern England. Official records of horses in the New Forest date back to 1016 when rights of common pasture were granted to the people living in what was then a royal hunting ground. New Forest ponies measure up to 148cm and excel across the equestrian disciplines. They are popular choices for pony club and riding club all-rounders as well showing, hunting, jumping and dressage ponies. They are quite capable of carrying adults, while narrow enough for small children.

Dartmoor pony

Heading to the south west, the Dartmoor pony is the British native breed of the English county of Devon. The ponies have been recorded living on the moors of Dartmoor since the middle ages, meaning they have developed to be hardy and resilient. They cannot exceed 12.2hh and should be sturdily built yet with quality, like a scaled down middleweight hunter, making them a very good riding pony. Dartmoor ponies were originally used to carry tin from the mines, for farm work and as pack-horses for transporting goods. Today, the breed is seen as an excellent all-round child’s pony, although they are also ridden by small adults.

Exmoor pony

The Exmoor pony is one of the UK’s oldest native horse breeds. They also originate from the south west of England and the first written record of ponies on Exmoor, when it was a designated Royal Forest, can be found in The Doomsday Book. Historically, the ponies were used by hill farmers to undertake all kinds of work from being ridden for shepherding to in harness for ploughing, harrowing, taking feed to stock and the farmer’s family to market and church. Nowadays Exmoors’ versatility sees them being used as all-round mounts for smaller adults and children alike. They have also proven to be excellent conservation grazers and being used for this purposes at a number of locations both in the UK and around the world.

Welsh cob (section D)

Moving west into Wales, the largest of the four Welsh native pony breeds, the Welsh section D — or the Welsh Cob — has no upper height limit, but must exceed 13.2hh, while retaining its pony character and true Welsh type. Described by the Welsh Pony & Cob Society as “the best ride and drive animal in the world”, the Welsh Cob is a popular choice for adults, both under saddle and in harness. They can make a good hunter and perform well across all the ridden disciplines as well as being popular in the show ring for both ridden and driven classes, as well are competing successfully in combined driving trials.

Welsh pony of cob type (section C)

The Welsh section C – Welsh pony of cob type – should not exceed 13.2hh (137.2cm) and is a hugely popular British pony breed for both adults and children alike. The Welsh C is an athletic, compact and sturdy pony, with more body and bone than the Welsh pony (section B). It’s power, strength and depth of girth makes them popular all-rounders and a common sight in the show ring. They are also found competing across the performance disciplines as they can excel on the jumping circuit or be successful dressage ponies. The section C is one of the most versatile native breeds, being suitable for riders across a range of ages.

Welsh pony (section B)

The Welsh section B or Welsh pony cannot exceed 13.2hh (137.2cm) and is a taller and more refined version of the Welsh Mountain Pony (section A). Welsh section Bs are arguably the most versatile and successful of the Welsh breed across the disciplines due to their athleticism, which enables them to compete successfully against quicker and finer non-native breeds. Many modern section Bs are also successful in plaited showing classes, standing at the top of show hunter pony lines ups at championship level, while their straighter, lower and longer-striding movement makes them very suitable as ridden ponies. They typically jump well and can be great all-rounders for children.

Welsh mountain pony (section A)

The Welsh section A or Welsh Mountain Pony is the smallest of the four Welsh breeds standing no taller than 12h (121.9cm). The Welsh section A is a popular choice for children, with many being seen in lead rein and first ridden classes in the show ring. It is believed the Welsh Mountain Pony has existed since prehistoric times, being used by farmers as ridden animals as well as in the pits and mines after the industrial revolution. Welsh As typically have a good jump and easy temperaments, making them ideal first ponies for children that can turn their hooves to most disciplines at starter level and make good all-round Pony Club ponies.

Connemara pony

Heading further west across the Irish Sea, The Connemara pony originates from County Galway on Ireland’s west coast, a wild area of peatbogs, lakes, mountains, and rugged coastline. It could be argued that as this region is not part of the United Kingdom, the Connemara should not be included in a guide to UK horse breeds, but as it is one of the official large breed M&Ms that are often seen in the British show ring, it would be remiss of us not to include it here. Connemara ponies are incredibly popular around the world thanks to their excellent temperament and versatility, combined with their athletic build, making them a fun pony for both children and adults alike. While the official upper height limit for the breed is 15hh, the ponies make popular part-breds with thoroughbreds and Irish Draughts, as well as there being an increasing market for over-height purebred ponies as they make great competitive all-rounders for amateur riders of all ages.

Other ponies that are UK horse breeds, but which are not allowed to compete in M&M classes, include the rare Eriskay pony and the Dartmoor Hill Pony, which covers ponies living in that region that do not have full Dartmoor Pony Society-registered bloodlines.

UK horse breeds: heavy or draught horses

Back in the days when traditional horse power ruled the world, Britain’s draught or heavy horse breeds, including the Shire, Clydesdale and Suffolk horse, were pivotal in heavy work on the land to ensure food production was maintained as well as moving both people and goods around the country via barge, wagon and carriage. They were prized for their ability to pull heavy loads, with the majority of their work being in harness rather than under saddle.

The Shire horse

The Shire horse is a British draught horse, thought to have originated in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, that is believed to have descended from “the Great Horse,” a popular war mount from the Middle Ages. Shires are renowed for their size – they are usually around 17hh to 17.3hh – and strength — a pair of Shires in the 1920s allegedly pulled a load weighing more than 45 tons. These are majestic horses, with a high, arched neck, well sprung ribs, powerful, sloping hindquarters, and heavy feathering on the legs. They are typically gentle giants, calm and friendly with an even temperament. Some breweries still use teams of Shire to pull drays, for local deliveries and for promotional purposes. A small number of small farms utilise Shires and other heavy horses instead of tractors, to be more environmentally sustainable. Shires are also still used in logging, and some land management, as they can access areas that a vehicle can’t get to and typically inflict less damage to the ground.

The Clydesdale

The Clydesdale horse is native to Scotland, although it is renowned the world over, thanks to its fame in the Budweiser commercials. The breed takes its name from the area around the River Clyde in Lanarkshire. This British breed of heavy horse vies with the Shire horse and the Belgian Draft for the title of the “world’s biggest horse”. Although they are tall (typically at least 17hh), they are lighter than these other draught horses due to their slighter frame, which gives the breed a certain elegance. The Clydesdale was renowned as one of the best agricultural and haulage animals of the 18th century, whereas now they are mainly used for breeding, showing, carriage driving and parades. As well as being found in showing and eco-friendly agriculture, some Clydesdales compete in general riding club activities – they give a comfortable ride being quite narrow for a heavy draft breed – and typically have an easy-going and willing temperament. They have also proved popular with the Household Cavalry as drum horses.

The Suffolk horse

The Suffolk horse – also know as the Suffolk Punch – has a history dating back to the 16th century and originated in the eastern English counties of Suffolk and Norfolk. Originally known as the Suffolk Sorrel, the breed is the only draft horse breed developed and selected exclusively for farm work. All Suffolk horses are chesnut in colour (for this breed chesnut must be spelt with only one t) and can be traced by to the breed’s founding stallion, Crisp’s Horse of Ufford, who was foaled in 1768. Following World War Two the breed’s numbers plummeted, with only nine Suffolk horses registered in the UK in 1966. While numbers have increased, it is still considered one of the rarest horse breeds in Britain. It stands 16hh to 17hh and has much less feather than its fellow heavy horses. The breed continues to be used today in commercial forestry, and as well as under saddle.

Other UK horse breeds

English thoroughbred

No guide to UK horse breeds can be complete without reference to the incredible equine athlete that is the English thoroughbred. The breed was founded in England in the 17th and 18th centuries, when English mares were bred to three imported stallions of Barb, Turkomen, and Arab lines. The General Stud Book, the first official register of horses, was established in 1791, only listing horses that could be traced to those three stallions and to 43 “Royal mares” imported under the reign of James I. Nowadays most thoroughbreds are produced for the racing industry, although thoroughbred bloodlines can be found in a vast range of breeds, from American Quarter Horses to Morgans, Irish Draughts to European warmbloods, which have been infused with their blood to enhance refinement and athleticism. Thoroughbreds are also popular choices for polo, hunting, team chasing and eventing, among other disciplines.

The British Riding Pony

The British Riding Pony is a combination of the best thoroughbred, Arabian and British native pony bloodlines, blended by discerning breeders since the 20th Century to produce the ultimate riding pony. Registered ponies can be either the direct progeny of a British Riding Pony sire and dam, or part-breds of British native ponies with Arabs or Thoroughbreds. These quality ponies are renowned for their beauty and elegance, with floating and ground covering movement. British Riding Ponies not only compete with tremendous success in the show ring, but they also excel in dressage, eventing, showjumping and even pony racing. Many ponies were exported in continental Europe where they became the foundation stock for the German and Dutch Riding Pony studbooks.

The Hackney

The Hackney horse has its origins in the 18th century, when the thoroughbred was crossed with the Norfolk trotter, a large-sized trotting harness horse originating in and around Norfolk in the east of England. Hackneys are best known are carriage horses, typically shown in private driving competitions, and well known for their flashy high-stepping trot. Among UK horse breeds, the Hackney is one of the most at risk. It is on the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s 2022/23 watchlist in the “priority” category after just 31 registered foals were born in 2021. In 2011 the breed had more than 300 breeding females. The Hackney Horse Society is trying to promote the breed’s versatility as good all-rounders, rather than keeping the breed solely or driving and showing.

Cleveland Bay

The Cleveland Bay originates from the Cleveland area of north east England and its history pre-dates written records. It is one of the UK horse breeds that combines substance, activity, stamina and a good temperament, which made it suitable for lighter farm work, pulling coaches, following hounds and taking families to church. Many European warmblood horses have Cleveland Bay in their ancestry, notably the Oldenburg which used Cleveland bay stallions extensively in the 1860s. The Queen’s decision to purchase a pure Cleveland Bay colt named Mulgrave Supreme and stand him at public stud in the 1960s did much to boost the breed, which went on to produce top quality horses compete in driving, dressage and showjumping at the highest level.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The Morgan horse can be considered the ultimate all-rounder, proving excellent both under saddle and in harness. This American horse breed characteristically shows a kind and adaptable attitude, which makes them suitable as a family horse. With their typical height not much larger than a big pony, they are ideal for a range of ages and sizes of rider. Their unusual stance, high head carriage and long flowing tail, makes them distinctive aesthetically, and they are known for their presence and personality.

In this article: History | Uses | Conformation | Factfile

History

All Morgan horses can be traced back to one sire – Justin Morgan – born in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, around 1790. Originally called Figure, the colt was bought by a school teacher, Justin Morgan, by whose name the horse later came to be known. It is recognised as one of America’s first breeds, and Justin Morgan epitomised the ideal light horse for a pioneering nation. Today’s Morgans differ little from their progenitor.

Justin Morgan’s breeding is uncertain – it has been suggested he had thoroughbred, Arabian, Welsh Cob, Barb and even Friesian blood. One thing that is certain is his descendants inherited clean, straight limbs, muscular physiques and fine intelligent heads with large expressive eyes – all clear indications of quality.

In the 1840s a group of breeders began trying to locate descendants of the original Morgan horse. By the mid-1850s, Morgans were growing in popularity and fetching high prices throughout America.

The breed is relatively new to Britain, with the British Morgan Horse Society founded in 1975.

What is the Morgan horse used for?

Morgan horses are capable of adapting to most disciplines. They are suitable for both riding (Western and English-style) and driving, and their typically kind and bold personality makes them suitable for all the family.

While they are versatile, adaptable and willing to please, pure-bred Morgans are not currently well represented in the highest echelons of the Olympic disciplines, though they do compete in international driving events. They are able to perform a wide variety of tasks competently, whether it was as a cavalry horse in the early days of the breed, with stamina and willingness on the farm, to nowadays as a comfortable and enjoyable pleasure horse, competing in dressage, jumping, reining and more. It is the ultimate all-rounder.

Conformation

The breed possesses:

• Head: expressive with a broad forehead, large prominent eyes and a straight or slightly dished face
• Ears: alert, short, shapely and wide-set
• Throatlatch: deeper than other breeds and sufficiently refined to allow proper flexion at the poll
• Neck: relatively fine, arched and with a good topline; well-set on to an extremely sloping shoulder; well-defined withers, which must be higher than the croup
• Body: compact with a short, well-muscled back; tail set high and carried gracefully. Well-developed chest
• Legs: straight and sound with short cannons (and relatively long forearms) flat bone and an appearance of refined substance. Pasterns of sufficient length to provide springy step.
• Strong, round, well-proportioned feet
• Coat or eyes can be any colour, but the most common colours are bay, brown, chestnut and black
• Free flowing, soft and silky mane and tail which are never coarse
• Height: typically 14.1hh to 15.2hh but some individuals are smaller or larger
• Rhythmical movement with a fairly high knee and hock action

Morgan horse factfile

• They are often referred to as the “Artist’s Horse”, thanks to their fine, proud head and animated way of going
• American breeds the Saddlebred, Standardbred and Tennessee Walking Horse are all descendants of the Morgan
• Every registered Morgan can be traced back to one of Justin Morgan’s most famous sons: Sherman, Woodbury and Bulrush
• Before mechanisation, the US Army chose the Morgan as the mount of soldiers and as an artillery horse
• Breed classes are divided into park and pleasure and traditional American dress is worn for both. In the ring, park horses are judged on their exaggerated knee and hock action, while for pleasure horses, the emphasis is on a mannerly and comfortable ride
• The unusual stance, with the hindlegs splayed out parallel behind, is known as “parked out”. Many Morgans stand this way naturally, although the posture needs refining for the show ring
• Show Morgans are exhibited with exceptionally long flowing tails, which often trail on the floor
• Renowned for its stamina, the versatile breed can turn a hoof to most disciplines and is even used as a police mount in some American states
• The first official breed register was published in 1894 and since that time, more than 147,000 Morgans have been registered around the world

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A miniature horse should be just that – a mini, in-proportion version of a quality riding horse. Often labelled by those not in the know as a “little pony” or a Shetland, a miniature horse is neither (although many would have Shetland in their ancestry). It should show the same conformation and movement as you’d want in full-size horse. While the smaller pony breeds tend to be stockier and proportionally shorter-legged than horses, miniature horse breeds should have a certain elegance about its diminutive stature. They have longer necks and legs relative to their size than ponies of the same height.

Cute, dinky and typically trainable, miniature horses are sometimes seen as a good pet for those who have sufficient outdoor space. However, despite being not much bigger than a large dog, they have the same needs as regular horses and flourish when given appropriate field space to graze and roam, although they can be trained to work indoors, such as for therapy, visiting hospices, pantomimes and so on.

In this article: What is a miniature horse | History | Uses

How to define a miniature horse

There are a number of societies which have their own sets of rules on the miniature horse. The main criteria to define a miniature is its height (typically measured in inches rather than hands), and even on this the societies differ. The American Miniature Horse Association and British Miniature Horse Society (BMHS) state that 34 inches (8.2hh)is the maximum height, while the American Miniature Horse Registry allows up to 38 inches (9.2hh).

The BMHS was founded in 1992 to promote the welfare, breeding and showing of miniature horses – and has since become a studbook and passport issuing organisation. The BMHS describes miniature horses as “while not a specific breed, they should be similar in type to a hack or hunter” , and should “never be pony-like”.

The AMHA has a breed standard, with the goal being to “produce the smallest possible perfect horse”:

• Temperament: intelligent, curious, gentle, sensible, willing to cooperate and train
• Size: not exceeding 34 inches
• Colour: any coat colour, pattern, white markings and eye colour are acceptable
• Head: beautiful, triangular in shape, small in comparison to length of neck and body. Large, prominent eyes, set well apart. Profile may be straight of slightly dished. Refined muzzle with large nostrils. Ears should be medium sized, with pointed tips curving inwards
• Neck and shoulders: neck should be slender and slightly arched with good topline. Set on a well-angulated shoulder allowing for a free-swinging stride
• Body: compact with short back, well-muscled croup and well-set tail
• Legs: should appear longer than the body is deep. Overall impression of refinement and athleticism

Potted history of the miniature horse

The miniature horse goes back to the Renaissance, and has evolved over the centuries as a blend of selected breeds to become the tiny, elegant animal we see today. Back in the 17th century, miniature horses were popular among both princes and paupers. They were kept as pets for the aristocracy, playthings for palace children – especially in the realm of Louis XIV in France. But they were also used in coal mines where their size and relative strength was ideal in the constricted space, and travelling circuses.

A miniature horse owes its form to many different breeds. The Argentine Falabella is the first and original miniature horse breed, which descends from Andalusian, Spanish Barbs and Criollos. The Falabella was established in the mid-19th century by constantly breeding from the smallest and finest quality of each generation. Nowadays, Falabellas have Arabian, thoroughbred, quarter horse, pinto and appaloosa in their bloodlines.

The European miniature horses originally had plenty of Shetland blood, as well as Hackney, Welsh pony, Arab and thoroughbred, and have been bred over centuries to produce these tiny horses that give so much joy today.

What are miniature horses used for today

Miniature horses are increasingly popular as therapy animals, visiting schools and hospices. Due to their smaller size, they tend to be less intimidating to those unfamiliar with horses, easy to handle, and undeniably cute.

They are generally too small to be ridden except by very lightweight children – and the problem comes with how to back them. They typically weigh 10 to 25 stone, and the consensus is that even the larger horses should not carry more than five stone. This follows the guidance that a horse should carry a maximum of 20% of its own weight.

However, they provide huge enjoyment for competitive owners in the show ring, contesting classes from local shows right up to Royal International and Horse of the Year Show.

Like all equines, miniature horses prefer to live in company with other horses, and as such can make good companions and pets. However, in common with many ponies, their diets must be controlled to prevent obesity and related diseases, but they do have long life expectancy – typically 25–30 years. And as with all pets, they thrive in a knowledgable and loving home.

In terms of cost, just as they are a scaled-down version of a horse, their price-tag is proportionally smaller. A quality stallion with RIHS qualifications might cost around £5,000, while less experienced horses would go for £1,500. But as with any horse, prices are dependent on age, pedigree, training, temperament, conformation, ability and market rates.

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The Akhal-Teke is an elegant, exotic horse, which exudes grace and athleticism. This ancient breed started out in the hot climates of the central Asian desert as a ridden horse for the Turkmen people, and as such it is known for its tremendous stamina, soundness and speed. They are a national symbol in Turkmenistan, where they celebrate a national holiday in April ever year in honour of the breed, and appear as the centrepiece in their state emblem.

Their glistening coat is another notable characteristic, which typically has a metallic shimmer, leading to their nickname “golden horses”.

With records dating back three millennia, the Akhal-Teke is thought to be one of the world’s oldest breeds, but is now considered rare due to an estimated global population of fewer than 5,000 – however this is likely to be a conservative estimate. The breed is listed as “threatened” by the Livestock Conservancy. They are predominantly found in Russia and Turkmenistan.

In this article: Looks and conformation | Golden coats | Temperament | Movement and Uses | History | Cost

Looks and conformation

• Overall impression: lithe athleticism without excessive musculature. Should show extreme stamina and hardiness
• Head: long and narrow, with a flexible poll and long, slim, forward-set ears. Large nostrils, think lips and hooded or “oriental” eyes
• Neck: long and slim, set high out of the shoulder; refined throatlatch
• Front: high withers with sloping and free-moving shoulders. Narrow chest when viewed from front, but deep girth
• Back: general impression of length but without frailty, with a long, strong back and level topline.
• Hind end: wide hip angle giving appearance of strength, with low-set tail
• Limbs: the breed typically has dense bone and small, hard hooves, giving these horses the ability to pound hard surfaces. Large joints, short cannons, flat knees, low-set hocks, long and smoothly muscled forearm and gaskin. Clean and well-defined tendons. Pasterns should be long and of an identical angle to the hoof and shoulder. No feathers
• Size: 14.3hh to 16hh – average 15.2hh
• Colour: any colour is acceptable, with any combination of white markings. Metallic gleam is a desirable feature

‘Golden’ coats

The Akhal-Teke’s glimmering, shiny coat is one of the breed’s hallmarks. Whatever the coat’s colour, there is a metallic sheen, which is particularly significant in those with buckskin colouring as it makes the horse appear golden. This sheen is due to a unique hair structure which bends sunlight through one side of the hair and refracts it out the other side, creating the golden glow. This colouring is also thought to have originally provided camouflage in the desert.

Their coat is designed to enable these horses to withstand both heat and cold – as found in their initial desert habitat. Their mane and forelock are sparse, their skin is thin and the coat is short and silky. In winter, they grow a dense undercoat to provide warmth.

The Akhal-Teke is most commonly bay, buckskin, black, chestnut, grey, cream or palomino. However, cremello and perlino are also present, albeit more rarely. Blue eyes, one blue eye or marbled eyes are fairly common.

Temperament

Like the Arab horse and thoroughbred, Akhal-Tekes are hot-blooded. They may be energetic and spirited, although like any horse much of their temperament may be down to how they are handled. They are naturally sensitive but compliant. They have been bred selectively over thousands of years to cooperate with man, being tethered outside their riders’ tents, and as such they are sometimes likened to dogs in their devotion to their master.

Some experts believe that – unlike most breeds – they bond closely with one master during their lifetime, and maybe protective over that owner.

Movement and uses

Due to their ability to carry a rider over long distances, the Akhal-Teke’s gaits are characterised by a wide step and flat trot and canter, making for a comfortable ride. They typically have a unique trot that gives a smooth ride over long distances. Instead of the two-beat trot with diagonal pairs seen in most breeds, the Akhal-Teke steps down with each foot individually.

In Russia, they are used as racehorses at distances over 1km–6km. They are said to be faster than thoroughbreds over the longer distances.

They are specialist endurance horses. Groups of Akhal-Tekes have made a number of documented journeys as part of varied campaigns over the years, such as a 4,300km trek in 84 days from Ashkabad, Turkmenistan, to Moscow in Russia.

While they are fast, showing exceptional agility and speed over a range of distances, the Akhal-Teke is less well-known in the sport horse disciplines. However, there have been a number of jumpers, including the brilliant Penteli, who was in the USSR Olympic team. They have set puissance records in Russia, Asia and Eastern Europe, where the breed is prevalent, but they have not proved as popular in the west.

The most famous Akhal-Teke sport horse was another USSR contender, Absent, who won individual gold at the Rome Olympics in 1960, individual and team bronze in Tokyo in 1964, and team silver in Mexico City in 1968. Absent also sired grand prix dressage horses.

Akhal-Tekes are believed to have been used historically in the development of the thoroughbred and the Arabian. Nowadays, they are often crossed with warmbloods to produce sport horses.

Potted history

The precise origins of this ancient breed are hazy, but the Akhal-Teke developed in Central Asia, the country we now call Turkmenistan, some 3,000 years ago. They lived in the Karakum desert, which shaped the breed’s distinctive characteristics. The Turkmen people bred tough, fast and stamina-laden horses to suit their nomadic lifestyle, raiding against other tribes and surviving in the hot, dusty climate.

The name Akhal-Teke was first used in the 17th century. Akhal is the name of a line of oases in Turkmenistan, and also means pure, while Teke is from the eponymous tribe.

The Russians first acquired Akhal-Tekes some 500 years ago, and have been closely associated with preserving the breed since then, including establishing a stud farm when they annexed Turkmenistan in 1881.

How much does an Akhal-Teke cost?

As with any horse, there is no ballpark figure on how much an Akhal-Teke costs. Prices are dependent on age, pedigree, training, temperament, conformation, ability and so on. Because the Akhal-Teke is such an aesthetic horse, those with a a strong metallic sheen to their coats tend to command higher prices. You might imagine that the breed’s rarity would make them more likely to be comparatively expensive, however on sales sites they are listed at current market rates for horses of other breeds with similar experience.

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As unlikely as it may sound, the substantially built Percheron has more in common with the Arab or Iberian breeds than British heavy horses. Originating in northern France, the Percheron is a large, powerful draft horse, but with its energetic, free-moving stride and lack of feathered limbs, it combines elegance with its great strength.

Although they can be as small as 15.2hh (depending on which country’s studbook regulations you are referring to), most are much taller and have at times held the recorded of the biggest horse in the world. They are also among the strongest horse in terms of pulling power, rivalling other heavies such as the Shire, Clydesdale and Belgian draft. With its unfeathered legs and long stride, the handsome Percheron is an outlier in the world of heavy horse breeds, owing much of its elegance and poise to infusions of Oriental blood.

In this article: Characteristics | Temperament | History | Factfile

Percheron characteristics

According to the British Percheron Horse Society’s breed standard, this equine is a heavy draft horse with great muscular development, combined with style and activity. It should also:

• Have ample bone of good quality, general impression of balance and power
• Be grey or black with a minimum of white. (In the US studbook, chestnuts, roans and bays are also accepted)
• Stallions should be at least 16.2hh by age two. Mares at least 16.1hh.
• Head: wide across the eyes, which should be full and docile; ears medium-size and erect; deep curved cheek; intelligent expression
• Body: strong neck of ample length; full arched crest in case of stallions; wide chest; deep well-laid shoulders. Long and wide hindquarters with no suggestion of goose rump
• Back: strong and short, with wide and deep ribs
• Limbs: strong legs and full second thighs; big knees and broad hocks; heavy, flat bone; short cannons; medium-length cannons; reasonable-size feet with blue horn. Clean limbs without feather
• Action: straight, bold and with a long free stride rather than short and snappy. Hocks well flexed and kept close

Temperament

Percherons are typically docile and good-natured, without being sluggish or dull. They are characteristically bombproof in traffic and can switch without fuss from busy towns to quiet field work. They have great stamina and high energy levels, and are comparatively fast for a draft horse, which enables them to work willingly.

Potted history of the Percheron

The Percheron originated on the grass-rich limestone soil of Le Perche, a former province in Normandy, France, from which it takes its name. The first records for the breed date back to the eighth century. Rumour has it that the Percheron is descended from the Boulonnais horse – another elegant grey draft horse – used in the Roman invasion of Brittany. Others claim that Charles Martel, ruler of Francia, captured Arab and Barb horses in his victory over the Muslims in Poitiers in the 1st century AD and crossed them with his native Norman warhorses to upgrade the latter. History does not record the exact facts, but today’s Percheron is likely to be native French workhorses crossed with the stamina and fineness of Arabs and Iberian horse breeds.

The French pinpoint a stallion named Jean Le Blanc, born in 1824, as the foundation sire for the breed. He was a direct descendant from the Arab horses used in the Crusades. The French government established a stud at Le Pin for the development of army mounts in the early 1800s and a stud book was created in 1883.

Throughout its history, Percheron breeders have adapted this draft horse according to the needs of the day. At times a faster battle charger was required, at others more of a heavier farm animal. The grey colour was favoured by French knights, who were typically mounted aboard a white charger. Later on, light-coloured stagecoach horses were preferred because of their visibility at night. (Today, the British and French studbooks only permit grey and black colours.) The Le Perche breeders complied with current demand. It’s apt that the Percheron Horse Association of America nicknames the breed “the do-all draft horse”.

We do not know exactly when the Percheron first came to England – it may have been via William the Conqueror in 1066. The Americans jumped on the Percheron bandwagon in the 19th century, believing the breed to be ideal as a modern farm animal, and it rapidly became the most popular draft horse breed in the US. Following that, thousands of horses with Percheron blood were then imported to Britain from North America for light draught work.

In 1918, the British Percheron Society was formed. Some 36 stallions and 321 mares were imported from France, plus stock from North America and Canada, and these formed the basis for the first studbook in this country. The British Percheron stands alone from other Percheron breed societies with its own breed standards. As such there are slight differences between the French, North American and British Percheron – for example, the British one is typically between the other two in terms of height.

Few breeds of horse can claim to have had a history as colourful, long, useful and varied as the Percheron. It has been used in so many domains, from ancient warfare to delivering goods, transporting artillery and soldiers in the World Wars to agricultural work. Nowadays, it is still popular on farms, particularly in conservation and forestry work, but also as a riding and driving horse.

Percheron fact file

• A Percheron called Dr Le Gear was recorded in 1915 as being the world’s biggest horse, standing 21hh and weighing 2,995lbs (1,359kg) – the same as a Beluga whale
• In France there are two types of Percheron, the heavy draft and the “diligencier” (stagecoach), which is slightly smaller and lighter
• The breed has been exported all over the world and is especially popular in North and South America, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Australia and even the Falkland Islands.
• Often bred with the thoroughbred in the UK, this cross-breed makes an excellent sport horse or hunter
• Percherons are stars of the show at Disneyland both in France and America, where they have several carriage-driving roles, including pulling Cinderella’s crystal coach
• The breed has twice in its history been at risk of extinction, thanks to war casualties and also the advent of machinery. Thanks largely to conservation efforts by French and US breeders, it is no longer considered at risk in these countries. However, the British Percheron is on the government’s list of at risk equine breeds
• In 1993, it became illegal to dock the tail of a Percheron – this was historically done to prevent the tail becoming entangled in machinery
• Despite the Percheron’s French origins, America has the highest number of the breed for any country

As with any horse, it is impossible to put a figure on how much a Percheron costs. Prices are dependent on age, pedigree, training, temperament, conformation, ability and other factors.

For further information about the breed, visit percheron.org.uk

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The Clydesdale horse is among the tallest equines in the world. Known for its height and strength but also a certain elegance, the Clydesdale is a heavy horse with style that is renowned the world over, thanks to its fame in the Budweiser commercials. Yet the breed is at risk of extinction.

They vie with the Shire horse and Belgian Draft in terms of the title, “world’s biggest horse”. Although they are tall (typically at least 17hh), they are lighter than these other large breeds due to their slighter frame.

As with any horse, there is no ballpark figure on how much a Clydesdale costs. Prices are dependent on age, pedigree, training, temperament, conformation, ability and so on.

In this article: Looks and conformation | History | Famous Clydesdales

Looks and conformation

• Big ears and an open forehead; broad between the eyes with a flat profile
• The muzzle should be wide, with large nostrils
• A well-arched, long neck set on a sloping shoulder, with high withers
• The back should be strong with good depth of well-sprung rib
• Limbs with strong, flat bone; legs set close together. Hock to pastern is comparatively long, with no gaskin
• Abundant white, silky feather
• The Clydesdale normally stands between 17hh-18hh – mares are typically smaller than stallions and geldings
• Colours: bay and brown with white markings are prevalent; black, roan and chestnut are less common. White markings are characteristic, and nearly all Clydesdales have a white blaze and long white socks, often running up to the belly
• They typically have a high-stepping, showy action, which gives the impression of power, quality and weight, not bulk. They are one of the most elegant of the heavy horses
• The average Clydesdale weighs close to a tonne – about the same as a small car

Potted history

This Scottish breed takes its name from the area around the River Clyde in Lanarkshire.

During the 18th century, the Duke of Hamilton imported six black coaching stallions from Flanders to improve local draught stock. John Paterson of Lochlyloch brought a Flemish stallion from England and these sires were used on local Scottish mares, the progeny of which was to evolve into the Clydesdale.

These horses were said to be of better type than the Flanders horses and the native horses they were crossed with, and the breed soon gained a reputation as one of the best agricultural and haulage animals. Horse fairs at Lanark became a popular place to purchase horses and a strong export industry in Clydesdales soon developed.

Different types started to evolve as the breed spread throughout the British Isles. The Clydesdale Horse Society was formed in 1877 and its first studbook, published in 1878, mentions such types, including the Galloway, Kintyre and Banffshire. The foundation sire is believed to be Glancer 335 – also called Thompson’s Black Horse – with two notable sires of the 19th century being Prince of Wales 673 and Darnley 222.

During the height of its popularity, the Clydesdale numbered around 140,000 animals in Scotland alone. However, with the introduction of mechanisation in agriculture and haulage, the Clydesdale’s primary use was lost and numbers dramatically declined. By the 1970s, the breed was designated “at risk” by the Rare Breeds’ Survival Trust and found itself at an all time low. They are still deemed at risk in 2022.

The main purpose of the Clydesdale today is breeding, showing, carriage-driving and parades. The Clydesdale Horse Society has taken measures to increase the breed’s popularity, especially with young people. National classes have been developed to ensure that all ages of enthusiast are involved in the continuation of the Clydesdale.

As well as their use in showing and eco-friendly agriculture, Clydesdales compete in general riding club activities. Although they are renowned for their pulling power, they also give a comfortable ride – being quite narrow for a heavy draft breed – and typically have an easy-going and willing temperament. They have proved popular with the Household Cavalry as drum horses.

And if you think a heavy draft horse is out of place on the racetrack, take a look at Exeter’s annual Clydesdale race for charity, in which top jockeys take part. This hugely popular race has been running since 2013.

Famous Clydesdale horses

The “Budweiser Clydesdales” are a group of Clydesdale horses based in Missouri, US, used in advertisements for the brewing company Anheuser-Busch. The tradition dates back to 1933 when Anheuser-Busch’s sons surprised him with six Clydesdale horses and a beer wagon to celebrate the end of Prohibition, and the breed has since become a marketing tool. They are particularly associated with commercials during Super Bowl, having appeared in most ads since the 1980s (they took a break during Covid). The Clydesdale breed is said to be “a symbol of America – a symbol of hope, of strength, of resilience”, according to Budweiser’s marketing president.

Digger: at around 19.2hh, Digger was one of the world’s tallest horses. He was rescued by World Horse Welfare as an orphan foal, and was put in training as drum horse for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, although ended up as the face of World Horse Welfare’s Adopt a Horse scheme, living at their Aberdeenshire centre, Belwade Farm.

The actor Martin Clunes has a soft spot for heavy horses. His first two horses, Ronnie and Bruce, were Clydesdales and he used them to travel by horse and cart. This pair starred in Martin’s 2013 documentary Heavy Horsepower.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Strong, noble and elegant, the modern Andalusian horse harks back to its ancestry as a war horse on the Iberian peninsula. For centuries, Spanish horses were famed for their agility, courage and intelligence, depicted in portraits throughout history as battle chargers for famous warriors.

In this article: What is an Andalusian horse? | PRE breed standard | Temperament | Movement | History | Famous horses

What is an Andalusian horse?

The title Andalusian loosely covers all breeds described as “Spanish horses”. They are sometimes under the umbrella of Iberian horses, which includes Portuguese breeds as well. As they have common descent, and were inter-bred at times in their history, it can be very hard to tell from the appearance whether an Iberian horse is Spanish or Portuguese. As a general overview, their main characteristics are similar but there are differences, particularly as regards pedigree regulations between each of the breeds.

A pure-bred Andalusian is called a PRE (Pura Raza Espagnola of Pure Spanish Horse). A PRE must have a pedigree record confirming both sire and dam have identification documents which prove they are licensed and registered in the studbook of the Association of Breeders of Purebred Spanish Horses (ANCCE). Licensed PREs have a coloured ribbon next to their name denoting their quality as breeding animals.

The Portuguese equivalent to the PRE is the PSL – a pure-bred Lusitano. Like the PRE, a Lusitano can only be a PSL if both parents are registered.

A Cruzado is a cross with both Portuguese and Spanish breeding, be it PRE, PSL, Andalusian or Lusitano. As both the PSL and PRE require both parents to be registered with their own studbooks, these cannot be registered with either.

PRE: overview (according to the breed standard)

• Medium-sized and short-backed with a high-set arched neck, and a rounded topline
• There is a desired body proportionality index (height at withers divided by length from shoulder to point of buttocks between 90–110) to provide an appearance of general harmony and beauty
• The horse’s weight is balanced towards the hindquarters, which enables them to show a high degree of collection and can give powerful jumping ability too.
• They have a robust and well-proportioned trunk, while the back should be muscular and almost straight, with short, broad and muscular loins
• The mane is typically abundant and silky; the tail low-set and with abundant, often wavy hair
• Their coats are characteristically short and fine, with minimal hair on the fetlocks
• To be registered with the ANCCE, PRE stallions must be 1.54m–1.72m and mares 1.52m–1.70m
• Greys and bays are dominant, but other solid colours are permitted. Greys, bays and blacks have at various times in history been popular with the Royal Stud, and now around 70% of PREs in Spain are grey. Chestnuts were only accepted into the studbook in 2002
• White patches, and excessive white on the head or legs is not considered an acceptable trait. They are also not permitted to have eyes of different colours
• Mares and stallions should show sexual dimorphism, with the mares being smaller and slighter than their male counterparts

Temperament of the Andalusian horse

They are typically kind, sensitive, intelligent and quick learners, who will give their all. While they are energetic, they are also naturally docile and robust. As a working animal throughout history, they have been bred to cooperate with humans. Naturally, some are hotter and more sensitive than others, and these tend to be favoured in performance sport where extra dynamism and energy is required.

Andalusian horse: movement

Andalusians are famed for their ability to sit and collect, which makes them popular as dressage horses. Their paces are typically cadenced and elastic with significant elevation and extension. They find it easy to collect and turn on their haunches. Besides dressage, they are used as general riding horses, farm work and in the bullfighting arena; they are also often used in movie-making thanks to their trainability, obedience and noble looks.

All paces are straight and regular. The walk should be ground covering, while the trot is suspended and elegant, with active use of the hindquarters and joint flexion to push forward. The canter is fluid and elastic with impulsion. Horses with poor movement, such as irregular paces, poor elevation, dishing and ambling, are penalised accordingly in the assessment process for the studbook.

Potted history

Originally a cavalry horse, Iberian horses became popular with royalty and the nobility and consequently gained a reputation as the “the Royal Horse of Europe”. King Felipe of Spain formalised PRE breeding in 1567 according to strict breeding standards, with the studbook being formed in 1911.

Although they have proved extremely popular at certain times in history, they have faced extinction, particularly during wartime due to theft – Spain having spent much of the 19th and 20th centuries fighting various wars. The low numbers resulted in an embargo on their exportation, which was lifted in 1963. The first Spanish horses for 200 years arrived in England in the late 1960s and the British Andalusian Horse Society was formed in 1982, which is now called the British Association for the Pure-Bred Spanish Horse.

The Andalusian has been influential on many other horse breeds over the centuries, such as the Lipizzaner, Friesian and Hanoverian. Some Andalusian experts believe they also contributed to thoroughbred, Trakehner and Cleveland Bay lines among others.

Famous Andalusians

Fuego XII – wowed the crowd with his flamenco freestyle in the World Equestrian Games in 2010, ridden by Juan Manuel Muñoz Diaz.

Babieca – the white stallion warhorse of El Cid Campeador. A legendary Andalusian horse from 11th century in medieval Spain.

Evento – was credited as one of the key PRE horses to kick off international dressage in Spain, ridden by Ignacio Rambla. He competed at four European Championships, the World Equestrian Games in 1998 and finished 11th at the Atlanta Olympics.

• For more information visit the British Association of the Purebred Spanish Horse website: bapsh.co.uk

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

With its elegant dished face, tail held high and floating paces, the Arabian horse is one of the world’s most recognisable horse breeds. It is arguably one of the oldest breeds still in existence, with archaeological evidence of Middle Eastern horses resembling modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. Famous warriors such as Ghengis Khan, Alexander the Great, and the prophet Mohammed are believed to have favoured Arabians. And today, Arabian bloodlines have contributed to nearly every modern light horse breed, from the thoroughbred in England to Russia’s Orloff Trotter and even the Percheron draft horse in France.

The Arabian bloodlines began on the Arabian Peninsula, where the nomadic Bedouin tribe developed the breed that could cope with travelling long distances with ease, had a natural willingness to cooperate with humans, but also had the spirit and courage required for war and raids. Nowadays, this translates especially well to endurance riding, but Arabians and part-breds are found in many other disciplines across the equestrian world.

In this article: Looks and conformation | Six types of Arabian | Temperament

Looks and conformation

There are five key elements for correct Arabian conformation:

• Head: comparatively small, preferably with a slight dish below the eyes, small muzzle with large nostrils; large dark eyes, well set-apart; small and shapely ears with tips curved slightly inwards
• Neck: long and arched (with a large well-set windpipe); set on high
• Back: short and straight
• Croup: fairly horizontal
• Tail: natural high carriage

Although they are a relatively small horse, typically standing 14.1hh–15.1hh, they may have a greater bone density than other breeds, with short cannons and strong hoof walls, which give them greater physical strength than you might expect from their dainty, elegant appearance.

Their broad, short backs mean Arabians typically have fewer lumbar vertebrae than other breeds (five as oppose to six) and 17 ribs compared to the usual 18.

The Arab Horse Association registers pure-bred horses with the coat colours bay, grey, chestnut, black and roan, with the first three being the most common. The roan is usually rabicano (partial roan) or sabino (irregular white spotting) patterns, as the roan gene does not appear to exist in Arabians. Arabians have black skin, even with white coats (except under white markings), which would have given them more protection from the desert sun.

There are no pure-bred skewbald or piebald Arabians. Also, pure-breds do not carry dilution genes, which means they cannot be dun, cremello, palomino, perlino or buckskin.

Six types of Arabian horse

As Arabian horses have spread throughout the world, via war and trading, they have adapted to their environments. This has given rise to six distinct types of the modern Arabian.

Egyptian Arabian: this is quite a rare type, making up only about 2% of the Arabian horse population. They stem from the Egyptian elite’s desire to own desert horses, and in the 20th century Egyptian breeders started preserving this type. They are considered the purest of the types as their bloodlines can be traced back to an Egyptian herd owned by Viceroy Mohammed Ali. Breeders seek them out for their purity and elegance.

Russian Arabian: this type was developed in the 17th century by Russian czars and aristocracy and stems from different Arabian bloodlines, including Crabbet and Polish. They are typically around 15hh and a dark brown colour.

Polish Arabian: the Poles captured many Arabians from Turkish invaders in the 16th century and began breeding a specific type and improving their own horse breeds. Sadly, most of their stock was lost in World War I, leading to a breeding society being established in 1926. The Polish type has two strains, the Seglawi and the Kuhailan – the former being prized for its refined beauty, the latter for its athleticism.

Crabbet Arabian: these originated in the late 19th century in Crabbet, Sussex. Wildred Scawen and Lady Anne Blunt imported desert Arabians from Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, seeking out the best examples from which to breed. Their stud, Crabbet Park Stud, became the principal centre of Arabian horse breeding in England. They are typically a larger, sturdier horse than, say, the Egyptian type.

Spanish Arabian: the least common of all Arabian types, accounting for less than 1% of the Arab horse population. They started being bred in the early 20th century by the military, which was in charge of all breeding. They were imported from the Middle East, Poland and France to improve the local Spanish horse population, and today all Spanish Arabians descend from Spanish Studbook pedigrees.

Shagya Arabian: the Hungarian military developed this type of Arabian in the 18th century, aiming to produce a cavalry horse with all the Arabian advantages, but larger and stronger, and with greater jumping ability. They are therefore the least pure and typically the tallest of all the Arabian breeds, containing a mix of bloodlines from desert-bred Arabian stallions with European mares that were largely descended from Arabian stock, but might contain some thoroughbred or Lipizzaner blood. Their name comes from the tall, strong and eponymous stallion Shagya, whose bloodlines appear in most Shagya Arabians.

The Arabian temperament

Although they are a hot-blooded breed, like the thoroughbred which owes much of its pedigree to Arabian ancestry, they have been bred over centuries to have an easy-going nature. The Bedouins used to keep their horses in their tents with them, so they prized horses with kind temperaments for breeding. However, their hot-blooded side means they are quick and intelligent – like most horses, they can become nervous and reactive if badly treated although they would naturally strive to please humans.

As the saying goes in the Middle East: “An Arabian will take care of its owner as no other horse will, for it has not only been raised to physical perfection, but has been instilled with a spirit of loyalty unparalleled by that of any other breed.”

Arabians are well known for their tremendous stamina – they are the ultimate endurance horse, thanks to their soundness, toughness and lightness across the ground. But they aren’t just long-distance machines; they can reach up to 40mph, which makes them third only to the Quarter horse and thoroughbred in a sprint.

Despite their illustrious and ancient ancestry, today’s prices of Arabian horse are comparable with other popular breeds. As with any horse, there is no ballpark figure on how much one costs. Prices are dependent on age, training, temperament, conformation, ability and so on. But you’re buying a slice of history – the pure-bred Arabian you ride today would be almost identical to the war horses ridden by the warriors of old.

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The Friesian horse looks like it has come straight out of a fairytale. Known for its shining jet-black coat, flowing mane, tail and feathers, as well as its proud and powerful physique, the Friesian is an ancient horse breed that has proved its worth in myriad disciplines, from the battlefield to the circus, trotting races and nowadays dressage and driving. It is considered the only surviving native breed in the Netherlands (from the province Friesland) – where some sources believe 7% of the horse population are Friesians.

Looks and conformation

The Friesian is bred to be exclusively black. Around 100 years ago, there was a minority of bays and chestnuts, but now black is a prerequisite for registration into the studbook. Chestnuts are still found as a handful of stallions carried this recessive allele, but they are very rare, and are not accepted by the breed registries. The only white marking permitted is a star. They typically have a long flowing mane and tail, high-set arched neck, a thick crest and broad chest. The quarters are sloping with a low-set tail.

Friesians are a naturally powerful horse with a high-stepping trot action. The modern Friesian tends towards the lighter sport horse rather than the heavier draft type – there are two distinct conformation types, the larger-built “baroque” Friesian and the finer-boned Friesian sport horse. It is a compact warmblood, powerfully muscled and is ideally at least 15.2hh. They weigh on average around 600kg. Although they are quite a chunky sport horse, they are nimble and elegant.

The Friesian is said to be the foundation for the Old English Black, the ancestor to both the Shire horse and the Fell pony.

The Friesian temperament

All horses have their quirks and backgrounds, but the Friesian temperament is typically friendly, easy-going and willing to please. Their versatility is one of their hallmarks and as such can make a useful family horse: an all-rounder that excels in the dressage and driving arenas, but is equally happy to take friends out for a hack or a Sunday drive.

They are a popular breed for use in film-making – they often look the part in historical dramas and battle re-enactments, and are calm and trainable.

Unfortunately, Friesians are prone to a number of genetic disorders (dwarfish, hydrocephalus, aortic rupture and megaoesophagus), possibly due to inbreeding. This may contribute to their comparatively short typical lifespan of 16 years, although many do live until they are 30.

A potted history of the Friesian horse

The Friesian studbook (Koninklijke Vereniging Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek (KFPS)) is the oldest in the Netherlands, founded 1879, and promotes the interest in this ancient breed worldwide, as well as establishing a breeding programme to maintain and refine the unique characteristics of the Friesian horse. The KFPS tagline is: “The Friesian horse. There she is: fiery, strong, intelligent, and looking just a bit superior. As if she knows of her centuries-old heritage. As if she knows of the place she has in so many hearts.”

Friesian horses can be found on every continent, in more than 70 countries, with more than 70,000 registered. There are many rules and regulations governing registration, stallion selection and young stock inspection. There are also guidelines for naming foals – in 2022, Friesian foals’ names should start with T, U or V.

Thanks to the KFPS, the breed is now well established in its modern form, but ancient texts testify that the Friesian has been an important breed for hundreds of years. As far back as 150AD, documents attest to Friesian horses being used in battle as war horses. Variations on the Friesian were used in the Crusades (probably crossed with Arabs and Andalusians). Some historians believe William the Conqueror rode a Friesian – it’s the archetypal war horse: strong enough to carry a warrior in armour, brave, bold and agile in battle.

The first written evidence of the name Friesian came in the 16th century in Germany, and by the 17th century, Friesians were well represented performing haut-école equitation.

The breed then became concentrated in the Netherlands in the 19th century, where it was used as a status-symbol carriage horse for wealthy land-owners and the KFPS studbook was established. However, the breed nearly became extinct – with just three breeding stallions in existence – as it was no match for the heavier draft breeds working the land. Mercifully a breeding programme ensued which, despite a few hiccups over the years, has enabled the breed not only to survive, but flourish.

As a result of a well-regulated studbook, pure-bred Friesian horses can be expensive. However, like any horse, the price will come down to the individual horse, its pedigree, age, temperament, training, background and ability. Relatively speaking, Friesians are typically more expensive in the US where they are still few and far between.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

What are the best horse breeds for dressage? Well, dressage in its simplest form means “training”, and is all about working in harmony with your horse to help him improve suppleness, flexibility, obedience and athleticism – and ultimately become more pleasant and responsive to ride. As a result, any breed of horse has the ability to do dressage, and as long as they have reasonable conformation, should be able to attain a basic standard. However, some horse breeds are certainly more suited to the high levels of the sport. We take a look at some of those here…

Warmbloods

The vast majority of horses you will see competing successfully in top level dressage are warmbloods. A warmblood is an athletic, modern type of horse originally produced by crossing a hot-blooded horses, such as a thoroughbred, with the cold-blooded horse, such as a draught horse.

You will hear horses referred to as a German warmblood, for example, or a Danish warmblood, or a Dutch warmblood. This means a horse of one of the studbook organisations from that country, for example a Dutch warmblood is a horse bred under the KWPN studbook. A German warmblood could be one of many German horse breeds, including the Oldenburg, Westfalian, Hanoverian and Trakehner. 

When it comes to the most successful horse breeds in dressage, it is interesting to look at the 18 horses that reached the individual dressage final at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Nine of them, so 50%, were KWPN. Three were Hanoverian, two were Westfalian, and one each represented the Trakehner, Danish Warmblood and Oldenburg breeds. Only one horse out of the 18 was not a warmblood, and that was Fogoso, a Lusitano stallion who finished 16th for Portugal’s Rodrigo.

While the KWPN breed clearly dominates the list, the top three horses who reached the podium were of three different breeds: Jessica von Bredow-Werndl’s ride TSF Dalera (Trakehner), Isabell Werth’s ride Bella Rose (Westfalian) and Charlotte Dujardin’s Gio (KWPN).

A warmblood horse’s individual bloodlines, talent, temperament and training will have greater influence when it comes to success in sport than its specific breed. That said, it is notable that arguably the two greatest dressage horses of all time, Totilas and Valegro, were both KWPN, which speaks volumes for the influence of the breed on modern dressage.

Iberian breeds

Horse breeds from the Iberian peninsula have become increasingly popular for dressage in recent years. These breeds include the Spanish PRE (Pura Raza Española) and Andalusian horses, and the Portuguese Lusitano horse.

At the Tokyo Olympics, every member of the Portugal team rode Lusitano horses, which illustrates the breed’s ability to perform top level dressage. The team finished eighth. 

Iberian horse breeds typically possess excellent temperaments and trainability, and often show particular aptitude for the collected work, which gives them an advantage when it comes to exercises such as piaffe and passage at the very top level.

One of the most famous Iberian dressage horses is the PRE stallion Fuego de Cardenas, who finished in the top 10 individually at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, the 2011 European championships and the 2012 Olympics, gaining a plethora of fans along the way.

And it’s not just riders from Spain or Portugal who opt to ride Iberian horses: Brazil’s Joao Victor Marcari Oliva rode Lusitano stallion Escorial in Tokyo, and British riders such as Vicki Thomson-Winfield, Jacky Stolper, Becky Edwards and Karen Shepherd have had great success competing Iberian breeds at high level. 

Draught horses

The sight of heavy horses, or part-bred heavy horses, is becoming a more familiar one on the UK dressage scene. This group of horse breeds include the Clydesdale horse, Shire horse, Suffolk, Irish draught, Cleveland Bay and Haflinger. 

Examples of part-bred Cleveland Bay horses reaching the highest levels include Arun Tor, ridden by Ferdi Eilberg, and more recently Spring Pascal, ridden by Samantha Thurman-Baker. The part-bred Shire horse Snowden Faberge, ridden by Kate Dwyer, was part of the Irish team at the European championships in 2019 who secured Ireland’s qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, and has also banked international wins at grand prix level.

British native breeds

While seen far less frequently at the top level of the sport, plenty of Britain’s native breeds can turn their hands successfully to dressage at national level. Every year, the National Dressage Championships and Winter Dressage Championships welcome a huge range of breeds to compete, from Welsh section Ds and Connemaras to Fell ponies. 

As you go up the levels, it is part-breds that tend to prevail, although it is rare to see a part-bred native breed reaching the very top level of dressage. It’s not unheard of though, for example the Connemara/thoroughbred Seldom Seen competed at grand prix in the late 1980s with Lendon Gray.

Cobs

Once considered only destined for weight-carrying and happy hacking, a cob with good conformation and a great attitude is more than capable of doing well in dressage, with some even reaching grand prix levels. This includes traditional gypsy cobs, such as Sam Turner’s Cuffstown Rumble (above), who has competed at grand prix. 

Thoroughbreds

The thoroughbred is a hugely influential horse breed in dressage, contributing to the modern warmblood to create what we tend to now think of a sport horse, but nowadays it is rare to see pure thoroughbreds competing at high level in dressage. 

However, with several series and championships specifically targeting thoroughbreds and retrained racehorses, more and more are becoming popular and successful at lower levels of the sport, with a few even working their way further up, such as ex-racehorse Quadrille, owned and bred by The Queen and ridden by Louise Robson, who competes at small tour.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Here we bring you a selection of rare horse breeds from across the globe, and everything you need to know about them…

Rare horse breeds

1. The Canadian Horse

As its name would suggest, the rare Canadian horse originates from Canada. It became the country’s national horse in 2002 and is registered as ‘at risk’ by Heritage Livestock Canada due to dwindling numbers.

Canadian horses descend from a load of Spanish, Norman and Breton-bred horses sent to Canada in 1665 by King Louis XIV to his subjects in New France. From those foundation horses, a distinct breed of horse emerged, and became known as ‘Le Petit Cheval de Fer’ or ‘The Little Iron Horse’.

The Canadian Horse Breeders association says the breed is known for ‘its calm and willing disposition, excellent feet, stamina and strength.’ Their height usually ranges from between 14hh to 16hh and while most are black, Canadians come in other colours, including chestnut, bay and palomino.

2. The Dales pony

The Dales Pony is the native breed of the upper dales of the eastern slopes of the Pennine range, from the High Peak in Derbyshire to the Cheviot Hills near the Scottish Border.

The rare breed originates from the crossing of Scotch Galloways, used for pack work in the 17th Century, and native mares. According to the Dales Pony Society: “it was that the black Galloways of the mixed herds eventually superseded the Scotch Galloway, and eventually became the Dales Pony through a series of improvements from several sources.”

Bloodlines from the Norfolk Cob and Yorkshire Roadster also helped develop the Dales pony we know and love today.

According to the Dales Pony Society (formerly the The Dales Pony Improvement Society): “the combination of strength, agility, thrift, hardiness and high courage, with good conformation and a calm, intelligent nature, makes the Dales Pony a first-class riding and driving pony with all the abilities of a true all-rounder.”

Dales ponies have no upper height limit and can be black, brown, grey, bay and roan in colour.

3. The Cleveland Bay

The Cleveland Bay horse can be traced back to the Chapman horse of the 17th century. They stand at between 16hh to 16.2hh and are solid bay in colour with no white with the possible exception of a very small star. Its a versatile and athletic breed, as both a pure-bred and crossing option.

Initially bred in the Cleveland Hills, Cleveland Bays used by farmers on the land, for riding and as pack animals.

In 2018, it was the most endangered rare native equine breed, with only 64 breeding females left in the UK.

The Cleveland Bay Horse Society is the guardian of the breed. It was formed in 1884 to preserve and promote the breed and continues its role today.

The Royal family have given the breed a great boost; The Queen’s grandfather had been a breeder of Cleveland bays in the 1920’s and The Queen stepped purchased Cleveland Bay colt named Mulgrave Supreme. The Queen still breeds today.

4. The Exmoor pony

Ponies have been on Exmoor since ancient times, and this environment shaped their size, characteristic hardiness, independent spirit and native intelligence.

In 1818, the crown sold the Royal Forest of Exmoor to industrialist John Knight. The outgoing Warden, Sir Thomas Acland, took 30 of the ponies and founded the Acland herd (now known as the Anchor herd) running on Winsford Hill. Farmers from Withypool and Hawkridge, who had worked for the warden, also bought stock at the dispersal sale and founded several herds which still exist.

Although some Exmoor ponies now are bred in studs throughout the country, herds of semi-feral free-ranging ponies still run on the moor.

The late 1940s nearly saw the demise of the Exmoor Pony.

Today, while still a rare breed, they are a popular riding pony for children and small adults. Stallions stand up to 12.3hh, and mares up to 12.2hh. They are bay, brown and dun in colour and carry characteristic mealy markings on the muzzle and around the eye and flanks.

5. The Eriskay pony

Standing up to 13.2hh, the Eriskay pony is among the last surviving remnants of the original native ponies of the Western Isles of Scotland.

By the early 1970s, there were only 20 pure-breds on the remote island of Eriskay, so a dedicated group of people got together in an attempt to increase numbers. The Eriskay Pony Society was founded in 1995.

Today, there are around 420 Eriskays in the world. The Eriskay Pony is classed as critical by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST).

The predominant colour is grey with the occasional black or bay.

6. The Newfoundland Pony

According to the Newfoundland Pony Society: “The Newfoundland Pony is known for its strength, courage, intelligence, obedience, and common sense.”

During the later part of the 20th century, the estimated population of 12,000 (1970s) dropped to fewer than 100 in the 1980s.

In 1997, the provincial government of Newfoundland passed the Heritage Animals Act of Newfoundland and Labrador. This Act provided legal protections to the Newfoundland Pony by making it illegal to transport Newfoundland Ponies off the Island without export permits. The Act also designated the Newfoundland Pony Society as the public group responsible for registering, promoting and protecting the Newfoundland Pony.

Today, there are 250 registered breeding animals and the population is spread across Canada, with the majority of the ponies located in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Ontario.

Their height varies from 11hh to 14.2hh. They have a coat colour of bay, black, brown, chestnut, dun, grey, roan and white only.

7. Akhal-Teke

The rare Akhal-Teke was developed for endurance and speed and is one of the oldest domesticated horse breeds.

While commonly found throughout North America and Europe, the breed originated in the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan.

In 1881, Turkmenistan became a part of the Russian Empire and the first official breeding farms of Akhal-Tekes were established. Numbers declined due to the turmoil that marked the early days of Soviet Russia.

The breed was brought to the United States in 1979 and the Akhal-Teke Association of America was founded as a registry.

The slim, athletic horse typically stands between 14hh and 16hh.

Akhal-Tekes are thin-skinned with fine coat and can be of any colour. Many carry a gene for the cream dilution, which can result in palomino, cremello, and perlino coats. Some horses have pale blue eyes. Akhal-Tekes have a metallic sheen to their coats.

8. The Caspian Horse

Caspians average only 11.2hh but despite their height, theyare known as horses rather than ponies.

According to the Caspian Horse Society: “The Caspian is a horse, not a pony, and therefore should be viewed in the same manner when judging a well-bred horse. That is the limbs, body and head should all be in proportion to each other. Foreshortened limbs or a head out of proportion are faults. The overall impression should be that of an elegant, small horse.”

The rare breed dates back to ancient Persia, at least as far as 3,000 B.C. Experts now believe the Caspian to be the forerunner to the Arab horse and therefore to most of the hot blooded horses in existence today.

They are known to have a spectacular action as well as speed.

9. The Suffolk Horse

The Suffolk Horse is the oldest breed of heavy horse to exist in its present form.

The earliest stud book of any heavy horse breed, and all modern Suffolks, are descended from just one horse, Crisp’s Horse of Ufford, which was born in 1768.

During the First World War, the strong horse was a popular working animal and there were 1000s of Suffolks residing throughout East Anglia. They were known for their ability to be used for draught work and forestry

The rare breed declined rapidly when farmers swapped horses for tractors and machinery, and in 1966 there were only nine Suffolk foals registered.

Today, they are a popular cross to produce heavy sports and show horses, and they are being increasingly seen in ridden heavy horse classes.

10. The Hackney

The British Hackney had its origins in the Norfolk and Yorkshire Roadsters (trotting horses) of the 18th and 19th centuries, but is first mentioned in medieval times.

Early Thoroughbred stallions had a great influence on the breed. According to the RBST: “Following improvements in the roads during the 16th and 17th century there was an increased demand for carriage horses and the highest status symbol was to be seen out in a stylish equipage with proud high-stepping horses.”

In 1883, the Hackney Horse Society and Stud Book was formed.

The Hackney horse stands from 14hh to 16.2hh, while the pony stands between 12.2hh to 14hh. Their coat may be a range of solid colours and many boast white markings.

The high-stepping breed is known for its ability to trot at high speed for extended periods.

11. The Sorraia

Sorraia Horses are a remnant population of an indigenous, South Iberian wild horse, which survived in the formerly inaccessible lowlands of the river Sorraia in Portugal until the early 1900s.

The Iberian scientist and horse expert Dr. Ruy d’Andrade discovered these horses in 1920 and is responsible for their preservation.

Today, there are only 200 Sorraias, most of which kept are in private hands.

All Sorraias descend from only 11 or 12 animals that d’Andrade secured in the 1930s, and in-breeding is therefore incredibly high.

12. The American Cream Draft Horse

The American Cream Draft is a relatively new breed and is the only draft breed to have originated in the United States.

It is believed that the Cream traces its roots back to a draft-type mare named Old Granny. She is believed to have been foaled around the turn of the last century in Iowa and was cream in colour.

There are around 250 horses worldwide.

The American Cream Draft Horse was recommended for recognition by the National Stallion Enrolment Board in 1948. In 1950 they were recognised as standard by the Iowa Board of Agriculture.

Its most notable characteristic is its coat colour, which ranges from pale cream to a rich golden colour, with a white mane and tail.

13. The Curly Horse (American Bashkir Curly Horse)

A Curly Horse comes in all sizes, colours, and types but all carry a gene for a unique curly coat of hair.

Curlies are claimed to be the only hypoallergenic horse breed. They originated in North America and there are a few 1000 of them in the world today.

In 1971 the first curly horse register was formed, The American Bashkir Curly Registry.

Most of today’s curly horses have ancestry to one or more of the three stallions Copper D, Curly Jim or Eli Bad Warrior’s sire (name unknown).

The British Curly Horse and Pony society was founded in 2010.

14. The Marwari Horse

Developed in the Indian region of Marwari (Jodhpur), the Marwari Horse descends from the mounts of the Rajput warriors. It is best known for its inward-turned ear tips.

Because the breed was rare and faced extinction, there was an export ban placed in the 1930s and no Marwari horses were able to leave India. In 2000, a first shipment of six horses was sent to horsewoman Francesca Kelly in the United States.

Today, the breed is still rare with fewer than 5,000 purebred horses in the entire world.

The Marwari has been traced back to Arabian and Mongolian horses. Their inward turning and sometimes touching ears are linked to the Kathiawari horse.

15. German Black Forest Horse

As of 2017, it was recorded that there was a population of 88 stallions and 1,077 mares.

They originate from the Black Forest of southern Germany, where breeding dates back to the 15th century. They were originally used for farm work and forestry.

Some other names of the rare German Black Forest Horse include Schwarzwälder Füchs, Schwarzwälder Kaltblut, Wälder Horse, and Saint Märgener.

One of the key breeding programmes is at the Marbuch Stud horse farm in Germany.

They usually range between 14.2hh and 16hh in height.

They are cold-blooded, light-draft horses and are characterised by a golden mane and rich chestnut coat; no other colour may be registered.

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It is not unusual nowadays to see Baroque horses doing well at top level dressage — the Iberian breeds in particular, such as Portugal’s Lusitano and Spain’s Andalusian or Pura Raza Española (PRE), are especially renowned for their trainable temperaments and talent for the advanced collected work in particular. Even Friesian horses are gaining recognition as a breed that can compete with warmbloods. But what about the Baroque breed you might never have heard of — the Murgese horse.

The Murgese breed originates from the far south of Italy, in the Puglia region, and dates back hundreds of years, having been popular with the Italian cavalry during the 15th and 16th Centuries, after which their numbers dwindled almost to extinction.

These impressive and often striking looking horses are usually black or occasionally blue roan, and are typically powerful, well balanced and highly intelligent. One who is making his mark on the dressage scene in the Netherlands is the 11-year-old stallion Carletto, thought to be the only Murgese horse in the world competing at grand prix level.

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The striking blue roan, by Otello Di San Paolo x Everest, recently made his debut at the level under Dutch-Italian rider Jolanda Adelaar, scoring 66.9% at a national show in Velsen-Zuid, the Netherlands.

“Everything I imagined Carletto could do is now becoming reality. Like many Baroque horse breeds, his highlights show in piaffe and passage,” says Jolanda, who is no stranger to achieving success on somewhat unusual breeds, having started her dressage career riding a Fjord. She bought Carletto eight years ago as an unbacked youngster from his breeder in Puglia, training him up the levels at her home in Brabant, Netherlands, and now hopes to progress to international grand prix with him.

“Carletto’s nickname is Rocky Balboa, because he is an underdog who worked up from the bottom,” she adds.

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Venetia Philipps grew up among the stud farms and racing stables of Newmarket but settled in Kenya 10 years ago, working on a safari. Since taking on the role of stud manager at the country’s Sirai Stud when it was established in 2012, Venetia has developed it into a world class breeding centre, providing modern breeding techniques for the improvement of horses for safaris, competition and polo in East Africa. She has completely revolutionised horse breeding in the region.

The stud is owned by Michael and Sarah Spencer and lies on a remote ridge in the shadow of Mount Kenya, where guests can also enjoy the safari experience.

“Sarah had a dream to run lots of horses on a lovely piece of land,” explains Venetia, who had been used to riding Kenyan-bred horses on safari. “I saw that there possibly wasn’t enough bone in a lot of the horses to carry guests the distance that they were travelling.”

She bought three safari horses from South Africa for Michael and Sarah, a mix of Friesian with the native Boerperd.

“They worked so well that we decided between us that we would start up a stud farm and breed horses so that East Africa could benefit from having different breeds of horses and enjoy something other than what’s always been on the market,” says Venetia. “Generally it’s always been the Ethiopian pony or the Kenyan thoroughbred. Very few bloodlines have been brought in.”

Venetia describes it as a “really exciting and fun project” putting a lot of different stallions to Ethiopian ponies, which are generally small but tough and hardy, and breeding them up.

She made contact with breeding pioneer Professor Twink Allen and Dr Sandra Wilsher, who helped the stud to bring in bloodlines from all over the world and taught Venetia everything from how to ultrasound scan mares to insemination and embryo transfer.

“In the last eight years it’s grown from three horses to just over 50,” says Venetia, who also developed a close relationship with West Kington Stud in Wiltshire, importing semen from some of the best bloodlines from the UK, including some of our native breeds.

Among the stallions that have been used are Powerblade, Party Trick (by Chilli Morning), Irish draught Corrindon Dancer, the Connemara Dark Stranger, New Forest Wayland Cranberry and the Nimmerdor son N Aldato.

“There are lots of different safari operations in this country – there are some that really want to go hell for leather, then there are those that cross huge terrains,” she says. “So to create the ultimate safari horse, which we really want to do, you have to offer different breeds of horses. One breed can’t fit everyone.”

Importing the semen can be a logistical nightmare — shipments usually arrive in Kenya within a couple of days but then it’s a further four to five days to get to Sirai Stud, where they are put straight into their storage tanks.

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The stud’s phenomenal success in a relatively short space of time means that the market for British bloodlines in East Africa is booming and an amazing new establishment is being built on the Spencers’ farm to expand and accommodate visiting mares for embryo transfer and artificial insemination. These are very exciting times for bloodlines and breeding in Africa as they enjoy the very best of British.

You can hear much more from Venetia Philipps and all the work going on at the Sirai Stud in Kenya in this recording of a webinar organised by British Breeding.

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Fell ponies are native to the North of England, and are mostly found in Cumbria. Herds of registered ponies still run on the Cumbrian fells, playing an important role in maintaining the Fell pony characteristic of hardiness.

The Fell is an ideal all-round family pony for adults and children as well as a popular show animal. They cannot exceed 14hh in height and while there is no lower height limit, there are very few under 12.2hh.

The Fell Pony Society (FPS) provides the following breed standard:

Head: Small, well chiselled in outline, well set on, forehead broad, tapering to nose.

Nostrils: Large and expanding.

Eyes: Prominent, bright, mild and intelligent.

Ears: Neatly set, well formed and small.

Throat and jaw: Fine, showing no signs of throatiness nor coarseness.

Neck: Of proportionate length, giving good length of rein, strong and not too heavy, moderate crest in case of stallion.

Shoulders: Most important, well laid back and sloping, not too fine at withers, nor loaded at the points — a good long shoulder blade, muscles well developed.

Carcase: Good strong back of good outline, muscular loins, deep carcase, thick through heart, round ribbed from shoulders to flank, short and well coupled, hind quarters square and strong with tail well set on.

Feet, legs and joints: Feet of good size, round and well formed, open at heels with the characteristic blue horn, fair sloping pasterns not too long, forelegs should be straight, well placed not tied at elbows, big well formed knees, short cannon bone, plenty of good flat bone below knee (eight inches at least), great muscularity of arm.

Hind leg: Good thighs and second thighs, very muscular, hocks well let down and clean cut, plenty of bone below joint, hocks should not be sickle nor cow-hocked.

Mane, tail and feather: Plenty of fine hair at heels (coarse hair objectionable), all the fine hair except that at point of heel may be cast in summer. Mane and tail are left to grow long. Ponies should be shown with untrimmed manes.

Action: Walk, smart and true. Trot well balanced all round, with good knee and hock action, going well from the shoulder and flexing the hocks, not going too wide nor near behind. Should show great pace and endurance, bringing the hind legs well under the body when going.

The Fell can be black, brown, bay and grey in colour. Chestnuts, piebalds and skewbalds are debarred. A star and/or a little white on or below the hind fetlock is acceptable. An excess of white markings is discouraged, but such ponies are eligible for registration. The FPS reports that more than half the breed population has no white markings.

According to the FPS, Fells are most commonly found in the old counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, where they are believed to have roamed since pre-historic times:

“The animals in use were kept handy in the villages, and the breeding stock lived out on the fell. From the 11^th and 12^th centuries ponies were being used for longer distance pack work carrying loads of fleeces, woollen goods, foodstuff such as cheeses, meat, fish and preserves, and local metal ores. They were used for shepherding and to hunt wolves that might attack the flocks on the sheepwalks.”

“By the 13^th century there was a brisk trade in wool to Belgium, and ponies were used to transport merchandise all around the country. Pack trains were well organised and made regular journeys. For instance, in the winter of 1492-93, 11 Kendal traders made a total of 14 journeys to Southampton with pack horses carrying loads of cloth.

“Fell Ponies, known locally as ‘galloways’ , were also used for the Cumberland sport of trotting races. Fell ponies were used by big Northeastern collieries such as Ashington until well into the 20^th century.

Breeders began to record pedigrees of their stock towards the end of the 19th century. In 1922, the FPS was set up in its present form. Its purpose was not to improve but to “keep pure the old breed of pony” in the face of cross breeding to produce farm horses and showy road animals such as the Wilson pony.

Today, the Fell is used as for various jobs. They are popular all-rounders, driving ponies and working hunter ponies. They are extremely versatile and can excel in performance roles but their sure footedness can mean they are hardier and lower maintenance than some breeds.

To test these qualities of the breed, the society holds an annual performance trial. According to the FPS: “Fell Ponies are generally creditable jumpers, particularly across country, being both agile and clever on their feet. Their abilities are well up to working hunter pony competitions and Pony Club events.”

Fells are also seen in endurance riding or in hacking roles.

Fell pony showing classes at local, national and championship level are also never short of entries. 2019 will be the first year the breed will have their own final at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). The winner of the 2018 Fell and Dales final was Lucinda Stockley and her own stallion Murthwaite Oliver.

Also in 2018, the overall winner of the M&M pony of the year championship was Gwen Rae’s black stallion Greenholme Emblem and his producer Kirsty Aird.

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The New Forest pony: the ideal performance native pony

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Two Fells have won the prestigious Olympia M&M ridden final; In 1992, Lunesdale Lucky Lady and Lizzie Briant were the victors, while in 2015, it was the turn of Rebecca Penny on her own stallion Townend Schubert.

HM the Queen breeds Fells under her Balmoral prefix. Some of her ponies are sometimes used for carrying the stags and grouse panniers down from the moors at Balmoral while others are used for both riding and driving by the Royal Family.

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The New Forest pony has an upper height limit of 148cm and there is no lower limit.

New Forest ponies may be any colour except piebald, skewbald, spotted or blue eyed cream. Palomino or very light chestnut and cream ponies with dark eyes are not eligible as licensed stallions.

The society provides a detailed description of the colour requirements:

“Blue eyes are not permitted. White markings other than on the head and lower limbs: loss of, or absence of, pigment in hair or skin that is not known to have been associated solely with skin trauma is not acceptable. So, for the purposes of entry into the approved section of the stud book a pony shall not have any white markings behind the head, above a horizontal line level with the bony protuberance of the accessory carpal bone at the back of the knee in the forelimb, and the point of the hock in the hind limb, unless proven to be due to trauma/injury.”

Other ideal features of the breed include:

Type: New Forest ponies should be of working type with substance. They should have sloping shoulders, strong quarters, plenty of flat bone, good depth of body, straight limbs and good hard round feet. The ponies are quite capable of carrying adults, while narrow enough for small children. The smaller ponies, though not up to so much weight, often show more quality.

Action: This should be free, active and straight, but not exaggerated.

There have been ponies in the New Forest since the end of the last ice age. The earliest record of horses in the New Forest dates back to 1016 when rights of common pasture were granted to the people living in what was a royal hunting ground.

is a recognised British Isles breed, but, according to the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society, it has an unusual background for a native pony breed.

According to the breed society: “In 1507 mounts from the New Forest were shipped to the French wars. New Forest pony mares were very probably bred to a Spanish Horse standing at the Royal Stud at Lyndhurst rather than the myth of the Spanish Horse swimming ashore from the Armada.”

“During the 19th Century they were regularly raced and with prizes of £5 or £10 when wages were £1.25 or less a good pony who might race in two races in an afternoon was a valuable asset. The colts also had the reputation of being excellent harness ponies, fast trotters, strong, docile and patient. Unfortunately this led to the better colts being gelded and sold. A few gentlemen were concerned at the poor standard of stallions and considered the ponies inbred and new blood was needed. The deputy surveyor as a sop to commoners for his endeavour to make them run on their ponies in the winter, borrowed an Arab stallion from Prince Albert but commoners were not to be taken in so very few mares were covered by him. Towards the end of the century the Verderers hired four stallions; Fitz George, Welsh Star, Katerfelto and Bampton Boy and Queen Victoria lent two Arabs, Abeyan and Yuresson, but commoners wanted stallions that ran out.”

In the show ring, New Forests have seen an increased presence at top level. They have their own final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) which was introduced several years ago to separate them from the Connemaras. In 2014, the roan gelding Marleydenes Shiraz and Alex Hawkins landed the overall ridden Mountain and Moorland Pony of the Year title, becoming the first New Forest to win the accolade. The winner of the 2018 New Forest final was Clare Davies’ Harvey’s Magic Moment and Lauren Brill. Steph Peto also rode her own bay mare Bisterne Diva to win the exceeding 143cm M&M Working Hunter Pony of the Year final.

The first New Forest to win the coveted Olympia title was Shirley Young on her home bred stallion Farriers Fingerprint. The grey scooped the victory in 2009 and is the only New Forest to win Olympia to date.

As well as having a super jump for the worker ring, they also excel as performance ponies in other disciplines, many being scopey enough for eventing and hunter trials. They are popular choices for pony club and riding club all-rounders as well hunting and dressage ponies. They are quite capable of carrying adults, while narrow enough for small children.

Despite their performance attributes, in 2013, H&H reported that the New Forest pony is on the verge of becoming a rare breed. At present, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust reports that the breed is still considered to be ‘at risk’. Dedicated breeders are working hard to promote the breed and maintain the quality of the youngstock.

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The largest of the Welsh breeds, the Welsh section D — or the Welsh Cob — has no upper height limit but must exceed 13.2hh to ensure it is in fact a section D and not a section C. While there is no maximum height requirement, it is desirable that the section D retains pony character and true Welsh type.

The section D can be any colour, except piebald and skewbald. Grey colouring is more rare than in other types of Welsh ponies, but white markings are common.

As with the section C, a Welsh Cob’s action should be: “Free, true and forcible. The knee should be bent and the whole foreleg should be extended straight from the shoulder and as far forward as possible in the trot. Hocks flexed under the body with straight and powerful leverage.”

The Welsh Pony and Cob Society (WPCS) provides the following conformation standard for both the Welsh C and the D:

General character: Strong, hardy and active, with pony character and as much substance as possible

Head: Full of quality and pony character. A coarse head and Roman nose are most objectionable

Eyes: Bold, prominent and set widely apart

Ears: Neat and well set

Neck: Lengthy and well carried. Moderately lean in the case of mares, but inclined to be cresty in the case of mature stallions

Shoulders: Strong but well laid back

Forelegs: Set square and not tied in at the elbows. Long, strong forearms. Knees well developed with an abundance of bone below them. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well-shaped. Hooves dense. When in the rough, a moderate quantity of silky feather is not objected to but coarse, wiry hair is a definite objection.

Middlepiece: Back and loins, muscular, strong and well-coupled. Deep through the heart and well-ribbed up.

Hindquarters: Lengthy and strong. Ragged or drooping quarters are objectionable. Tail well-set on.

Hind legs: Second thighs, strong and muscular. Hocks, large, flat and clean, with points prominent, turning neither inward nor outwards. The hind legs must not be too bent and the hock not set behind a line falling from the point of the quarter to the fetlock joint. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well-shaped. Hooves dense.

The WPCS suggest that the section D has been aptly described as: “the best ride and drive animal in the world.

“The general character is the embodiment of strength, hardiness and agility. The Welsh Cob is a good hunter and a most competent performer in all competitive sports. In recent years they have had great success in the international driving world. Their abilities in all spheres are now fully recognised throughout the world.”

Ridden Welsh Cobs classes at shows across the country usually see the biggest entries across the native breeds. They have their own final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the 2018 victory was Emma Boardman and her own gelding Dyffryngwy Sir Picasso, who was also placed third overall in the most recent BSPS Heritage native final at Olympia.

The 15-year-old stallion Llanarth Prince Of Wales was placed second in the pony section of the Cuddy in-hand final last year.

One of the biggest showcases of ridden Welsh Cobs takes place at the Royal Welsh show. The 2018 ridden cob champion was the 10-year-old stallion Northwick Notorious, ridden by Claire Evans. Stallions, mares and geldings are allocated their own sections before coming forward to compete for the overall title.

Another highly popular classes at the Royal Welsh is the in-hand cob classes. The champion takes home the coveted Prince of Wales cup. Leading the Welsh Cobs in 2018 was the Danaway Stud’s 16-year-old mare Danaway Cracklin Rose, who was taking the accolade for the second time in her in-hand career.

As with all the Welsh breeds, the section D is a popular cross. When crossed with a lighter breed such as a Thoroughbred or an Arab, depending on the quality and temperament of sire and dam, could produce a versatile performance horse suitable for any discipline.

The International Museum of Horse states that according to documentation in the 15th century, the Welsh Cob was part of the essential string of mounts for the British knight.

“A Welsh Cob or “rouncy” was used to lead the mighty fighting horses known as destriers. As the destrier’s natural gait was the trot, the Welsh Cobs had to cover great distances matching the warhorse stride-for-stride at the trot. During the crusades (1100 – 1500), the Arab stallions brought back to Wales by the Crusaders left their definitive stamp on the Welsh Cob. This blend of the Arab and native type is evidenced by the excellent Cobs of today. The Welsh Cob has made outstanding contributions to man both in war and peace. In 1485, Henry Tudor came to the throne of England only with the efforts of the Welsh Militia mounted on their swift and hardy Welsh Cobs.

“Up until 30 or 40 years ago, the Welsh Cob was so valuable to the British War Office that premiums were paid to the best stallions. The War Office used the Cobs for the mounted infantry and for pulling heavy guns and equipment through rugged, mountainous terrain not easily surmounted by motorized vehicles.

“In peace, the Welsh Cob (prior to motorized vehicles) was the quickest transport for doctors and businessmen. Quite often, the sale of a Cob was dependent on how quickly he could cover a predetermined distance without laboring. This also forged the way for many of the famous old trotting matches, such as were used to test the original Morgan Horse.”

Originally in the first British stud books of 1902, the Welsh registry listed the Welsh Pony of Cob Type as section B (12.2hh to 13.2hh), and the Welsh Cob as section C (13.2hh to 14.2hh) and section D (14.2hh to 15.2hh). The upper height limit for the section D was removed in 1907. In 1931, all sections of cobs were combined and labelled “C.” In 1949, the cob sections were changed to the current standards; section C as 13.2hh and under, the section D being over 13.2hh without an upper limit.

As well as a show animal, the Welsh Cob can excel in the dressage arena — due to their powerful trot and balanced action — or over fences. They are also very popular harness ponies, not just for private driving classes but also for marathons and trials.

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The Highland pony was originally bred in parts of Scotland and on the Western Isles but there are now studs located throughout Scotland, England, Wales, Europe and across the rest of the word.

The Highland Pony is one of the two native breeds of the Scottish Highlands and Islands (as well as the Shetland). Over many centuries, the breed has become adaptable to the severe conditions and climates experienced in the areas. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) recognises the breed as in a vulnerable state at present.

The Highland should not exceed 14.2hh and is ideally no smaller than 13hh.

The Highland Pony Society (HPS) provides the following breed description:

The Highland Pony is a strong, well-balanced, compact pony with all its features being in proportion to its height. It is one of the largest of the British native breeds and should show substance and strength.

Head: Well carried and alert with kindly eye. Broad muzzled with a deep jowl.

Neck and shoulders: Reasonable length of neck from wither with a good sloping shoulder and well placed forearm.

Body: Well balanced and compact with plenty of room for heart and lungs. Ribs well sprung.

Quarters and hindlegs: Powerful quarters with well developed thigh, strong second thigh and clean flat hocks.

Legs: Flat hard bone, broad knees, short cannon bones, oblique pasterns and well shaped broad dark hoofs. Feather soft and silky.

Mane and tail: Hair should be natural, flowing and untrimmed with a full tail.

Colours: A range of duns, mouse, yellow, grey, cream. Also grey, brown, black, bay and occasionally liver chestnut with silver mane and tail. Many ponies have a dorsal stripe and some show zebra markings on legs and shoulder. Foal coat colour often changes and many ponies change colour gradually as they grow older, especially those with grey hairs interspersed with the original colour. Others show a slight seasonal change in colour between winter and summer coats. Broken colours are not allowed. A small star is acceptable but other white markings are discouraged.

Stallions with white markings other than a small star are not eligible for licensing.

The Highland is to move with a straight action which is free moving without undue knee action.

In an article, breeder Gillian McMurray states that:

“There should not be high knee action, neither should the pony ‘daisy cut’. The pony is expected to move at a workmanlike pace and cover the ground at walk with the hind hoof at least tracking up with the front one.”

The breed is known for being a ride, drive and pack animal which can carry weight (in accordance to suitable limits) and adapt to many equestrian disciplines.

According to the International Museum of the Horse, few relevant early records exist for the Highlands of Scotland: “It is not certain if wild horses spread into Scotland after the retreat of the last glaciers around 10,000 years ago, or if the first ones were brought with prehistoric settlers. In any case, horses were present in Scotland by at least the 8th century BC. The horses/ponies used in Pictish times (about 550-800AD) in East and Northern Scotland, and shown on their carved stones, presumably passed on genetic input to today’s Highland pony.

“We find Highland ponies described in the first travel accounts and agricultural surveys in the 18th century. The ponies then were smaller due to the harsh conditions under which they lived. Most present-day Highland pony bloodlines are traceable back to the 1830s.”

“For the last 170 years Highland ponies have been the main means of transporting deer and other game off the hill, using special pack saddles, as well as many other jobs on the Scottish sporting estates.”

Today, the Highland is still used for its traditional job but is an equally popular family pony for riding and driving. Many are capable jumpers and can also perform well during long distance rides.

In the show ring, Highland ponies are increasingly popular and hold their own in mixed competition. In 2018, the stallion Melanie Stanford’s Benbreac Of Crolia became the first ever native pony to land the supreme accolade at the Royal International Horse Show.

Highland ponies have their own breed final at the Horse of the Year Show. In 2012, the dun stallion Stirlingdene and Frazer Atherden won the supreme pony of the year title and Highlands have also won the Olympia Mountain and Moorland ridden final on numerous occasions.

Her Majesty The Queen is known for her love of the breed. Her Majesty is a patron of the society and has a large working stud of Highland ponies, breeding under the Balmoral prefix.

The HPS states that: “During the season, sixteen ponies work over the various beats carrying stags and hinds and panniers for the grouse days. Working Highland ponies also take visitors to enjoy trekking on the estate. The Balmoral Stud goes from strength to strength and has recently been using Ulleam of Croila with their broad-based line of mares.”

The strength and sound temperament of Highland ponies make them good work horses and they are still used in areas inaccessible to machines, such as in logging or to extract deer carcases from the hill.

The Highland Pony Enthusiasts Club says that the fact that Highlands perform well in comparatively slow work such as trekking, forestry and deer-carrying suggests that they have a calm, steady temperament: “This makes them outstandingly suitable for the nervous or elderly, and they have also been used successfully as mounts for disabled riders, all of whom appreciate their confidence-giving attributes. However, it must not be thought that, because they are kind and reliable, they are also dull. For many a Highland has shown itself to be a keen, active ride in the hunting field and, correctly schooled, to be able to compete with great success in Pony Club and Riding Club activities — making up by sure-footedness and handiness what it may lack in outright speed. With the present revival in harness work both for showing and for pleasure, the ponies are once more proving their worth in this field also. Safe, reliable, friendly, a good, comfortable ride, constitutionally strong and hardy, attractive to look at, and with considerably more versatility than is generally appreciated, the Highland pony has so much to offer.”

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The traditional Irish Sport Horse (ISH) is produced by breeding Irish Draught and thoroughbred bloodlines together producing a sport horse with the size, speed, muscling, and temperament that makes it an excellent athlete. Originally, they were bred as hunters and working animals, but they have excelled at upper level eventing and showjumping. They are highly sought after by eventers all over the world, and ISH sires have topped out the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses eventing studbook for 22 out of the past 24 years.

Initially, Irish Sport Horses were bred for agriculture, transportation, and hunting, but now, not only are they successful FEI horses, they are also a fantastic horse for the amateur rider — they are sure-footed, brave, steadfast, and athletic enough to carry the rider up the levels of their discipline. They still perform in the hunting field, being brave and scopey enough to jump whatever is in front of them, but calm enough to be safe and manageable.

Kidderminster breeder Janet George said: “The best thing about an IDxTB — or a ¾ TB/¼ ID is that even if they don’t have sufficient talent to go to the top as showjumpers (or eventers — and any eventer I know will go for a ¾ TB/¼ ID — they have the speed and the scope — and just enough brain to learn) is that they will still have a market to a lesser rider. The ½, or ¾ TB, when the rest is Irish Draught is usually a great hunter or low level dressage/showjumper/eventer — or even a happy hacker who’ll do TREC or some endurance happily — for your average amateur rider.”

The temperament should be energetic, but intelligent and sensible. The body should be well-proportioned, with a sturdy bone structure, robust loins, and a short, strong back. They have a long neck, which is slightly arched as it comes out of sloping shoulders and a deep chest. The hindquarters are muscular and powerful. They can be almost any colour, including tobiano, overo, roan, and cremello.

In recent generations, European warmblood lines have been added to the breed, ostensibly in an effort to produce more internationally competitive showjumpers.

Of the 10 stallions to either gain approval or pass stage one during the 2018 stallion selections in Cavan, three were warmbloods (two KWPNs and a Belgian warmblood). Seven of them had at least one warmblood parent, and two of them, while designated as ISH, had two warmblood parents. While it increases genetic diversity and gets more Irish horses in the showjumping ring, some competitors and breeders are concerned that the traditional TB-ID lines are being lost.

American four-star eventer Phyllis Dawson wrote for The Horse Network: “These Irish Draught/warmblood crosses may show more toe-flicking flash as youngsters but they often lack the gallop, stamina and heart needed at the highest levels of eventing. The characteristics that give warmbloods that big trot with the long stride and slow tempo do not necessarily help them on the cross-country course or in the hunt field.”

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However, the Irish Sport Horse continues to dominate eventing. Recent examples include Classic Moet (pictured top), an Irish mare, winning Badminton 2018 with rider Jonelle Price, and Ballaghmor Class winning Burghley 2017, with Oliver Townend. The ISH has won over 15 Olympic medals in eventing since 1996. And while the breed might not top the breeding world rankings for showjumping, they have been extremely competitive, with over two dozen placings in Olympics and World Championships since 1960.

Sires like Cruising and Clover Hill are highly sought after by showjumper and eventer breeders. Cruising was a champion himself, winning and coming in the top 10 in World Cup and World Championship grand prix tracks, from 1994 to 1999. He has sired numerous progeny, who have gone on to win upper level eventing and showjumping competitions themselves. He has even been cloned and his clones are standing at stud.

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The Shire horse is a British draught horse, thought to originate in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, although like many old breeds, its exact foundations are unknown.

It is believed to have descended from “the Great Horse,” a popular war mount from the Middle Ages. However, the invention of gunpowder eliminated the need for a heavy horse in combat, and as cavalries turned to lighter mounts, the larger horses were increasingly used in agriculture or for pulling heavy carts.

The Great Horses were probably crossed with Friesians and other breeds to create a powerful draught animal called the Old English Black Horse in the 17th century. By the late 18th century, a stallion called the Packington Blind Horse was standing at stud in Leicestershire. He is recognised as the foundation sire of the Shire horse breed.

A studbook was established by the English Cart Horse Society (which changed its name to the Shire Horse Society) in 1878, but with records going back to 1701. During the 19th century, Shires were used to pull anything heavy, more or less keeping the industry and infrastructure of the UK running until the invention of the internal combustion engine. They moved heavy goods from the docks to the cities and countryside; they hauled goods to and from the railways; they pulled barges; they pulled trams and omnibuses; they collected rubbish from big cities; they worked in fields; and they were extremely popular as dray horses, hauling ale from the brewery to the pubs.

Like many draught breeds, the mechanisation of agriculture following the Second World War decimated their numbers. Once there had been over a million Shires in the UK and United States, but by the 1950s and 1960s, there were only a few thousand left.

The Shire Horse Society and other societies began a campaign in the 1970s to save the breed, promoting the horses as not just as draught animals, but willing and kind riding mounts, and encouraging breweries to continue using them. But even now, the breed is far from out of the woods. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust said in 2018 that only 240 Shire foals were registered in the UK the previous year. Encouraging horse owners to buy heavy draught horses isn’t an easy task — they are more expensive than light horses to feed and shoe and may require custom tack.

The RBST says on its website: “These numbers are in stark contrast to the 2.6 million heavy horses being used in agriculture and trade at the dawn of the 20th century. The mechanisation of farming and warfare has meant that the original purposes of heavy horses may be a thing of the past, but these large horses have an essential role to play today, including in the army, policing, equine therapy and commercial logging.”

The most obvious — and for some, off-putting — traits of the Shire are its size and strength. They are usually around 17hh to 17.3hh, although the tallest horse in the world is a Shire called Duke who stands at 19.3hh. But he’s not even the largest Shire ever recorded — a Shire called Mammoth, born in 1848, was reported as being 21.2hh.

They are majestic horses, with a high, arched neck, well sprung ribs, powerful, sloping hindquarters, and heavy feathering on the legs. In the 20th century, Clydesdale blood was introduced, which made the feathering silkier. They are extremely strong — a pair of Shires in the 1920s allegedly pulled a load weighing more than 45 tons.

However, they are typically gentle giants, calm and friendly with an even temperament. A horse bred for a couple of hundred years to pull heavy loads through city streets should not be spooky or hot, and consequently most Shires are intelligent and steady. At the same time, they are sensitive and eager to please and can be forward-going.

When crossed with Thoroughbreds and other light horses, they can produce an athletic weight-carrying sport horse or heavyweight hunter. British Olympic dressage rider Carol Parsons bought two Shire/TB crosses, called Walter and Giddy, and trained them all the way to grand prix, competing successfully at CDI levels. Walter placed fifth in the grand prix and freestyle at the Hickstead CDI in 2004, while Giddy was second at the nationals in 2005 and 2006 and then became the Hickstead Dressage Masters Champion in 2008.

Some breweries still use Shire teams to pull drays, for local deliveries and for promotional purposes. These include Thwaites, Wadworth, Samuel Smith’s, and Harvey’s. Some small farms have gone back to horse power, utilising Shires and other draughts instead of tractors, as horses are more environmentally sustainable. Shires are also still used in logging, accessing areas that a vehicle can’t get to.

Every year, the National Shire Horse Show takes place in March at the Staffordshire County Show Grounds. Around 250 entries attended the show last year. In BSHA shows, there are classes for ridden heavy horses, which a Shire would be eligible for. While most full Shires don’t have the collection ability for upper level dressage, they are big movers and forward, so they make fun lower level mounts. British Dressage now runs the Draught Horse Championships, open to any draught breed, with classes from intro to elementary.

Like other heavily-feathered horses, Shire horses are vulnerable to feather mites and mud fever. They are also prone to polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), a genetic glycogen storage disease that causes tying up and reluctance to work. It is incurable, but manageable with the correct diet.

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The Shetland pony is a small, hardy breed of horse from the Shetland Isles, off Scotland’s north-east coast.

Shetland pony: history | common uses | breed type | health problems

Small horses have existed in Shetland for more than 2,000 years, with archaeological excavations on the islands revealing bones of Bronze age equids. Horses probably crossed onto the Shetlands from the icefields and were later crossed with stock brought by Norse settlers.

The breed was further influenced by the Celtic pony, brought to the islands between 2000 and 1000 BC. Because of their isolation, the Shetland pony developed without much influence from more modern breeds, and they were notable for the hardiness and longevity. Quality feed was hard to come by on the islands, and the winters were long and harsh. Only the toughest and most resourceful ponies survived. Shetlanders used the ponies for transport and for pulling carts and carrying peat and coal around the islands.

The ponies arrived in mainland Britain during the mid-19th century. During the industrial revolution, the need for coal increased dramatically, and in 1847, a law was passed that banned women and children from being used to haul coal out of the pits. Miners turned to Shetland ponies, and thousands were imported to the mainland to be pit ponies. They are strong for their size — a Shetland can haul twice its weight, while a draught horse can haul half its weight at most — and small enough to pass through low underground tunnels. Some were even transported to the eastern United States to work as pit ponies there. The animals spent most of their lives underground and often did not live very long.

Up to the end of the 19th century, the ponies were living semi-feral on the Sheltand Isles and simply rounded up, but around 1880, studs appeared in the islands, the best known of which was owned by the Marquis of Londonderry and operated on the islands of Noss and Bressay. The Shetland Pony Studbook Society was formed in 1890 to maintain the quality and purity of the breed, as so many were being exported to the coal mines.

Popular uses of Shetland ponies today

Today, many ponies still live fairly free range lives on the Shetland Isles, grazing on rough moorland known as ‘scattald’, or common grazing. They are also popular everywhere else, as children’s mounts or working in harness or as pets and companions, as they are relatively cheap to keep. However, just because they are small does not mean they require any less time or effort than their larger equine cousins.

There is also a popular Shetland Pony Grand National series, where children ride the ponies over a track of small steeplechase jumps. The series raises finds for charity and takes place at major shows around the country, with the final being held at the London International Horse Show in December.

In the United States, some miniature Shetlands are being used as guide horses for the blind, while one guide horse has been trained in the UK.

Shetland pony breed type

The ponies must be small and hardy, standing at no more than 42 inches. Their minimum height is 28 inches. They have heavy coats, short legs, and a wide, dished face with small, alert ears. Their backs are broad and strong, and they have dense manes and tails. They are generally brave and good-tempered, although they have a reputation for being opinionated and intelligent — sometimes more intelligent than their owners, which can make them a challenging first pony.

Irvine Burgess, who breeds ponies on the Shetland Isles says: “All ponies have their own individual personality, some are lazy and some are fiery. Shetland ponies sometimes have a reputation for being cheeky and sometimes a bit stroppy, but the truth is they are an intelligent breed capable of figuring out how to escape and how to take advantage of a situation.

“It’s like having a bright child — they will soon take advantage of you, given half a chance, so it’s important to set boundaries, give them structure and be consistent with what you teach them particularly when they are young.”

Common health problems

Shetland ponies are long-lived, easily reaching 30 and not suffering many health problems. However, like any tough moorland breed, they are at risk of laminitis if their diet isn’t carefully managed. Due to their small size, they can also be more prone to heart problems than larger horses.

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The Irish Draught horse originated in 18th century Ireland, when Irish farmers could only afford to keep a single horse on a small tract of land. They required an animal sturdy enough to pull a plough, athletic and bold enough to go foxhunting and jump anything, and sensible, but flashy enough to pull the family trap to church on Sunday.

The foundation stock was the now-extinct Irish Hobby horse, described as brave and agile, a warhorse so effective that King Edward I tried to prevent Irish exports of horses to Scotland during the Wars of Independence between 1296 and 1357. These were crossed with Iberian horses captured from the Spanish Armada shipwrecks on Ireland’s west coast, as well as Anglo-Norman warhorses. Then in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thoroughbred and Clydesdale blood was introduced to create a taller horse, but one with stamina and refinement.

The Irish government started recording pedigrees of Irish Draughts in 1907 and opened an official studbook in 1917, but these records, held in the Four Courts in Dublin, were lost when the building was set on fire during the Irish Civil War in 1922. Before the Civil War destroyed the records, the First World War had decimated the breed — due to their strength, soundness, and willing temperament, thousands of Irish Draughts went to the battlefields of France and Belgium and never returned. The mechanisation of agriculture following WWI didn’t help them recover their numbers either, as there wasn’t much need for horses to work the land any more, and many of the horses who survived the war were shipped abroad or to slaughter.

During the 1970s, efforts began in earnest to preserve the breed, with the foundation of the Irish Draught Horse Society in 1976 and an offshoot branch in the UK in 1979. The Irish Horse Board, part of Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, oversaw breeding (in 2008, this became Horse Sport Ireland) and since 1983, has maintained the studbook. Breed societies were later founded in the United States and Canada as more equestrians discovered that the intelligent, sensible Irish Draught was the ideal leisure and performance horse. The mounted police in the UK and Ireland use numerous Irish Draughts to this day, as they are obedient and calm enough to cope with confrontational situations.

When crossed with thoroughbreds or warmbloods, the animals produce a sport horse that excels at the highest levels of eventing and showjumping. This has been a double-edged sword: while Irish Draught lines remain popular with sport horse breeders, only 600 pure Irish Draught foals are being registered in Ireland annually, and mares aren’t producing replacements for themselves in the herd. The breed is classified as “endangered but maintained” by the UN. In an effort to preserve the traditional breed and improve genetic diversity, Horse Sport Ireland has introduced inspections of stallions and mares, grading horses on a 1-4 scale. There is, however, a great deal of debate among breeders and breed societies over the best way to ensure the survival these horses.

On the other hand, the high-achieving progeny of Irish Draught stallions in showjumping and eventing has made those bloodlines desirable and the stallions prominent on the international circuits. These include King of Diamonds, who was 21st in the world breeding rankings between 1999 and 2001, the sire of successful showjumpers like Rodrigo Pessoa’s Special Envoy, Joe Fargis’ Mill Pearl, and John Ledingham’s Millstreet Ruby. They also include Sea Crest, a 1979 stallion who had 25 daughters and sons competing at the international level in eventing and showjumping. One of his offspring was Cruising (pictured top with two of his clones), out of an Irish Sports Horse mare, who won numerous grand prix showjumping competitions and went on to become a significant sire himself.

The pure Irish Draught is an athletic enough animal for riders who want straightforward hunter, eventer, jumper, or dressage horse, and a fantastic companion. There is a reason the police use them.

Janet George, a Kidderminster breeder, who has bred Irish Draughts for 15 years, told Horse & Hound: “[They are] not as fast as the thoroughbred, have a lot more brain than most warmbloods, and are ready to learn and keep learning. Any problems you find with an Irish Draught is nearly always due to early handling/experiences — and can nearly always be sorted. They have bone and can carry more weight than a thoroughbred or warmblood, and are much more suitable for the older or more nervous riders. They are mostly all good jumpers to at least 3’6”, but they don’t possess much speed. If I wanted an eventer now, it would be an Irish Draught crossed with a thoroughbred. They make fantastic hunters or happy hackers. And with the right training and a good rider, they would compete successfully at dressage to at least advanced medium.”

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The Irish Draught breed standard describes: “a versatile, powerful and athletic animal with substance and quality. It has a pleasant head, good bone and a short shin, good spring of rib, strong loins and hindquarters and an active powerful stride.” They ideally should be between 15.2hh and 16.3hh, with nine to 10 inches of strong, clean, flat bone. Though they are solid horses, their appearance should not be coarse, and their faces should be intelligent and friendly.

The breed is largely free of health problems, even though inbreeding is a concern due to the popularity of a limited number of bloodlines. However, like many of the horses native to the British Isles, Irish Draughts are ‘good-doers’ and thrive on rough grazing. If fed too rich a diet, they are prone to laminitis and other obesity-related health issues.

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Few breeds can claim as much influence on modern equestrian sport as the thoroughbred horse. Many other breeds, from American Quarter Horses to Morgans, Irish Draughts to Standardbreds, European warmbloods and many more, have been infused with thoroughbred blood to enhance refinement and athleticism.

Thoroughbreds themselves appear everywhere, from taking their riders around the hunting field or dressage ring, to excelling at the highest levels of eventing, showjumping, and polo. Their heart, work ethic, and people-oriented nature makes them excellent all-round riding horses, although they can be energetic and forward-going, so are not ideal novice rides (as with any breed, there are always exceptions).

Primarily, though, thoroughbreds are known and bred as racehorses. The breed was founded in England in the 17th and 18th centuries, when English mares were bred to three imported stallions of Barb, Turkomen, and Arab lines.

The General Stud Book, the first official register of horses, was established in 1791, only listing horses that could be traced to those three stallions and to 43 “Royal mares” imported under the reign of James I.

The end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th saw horse racing increasing in popularity and the creation of the English ‘Classic’ races such as the St. Leger, the Oaks, the Derby, and the 2000 Guineas. The first English steeplechases, an idea adopted from Ireland, were established in the 1830s, and the most famous of these, the Aintree Grand National, was first run in the late 19th century.

In the United States, now the world’s largest producer of thoroughbreds, Flat racing took off in 1868, becoming immensely popular in the 19th century. After a worrying spell when bookmaking was banned in the early 20th century, it bounced back when pari-mutuel betting was legalised in 1908 and horses like Seabiscuit and Man O’War became as famous as human celebrities. After hitting a flat spot following WWII, the 1970s saw another boost with equine stars like Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed winning the Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont – three Grade One stakes races held within a month of one another).

Racing has attained mainstream press and TV coverage of an extent not found in most equestrian sports, not least because people can bet on it. Famous racehorses like Frankel, Kauto Star, Red Rum, and Sea The Stars have become household names in the UK.

The racing industry has substantial net worth, in the UK contributing £281 million to the economy, while in the United States it is worth $34 billion. Although a horse cannot be registered as a thoroughbred unless it has been conceived by live cover — the Jockey Club does not permit artificial insemination, which limits the number of foals a stallion can sire — Britain produces about 5,000 foals per year, and the US produces roughly 20,000.

Only a fraction of the horses produced become successful race winners, but many more find their way into riding homes and second careers. There is a wide range of competition series in Britain supported by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), a charity dedicated to promoting the welfare and rehoming of ex-racers.

Thoroughbreds dominate the sport of polo and have a long history as successful upper level eventers. Sixteen of the 56 starters at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2018 were thoroughbreds, 11 of which were “off the track”. William Fox-Pitt’s champion eventer Parklane Hawk, a full New Zealand thoroughbred, won Burghley in 2011 and Kentucky 2012, and New Zealander Jock Paget’s Clifton Promise, another New Zealand Thoroughbred, won Badminton in 2013. Gemma Tattersall’s Arctic Soul is another former racehorse that has excelled in the sport. Eventing had drifted away from primarily using Thoroughbreds when it dispensed with the long format around 2003, but now they are making something of a comeback as upper level cross-country courses demand more endurance, and most of the top horses have a substantial amount of thoroughbred blood.

Although it is less common to see one on the international grand prix dressage stage, American Hilda Gurney won team bronze on her ex-racer Keen at the 1976 Olympics and competed him again at the 1984 Olympics.

Before warmbloods were readily available outside of Europe, it wasn’t unusual to find thoroughbreds showjumping international grand prix courses in the ‘80s, with horses like Touch of Class, the mare who secured the gold medal for the American team in the 1984 Olympics, or Gem Twist, the individual silver medallist and part of the American silver medal winning team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

For most riders who aren’t looking for FEI prospects, thoroughbreds can be an excellent mount for any discipline.

Susan Corbett, who owns Girsonfield Stud and Racing in Otterburn, Northumberland and has bred racehorses for 25 years, told Horse & Hound: “We feel that thoroughbreds have so much more to offer than any other single breed — with elegance, speed, movement, intelligence. As fashions continually change in eventing, showjumping and dressage, it usually comes back to the thoroughbred to take the prizes!”

Unlike other horses, there is no “breed standard” for thoroughbreds as breeding has aimed for speed, rather than establishing a specific phenotype. However, certain characteristics enable a horse to run fast, and thoroughbreds are instantly recognisable. They have a refined head, deep chest, lean body, and long, flat muscles, with well-angled shoulders and powerful haunches. Their height can range from 15hh to 17hh.

Although they are in many respects the supreme equine athletes, one should be aware of health problems which turn up frequently in the breed. Racing pushes horses to the limits of their athleticism, and while plenty remain sound, many don’t, and potential owners of ex-racers should be on the lookout for common problems like stress fractures, bone chips, bowed tendons, and sacroiliac damage. There are also some conditions thought to be genetic due to a high percentage of inbreeding (90% of thoroughbreds are related to Northern Dancer). These include bleeding of the lungs (exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage) and small, flat feet with thin soles and walls.

Anyone interested in owning an ex-racehorse should contact RoR. They explain on their website: “Clearly not all racehorses go on to star in a different sphere, but RoR hopes that, on seeing what can be done, more riders will think about taking on a racehorse when they are looking for a new horse. This will help racehorse owners and trainers, equine charities, retrainers and, most importantly, the horses to find secure and knowledgeable new homes.”

In addition to liaising with the racing industry and the general equestrian community, they provide competitions for ex-racers in showing, eventing, dressage, showjumping, and polo.

Susan Corbett reflects: “I hate the fact that people expect ex-racehorses to be given away when so much work goes into their education — especially on our yard we really give a full education — just in case they do need a future career away from racing. RoR classes are helping greatly to counteract this problem.”

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The Welsh section B or Welsh pony cannot exceed 13.2hh (137.2cm). According to the Welsh Pony and Cob Association (WPCS): “The general description of ponies in section A of the stud book is applicable to those in Section B. But more particularly the section B pony shall be described as a riding pony, with quality, riding action, adequate bone and substance, hardiness and constitution and with pony character.” They can be described as the more refined and taller version of the section A. The B was developed by breeding mountain ponies with Hackney, Arab and Thoroughbred influences.

The section B was added to the stud book in 1931 and the WPCS provides the same breed standard as the section A with the above characteristics:

Head: Small, clean-cut, well set on and tapering to the muzzle

Ears: Well placed, small and pointed, well up on the head, proportionately close

Neck: Lengthy, well carried and moderately lean in the case of mares, but inclined to be cresty in the case of mature stallions

Shoulders: Long and sloping well back. Withers moderately fine, but not “knifey”. The humerus upright so that the foreleg is not set in under the body.

Forelegs: Set square and true, and not tied in at the elbows. Long, strong forearm, well developed knee, short flat bone below knee, pasterns of proportionate slope and length, feet well-shaped and round, hoofs dense.

Back and loins: Muscular, strong and well coupled

Hind quarters: Lengthy and fine. Not ragged or goose-rumped. Tail well set on and carried gaily.

Hind legs: Hocks to be large, flat and clean with points prominent, to turn neither inwards nor outwards. The hind legs not to be too bent. The hock not to be set behind a line from the point of the quarter to the fetlock joint. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well-shaped, hooves dense.

Welsh section Bs could be described as the most versatile Welsh breed across the disciplines due to their athleticism, which enables them to stand up against quicker and finer non-native breeds. Many modern section Bs are also successful in plaited showing classes, standing at the top of show hunter pony lines ups at championship level.

They have straighter, more low and long striding movement than the A, C and D sections arguably with a more pointed toe which makes them suitable riding ponies. One of the most influential sires of the modern day Welsh section B breed was Tan-y-Bwlch Berwyn.

In the Horse Encyclopedia, Elwyn Hartley Edwards says that Berwyn was sired by a Barb stallion and his dam was the granddaughter of the section A stallion Dyoll Starlight.

Last year, Katy Marriott-Payne won the Olympia M&M ridden final at Olympia on the palomino Welsh section B gelding Cadlanvalley Sandpiper. Pure section Bs have also been seen on the BSJA circuit competing with much success. The stallion Rotherwood Signature is 128cm pure-bred who was SPSS showjumping pony champion in 2011 and 2012.

Section Bs are known for being great children’s rides and ponies which don’t exceed 12.2hh are often seen in M&M first ridden classes.

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The Dartmoor pony is the native breed of the county of Devon in the south west of England. The ponies have been recorded living on the moors of Dartmoor since the middle ages, meaning they have developed to be hardy and resilient. They cannot exceed 12.2hh and can be bay, brown, black, grey, chestnut, roan. Piebalds, skewbalds and spotted ponies are not allowed.

The Dartmoor Pony Society (DPS) represents the pedigree Dartmoor pony, but there are many ponies living out on Dartmoor of all sizes and colours, most of unknown breeding. These are typically described as Dartmoor Hill Ponies.

The DPS states that: “The true-to-type Dartmoor Pony with known breeding is recognised as a rare breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and is typical of the ponies seen in the show ring at county shows throughout the United Kingdom.”

The breed standard of the Dartmoor Pony is as follows:

Colour: A certain amount of white is and always has been acceptable. Excessive white markings to be discouraged. (e.g. Acceptable – small sock to fetlock, small star or snip. Not Acceptable – White blaze, stripe and any stockings)

Neck and head: The head is small and bloodlike, reasonably short from eye to muzzle and without much tapering to the nose. The ears are small and alert and the eyes fairly large giving the pony a kindly interested expression. It should be well set on a good neck of medium length. The throat and jaws should be fine and showing no signs of coarseness or throatiness. Stallions to have a moderate crest.

Shoulders: Good shoulders are most important. They should be well laid back and sloping, but not too fine at the withers.

Body: Of medium length and strong, well ribbed up with a good depth of girth giving plenty of heart room.

Loin and hindquarters: Strong and well covered with muscle. The hind quarters should be of medium length and neither level nor steeply sloping. The tail is well set up.

Limbs: The forelegs should not be tied in at the knee. The fore-arm should be muscular and relatively long and the knee fairly large and flat at the front. The cannons should be short with ample good, flat bone. The pasterns should be sloping but not too long. The feet should be hard and well shaped. The hocks should be well let down with plenty of length from hip to hock, clean cut and with plenty of bone below the hock. They should have a strong second thigh. They should not be sickled or cow-hocked.

Movement: Low and straight coming from the shoulder with good hock action but without exaggeration.

The breed standard also states that the Dartmoor makes a very good looking riding pony, and should be sturdily built yet with quality, like a scaled down middleweight hunter. The mane and tail should be full and flowing. The general impression given by a Dartmoor is of a well made, quality pony with ample bone which stands over plenty of ground.

The DPS has a grading system for stallions which can become premium or super premium through the progeny they have sired winning at the society’s star shows.

Dartmoor ponies were originally used to carry tin from the mines, for farm work and as pack-horses for transporting goods.

In the 1920s, Prince Edward (Edward VIII) kept and bred Dartmoor ponies near Princetown and crossed them with Arab ponies with the aim of producing a finer polo pony. Dartmoor ponies were originally recorded in the Polo Pony Society Stud Book, then in the stud books of the National Pony Society from 1898 and then in 1924 the DPS was created and took over the maintenance of the stud book.

The Dartmoor is listed as a rare breed as there are less than 1,000 breeding mares remaining.

Today, the Dartmoor pony is seen as an excellent child’s pony, although they are also ridden by small adults.

In 2010 and 2011, two Dartmoor ponies consecutively landed the Olympia M&M supreme title. The 2010 champion was Sue Hughes’ black stallion Pumphill Buckthorn (above) who had won the overall M&M ridden pony of the year title at HOYS three months before. The following year, Christine Anderson’s bay stallion Rushfield Bailey was crowned champion.

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The Welsh section A or Welsh Mountain Pony is one of the most popular breeds for both children and small adults.

Not to exceed 12h (121.9cm) the section A is the smallest of the four Welsh breeds. The breed, according to the Welsh Pony and Cob Society (WPCS) should be: “hardy, spirited and pony-like.”

They can be any colour, except for piebald and skewbald, and section A ponies with white socks and stockings are particularly popular in the show ring.

The section A is a popular choice for children, with many being seen at the top of lines in lead rein and first ridden classes. They also have their own open ridden final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and this year, the winning section A, Glebedale Mumbo Jumbo, stood overall mountain and moorland ridden pony of the year in October, beating off several of his larger rivals.

The WPCS offers some advice on the desired breed characteristics to look out for:

Head: Small, clean-cut, well set on and tapering to the muzzle

Ears: Well placed, small and pointed, well up on the head, proportionately close

Neck: Lengthy, well carried and moderately lean in the case of mares, but inclined to be cresty in the case of mature stallions

Shoulders: Long and sloping well back. Withers moderately fine, but not “knifey”. The humerus upright so that the foreleg is not set in under the body.

Forelegs: Set square and true, and not tied in at the elbows. Long, strong forearm, well developed knee, short flat bone below knee, pasterns of proportionate slope and length, feet well-shaped and round, hoofs dense.

Back and Loins: Muscular, strong and well coupledg

Hind Quarters: Lengthy and fine. Not ragged or goose-rumped. Tail well set on and carried gaily.

Hind Legs: Hocks to be large, flat and clean with points prominent, to turn neither inwards nor outwards. The hind legs not to be too bent. The hock not to be set behind a line from the point of the quarter to the fetlock joint. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well-shaped, hoofs dense.

Welsh ponies should also move well, and have action which is: “Quick, free and straight from the shoulder, Knees and hocks well flexed with straight and powerful leverage and well under the body.”

According to the WPCS, Welsh Mountain Ponies are believed to be descended from the Celtic pony and existed in the mountains of Wales for over a thousand years.

Available evidence tends to show that the Welsh Mountain Pony has existed since prehistoric times. They were originally used by farmers as ridden animals as well as in the pits and mines.

Today, the section A is predominantly used as the child’s first pony and the temperament of the breed is generally reliable, although there are always some exceptions. Due to its natural barrel type appearance and its ability to carry variable amounts of weight it can carry smaller or larger jockeys comfortably.

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The Connemara pony: everything you need to know about these Irish stars

Fascinated by this breed? Here’s all the facts you need to know about Connemaras

The Welsh Pony & Cob Society was founded in Wales in 1901, and their first studbook was published in 1902, containing the records of 38 stallions and 571 mares. In 1931 the height limit the section A was fixed at 12 hands.

The stallion Dyoll Starlight was credited with being the foundation sire of the modern breed. He was a combination of Welsh and Arab breeding. From his line came an influential stallion of the Section B type: Tan-y-Bwlch Berwyn. The often dished face seen on section A ponies is from the Arabian breeding influence.

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Do you have a story about a Welsh Section A you’d like to share with H&H readers? Then write to hhletters@futurenet.com for a chance to see your views in H&H magazine and win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger (please include your name and address; letters may be edited). 

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The Exmoor pony is Britain’s oldest breed of native pony. Today, the Exmoor is recognised as an endangered breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

They have adapted to survive on low quality moorland grazing and can make good all-round family ponies, capable of carrying adults, but some have been known for having quirky temperaments.

Stallions stand up to 12.3hh and mares up to 12.2hh. They can either be bay, brown and dun in colour and carry characteristic mealy markings on the muzzle and around the eye and flanks.

The Exmoor Pony Society (EPS) was founded in 1921 and classify themselves as the ‘guardians of the breed’.

The EPS states that: “Exmoor ponies are versatile, adaptable, very strong for their size and able to turn their hooves to a wide variety of activities.

“Historically, the Exmoor pony was used by the hill farmers to undertake all kinds of work from being ridden for shepherding to being used in harness for ploughing, harrowing, taking feed to stock and the farmer’s family to market and church.”

Ponies from wild herds were gathered and then trained to pull the carts and chariots of the Celtic settlers. The Doomsday Book book contains the first written evidence of ponies on Exmoor, when it was a designated Royal Forest.

The EPS continues: “Records from the 1500s onwards reveal that the equine population varied in numbers rising to about 1,000 at times. Non-Exmoor mares came to the moor to join the indigenous British Hill Pony type stock but it is thought that the wardens ran native stallions.”

In 1818, the crown sold the Royal Forest of Exmoor and the outgoing Warden, Sir Thomas Acland, took 30 of the ponies and founded the Acland herd, which is now known as the Anchor herd and still running. Farmers from Withypool and Hawkridge also bought stock at the dispersal sale and founded several herds. Numbers 1, 10, 12, 23 and 44 still exist.

Today, Exmoor ponies are found winning under saddle in the show ring both in flat classes and as working hunter ponies. In 2017, Gail Wetter and her own Barhill Marigold won the 122cm working hunter pony of the year final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). The only Exmoor pony to ever win the M&M ridden final at Olympia was Margaret Burnett’s Stowbrook Jenny Wren, who took the title in 2003 with Katy Marriott-Payne. Pictured above is the 2017 Olympia Best of Breed and 2018 Royal International Horse Show small breeds winner Dunkery Widgeon, owned by Mauren Richardson and ridden by Hayley Reynolds.

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33 Exmoor ponies proving that they can turn their hoof to anything (including racing…)

When we asked you to send us photos of your Exmoor ponies this week, we were inundated with examples of

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Watch these ‘wild’ Exmoor ponies being gathered in from the moor…

Have you ever watched a herd of wild Exmoor ponies galloping across the moor? Now is your chance...

The EPS and its members work hard to ensure that this rare native breed continues to run free on Exmoor and exhibits all the traits and characteristics of its ancestors.

The EPS says that: “All the Exmoor ponies on the moor are owned by moorland farmers who have specific grazing rights. The farmers and local Society members monitor the herds at key stages of the breeding cycle, making notes of which mares are in foal and when the foals are born. This greatly assists the society in ensuring that the parentage of the ponies is correctly recorded at the time of inspection.”

Exmoor conservation is considered to be very important. At the end of the second world war, there were only around 50 ponies left on the moor. This means that there is a very small pool of breeding ponies. Nevertheless, dedicated breeders are working hard to ensure old bloodlines remain in the gene pool.

Exmoors can be versatile with several taking to the dressage and show jumping arenas, despite not having massive amounts of movement. They have also proven to be excellent conservation grazers and being used for this purposes at a number of locations both in the UK and around the world.

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The Connemara pony originates from the eponymous region in County Galway on Ireland’s west coast, a wild area of peatbogs, lakes, mountains, and rugged coastline.

The pony’s exact origins are uncertain – it has been theorised that their ancestors were the horses brought to Ireland by the Vikings; another foundation animal may have been the now-extinct Irish Hobby Horse, the warhorse of the 13th century. Whatever the native stock was, they bred with Andalusians when the Spanish Armada ran aground on the west coast of Co. Clare and Co. Galway in 1588 and their horses ran loose. The Spanish blood refined the tough, hardy local ponies.

The animals were further refined in the 18th and 19th Centuries, when they were crossed with Arabians, Hackneys and Thoroughbreds. By the early 20th Century, there were concerns that the breed was becoming too diluted. Subsequently, breeders formed the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society in 1923, setting out to improve and preserve the native breed of Ireland, establishing a studbook in 1926.

Now there are Connemara breeders all over the world, including Britain, North America, across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

The Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society describes the ponies as: “Compact, well-balanced riding type with good depth and substance and good heart room, standing on short legs, covering a lot of ground.” The head is “well-set onto neck. Crest should not be over developed. Neck not set too low. Good length of rein. Well-defined withers, good sloping shoulders.” The hindquarters must be “strong and muscular with some length, well-developed second thighs (gaskin) and strong low-set hocks.” The limbs should be strong and clean, with low-set hocks, short cannons and rounded, hard feet. Their movement is free and easy, active and ground covering but without excessive knee action. They should have a good temperament, kind enough for a child to handle, and be sound and surefooted with jumping ability.

Perhaps surprisingly for a pony breed no taller than 15hh, pure and part-bred Connemaras have competed at FEI levels of showjumping, eventing and dressage.

Stroller, a Connemara/Thoroughbred who was only 14.1hh, won 61 international showjumping competitions, including a silver medal in the Mexico Olympics in 1968. In 1935, a pure Connemara called Nugget cleared a 7’2 puissance wall at the Olympia Horse Show in London. During the late 1990s, a Connemara stallion named Erin Go Bragh competed at advanced level eventing in the United States, at the height of his career coming in eighth at Fair Hill, a CCI3* in Maryland. He was also popular as a stud, siring 225 offspring. Another American Connemara/Thoroughbred, a 14.2hh grey gelding called Seldom Seen, competed against warmbloods in grand prix dressage in the late 1980s with rider Lendon Gray. Gray told Eurodressage: “This was the time that people started to flock to Europe to buy big fancy warmbloods. The average American couldn’t afford to do that, so these people loved to see the pony; with average gaits do so well. He proved what good training could accomplish. To this day I get letters from people saying that seeing Seldom Seen gave them a boost to go home and work harder on their own unimpressive dressage horse.”

Serena Cookson, of Tulira Connemaras, explained to H&H: “The breed is second to none in terms of temperament and versatility and so they are a fun pony to interact with and be a part of. We meet such a mix of people along the way and the ponies when sold go on and do such a variety of jobs.

She added: “They can suit a whole number of riders from children to young professionals and adults of all ages. This is what makes them such a valuable pony to any family or competition home.”

Another breeder, Robbie Fallon, who owns Cashel Bay stud in Co. Galway, came from a horsey family in the Connemara region and bought his first pony in 1968, a mare who worked the land at his uncle’s farm for 21 years. He told H&H: “As a boy, I went to the Connemara pony shows with older breeders and my love spanned from there.” He started breeding the ponies in 1992, and explained: “I love Connemaras because they are a very versatile pony. They can be ridden by a child or an adult. They excel in all disciplines — ridden, working hunter, dressage, eventing, showjumping, etc. They have a great temperament so they are also ideal for anyone looking for a recreational pony or a pony to have around children.”

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What is a KWPN? H&H explains…

Discover everything you need to know about this Dutch breed of horse

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The ponies are generally healthy and hardy, though like many moorland breeds, they can suffer from laminitis and obesity if fed too rich a diet. There is also a genetic disease in the breed, called Hoof Wall Separation Disease, where the weight-bearing borders of the hoof wall separate from the underlying structure, leaving the horse bearing weight on the sole of its foot. Some ponies with this condition can be managed (but not ridden); others need to be put down. It is thought to be an autosomal recessive condition, meaning both parents must be carriers of the faulty gene and the offspring has a one-in-four chance of getting the condition. A genetic test for this disorder has been available since 2014, but it’s optional. The largest uptake of the test has been in Australia and the United States, but the three largest producers of Connemaras, Ireland, France, and the UK, respectively, showed very low uptake. According to the Connemara Pony Research Group, an international research collective gathering data on HWSD, 51 foals born in Ireland in 2017 had the disease. As the condition appears in foals (and animals with it don’t live that long), anyone breeding Connemaras, or buying a foal or a pregnant mare should be aware of it and enquire if the mare and stallion have been tested.

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The Dutch warmblood is a relatively modern sport horse breed which originated in the Netherlands, derived from two Dutch draught breeds – the Gelderlander and the Groningen.

After the Second World War, the use of equines for agricultural purposes declined, but interest in equestrian sports was increasing. The native Dutch draught breeds were therefore crossed with mainly Thoroughbreds, but also Hackneys and Cleveland Bays to produce a light, athletic horse that would succeed in the dressage and showjumping ring.

Trakheners, Selle Francais, Oldenburgs and Hanoverians were added to the stud book in order to improve the conformation and establish a calm, intelligent, and eager-to-please temperament. The horses were bred under the auspices of several stud organisations until 1970, when they combined into a single stud book, the Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland (WPN). Queen Beatrice gave the stud book royal recognition in 1988, and it received the designation of Koninklijk, or Royal.

Since 2006, the KWPN has recognised three different categories of Dutch warmblood: riding horses, which are subdivided into dressage and jumping horses and make up 85% to 90% of the studbook; elegant harness horses; and the Gelders horse — a working animal similar to the old Gelderlander. Like many warmbloods, the horses must undergo a rigorous inspection process (called a keuring), proving they meet the breed standard before being admitted into the stud book. Horses are presented at the keuring when they are three or older, and breeding stallions and mares undergo regular re-evaluations and are classified according to their own achievements and that of their offspring. The standards for admittance are high, as the KWPN explicitly states that its objective is producing horses capable of performing at grand prix level in dressage and jumping.

The Dutch Warmblood usually stands between 16hh and 17hh. The head is refined and elegant, leading to a muscular, arched neck, which meets prominent withers. The horses have a long, sloping shoulder, which helps with expressive, elastic movement, and a deep girth. The hindquarters are powerful, with hock joints low to the ground. They are long-legged, elegant horses with a smooth topline. The conformation and temperament of KWPN horses varies slightly depending on whether the horse is from jumper or dressage lines, but overall, they are intelligent, friendly, and supremely athletic.

While any horse can become injured or lame, there are very few congenital issues within the KWPN breed due to the stringent requirements placed on stallions and elite mares. As part of the inspection, horses are radiographed for spavins and navicular changes. Osteochondrosis of the hock or stifle will disqualify a horse, as will any asymmetry in its conformation or movement.

The KWPN’s philosophy towards health and improving the breed is part of what draws Sara Longworth of Waverley Stud to use Dutch warmblood stallions in her Warwickshire dressage breeding programme.

She told Horse & Hound: “At Waverley Stud we use a lot of Dutch warmblood stallions. The beauty, movement and expressiveness of these horses is what first drew me to them — as well as of course their talent for grand prix dressage. Ferro (the sire of Negro), Jazz, Totilas, Bordeaux and Vivaldi are stallions which have had invaluable influence on the breed and the sport of dressage, and are all Dutch warmbloods.

“However, the professionalism of the KWPN, particularly their approach to diseases in the horse, for example genetic carriers for Fragile Foal Syndrome and OCD is also compelling. This professionalism informs their approach to stallion licensing too, so that as a breeder you can select stallions with knowledge and confidence. The KWPN leads the world in OCD research and the organisation has developed a genetic test that is available for all to use.”

Their talent is undeniable. KWPN horses have proven extremely successful at the sports of dressage and showjumping. Valegro, with Charlotte Dujardin, won the individual gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, the team gold at the 2012 Olympics, and smashed world records, winning the World Equestrian Games and other significant CDIs during his grand prix competition career. His Dutch warmblood stablemates, Uthopia and Nip Tuck, ridden by Carl Hester, have also made the top 10 on the international grand prix circuit, and Uthopia was part of that gold medal-winning team in London. Before Valegro and Charlotte arrived on the scene, the previous record holder for the grand prix dressage test was the KWPN stallion Moorlands Totilas, piloted by Edward Gal.

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In showjumping, Nick Skelton’s KWPN stallion Big Star won individual gold at the 2016 Olympics and was part of the gold medal winning team at the 2012 Olympics. He has also won the Nations Cup in Dublin, the grand prix of Rome, and the CSIO5* in Aachen.

Hickstead, a KWPN stallion ridden by Canadian Eric Lamaze, consistently won or placed at international showjumping competitions during his career, including an individual gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, individual silver and bronze at the 2007 Pan Am games, and bronze at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Cobs are one of the most popular riding horses in the UK. They are hardy, versatile, able to turn their hoof to most things from low level dressage and eventing, to winning at the Horse of the Year Show, or to driving and hacking along roads and trails.

The cob is not really a breed; technically, it’s a type, described by the British Show Horse Association as: “A short-legged animal, with bone, substance and quality, capable of carrying a substantial weight. The cob should be well-mannered and ideal for nervous or elderly riders. Cobs should have sensible heads, (sometimes Roman nosed), a full, generous eye, shapely neck, well muscled… and with a well-defined wither.”

While they have a reputation for being steady and sensible (and many are), some cobs can be quite sharp and forward, as a type only describes the animal’s physical appearance, not its temperament.

There are several varieties of cob. The “traditional cob” or “Gypsy cob” is characterised by thick feathering on its legs and a full mane and tail, and they are frequently (but not always) coloured. They were originally bred by the Romany or traveller people of Britain and Ireland to be strong enough to pull their caravans, while being gentle enough to be handled by children. Before the Second World War, the Romany adopted any cast-off equine, especially tobiano animals, coloured horses having gone out of fashion among the landed classes, so they were cheap.

Edward Hart, an agricultural journalist and historian of heavy horses, speculates that the patterns common to the Gypsy horse may have come from coloured Shires. The Romany horse breeders started a more deliberate breeding programme in the 1950s by crossing Dales and Fell mares with Clydesdale stallions. To improve their action, Welsh section D and Hackney bloodlines were introduced.

The Romany community passed on information verbally, so little is known about the founding sires, except that one was called The Old Coal Horse, who apparently pulled a coal wagon in Dublin, and the another was called Sonny Mays Horse. No official registries appeared until 1996, when an American couple, Dennis and Cindy Thomson, “discovered” the animals on a trip to England. To their surprise, the ‘breed’ didn’t even have a name, so they called it the Gypsy Vanner and founded the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society. The name caught on in North America, where the horses sell for many thousands of dollars, but not in the UK or Ireland.

Irish breeders didn’t establish a written studbook until the Irish Cob Studbook was founded 1998, and a UK-based registry, the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association, was launched in 2005.

The traditional cob, with its striking looks and reputation for being steady, sound and forgiving, has gained popularity as the ideal amateur ride in almost every discipline. They might not be favourites to win an international grand prix class, but they are Jacks of all trades.

Flore North, who breeds cobs at her Cairnview Stud in Co. Meath, told Horse & Hound: “What drew us to this breed (Irish cobs), is their temperament. They are extremely kind and usually really enjoy the company of humans. They are very quick learners that do their very best to please. They are perfect family horses, and have a really cool look. The foals are particularly cute and friendly and very easy to breed.”

The other type of cob is best described as the “show cob.” Unlike the traditional cob, they should be hogged and the feathers clipped. They should have generous bone and the low, smooth gait characteristic of a good hunter.

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#ThisCobCan: 22 cobs that break the mould

When people mention cobs, it might conjure up images of a “steady Eddie”-type, but this is not always the case

The BSHA offers showing classes: “lightweight cob,” “heavyweight cob,” and “maxi cob,” which are based on the horse’s height and weight-carrying ability. There are also working cob classes, where the horses are shown over fences and on the flat.

Cobs of either type are robust and can easily live out on sparse grazing, but there are some health issues to look out for. Like all native breeds that thrive on rough moorland, laminitis poses a risk if the animals are on too rich a diet.

Because many cobs have short, upright pasterns and a rounded action, they are prone to ringbone and sidebone, exotosis or bone growth in the pastern or coffin joint caused by a combination of conformation and concussive force. Heavily feathered cobs can also suffer from feather mites.

So long as these issues are managed, they should be a sound and pleasurable companion for any type of equestrian discipline.

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The 3,000-acre National Stud at Kladruby nad Labem, near Pardubice in the Czech Republic, is one of the oldest studs in the world and home to the oldest original Czech horse breed — the Kladruber horse.

The tradition of horse breeding in Kladruby nad Labem stretches back to the late 14^th Century. For over 300 years it was an imperial court stud providing horses for the royal courts in Prague and Vienna.

Today, the National Stud stables around 500 horses; 250 grey Kladrubers are bred in the historic site of Kladruby nad Labem and 250 black Kladrubers are bred in Slatiňany. The impressive yards house the stallions’ stables, loose stables for broodmares, stables for young horses in training, the foaling stable and riding hall lit by a chandelier.

Tree-lined avenues, woodland and pasture surround the stud, and there is a separate stable yard, where weaned foals are reared from six months until they start their training at three-and-a-half.

The Kladruber horses are central to what the stud stands for. Historically, the grey horses were used for ceremonial service at the royal and imperial court. The black horses were mainly used for representative service by high clergy.

Today, the grey Kladrubers still serve at royal courts. The Danish queen uses a team of six Kladruber greys to draw her state coach in Copenhagen. While in Sweden, the Kladrubers carry the trumpeters of the Swedish Mounted Royal Guards.

In the Czech Republic, the horses are used by the mounted police in Pardubice, Ostrava and Prague. The breed also excels in combined driving and dressage.

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Check out these unusual, but beautiful, horse breeds…

1. Bakshir Curly

Taking us right back to Kevin Keegan’s hair in the 1980s, the permed look never went away as far as the Bakshir Curly is concerned. Their origins are highly debated, with some saying they come from Asia, and others from South America. Curlies are depicted in Native American artwork, and were used as sacred mounts for chiefs and medicine men by early Sioux Indians. The amount of curl in each coat varies from a slight wave to the full poodle – and like poodles, they’re said to be hypoallergenic. With a characteristic stride and long movement, these tough creatures are often used in endurance.

2. Akhal-Teke

Super-sleek, with finely-boned features, the Akhal-Teke is often described as the ‘supermodel’ or ‘greyhound’ of the horse world – although there’s more than a touch of the Thestrals from the Harry Potter books about this breed, too! What’s most eye-catching about these strange but beautiful horses is the metallic lustre to their coats, caused by the unique structure of their hairs, which actually bends light to create the shimmering effect. One of the most ancient and rare horse breeds, with around 6,600 currently in existence, they were originally bred by tribesmen in Turkmenistan to cross the arid landscape, and are now used successfully in endurance, dressage and other disciplines.

3. Caspian horses

A breed native to Iran, similar to Arabs but standing no more than 12.2hh, Caspian horses were thought do have died out centuries ago – until in the 1960s, they were discovered living wild in the Elburz Mountains on the edge of the Caspian sea. Locals in a remote village called Amol would periodically catch them and use them as workhorses. There are thought to be feral Caspian horses still living near the village, but since their ‘re-discovery,’ they’ve been bred all round the world, including the UK. Once used to pull the chariots of the king of the Persian Empire, they are still mainly used for driving. To find out more, visit www.caspianhorsesociety.org.uk

4. Marwari

The Marwari is a rare horse breed indigenous to India with a unique and fascinating characteristic – inward turning ear tips that touch of overlap when pricked. Banana ears, in other words! Used as a cavalry horse by the Marwar people, they stand at around 15-16hh and can be any colour. Hair whorls are important to Marwari breeders – long whorls down the neck are considered lucky, and whorls on the fetlock bring victory, but whorls under the eyes are very unlucky indeed and to be avoided at all costs.

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5. Black Forest Horse

The Black Forest Horse, or ‘Schwartzwalder Kaltblud’, is a heavy breed that originates – as the name suggests – from the Black Forest in Southern Germany. Standing between 14.2 and 15.3hh, this small, hardy, long-lived breed was used in forestry for centuries, and even when an attempt was made to increase the size using Belgian draft horses, locals stuck firmly to their own breeding stock. In 1981, it was realised that the breed was in sharp decline, and a concerted effort was made to bring it back. The horses used to come in many colours, but these were lost when the breed declined, and they are now mainly chestnut with flaxen manes and tails. Black Forest Horses are renowned for their sweet, gentle natures, and make great children’s ponies.

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