Equine BreedsEquine Science & Technology

Equine BreedsFeral- a horse that was once domesticated and has

become wild.

A breed of horse may be defined as a group of horses having a common origin and possessing certain well-fixed distinctive, uniformly transmitted characteristics that are not common to other horses.

Equine BreedsDraft horses are large and usually 14 to over 17 hands

in height and over 1,500 lb. in weight.

They are sometimes referred to as cold-blood horses.

The term refers to the quiet, calm temperament of these breeds.

Equine BreedsDraft Horse Breeds

Belgian The Belgian breed originated in Belgium. Directly descended from the Old Flemish ancestry. Bay, chestnut, and roan are the most common colors. The Belgian is noted for its draftiness, being the widest,

deepest, most compact, most massive, and lowest set of any draft breed.

Equine BreedsClydesdale This Scotch breed of draft horse derives its name from the

valley of the River Clyde, located in Scotland. Weight ranges from 1,600 to 2,400 lbs. and stands from 16

to 19 hands in height. The breed is known for a moderate amount of fine feather

or long hair at the rear of the legs below the knees and hocks.

Equine BreedsClydesdale Bay and brown, with white markings are the most

characteristic colors.

Equine BreedsPercheron The Percheron originated in northwestern France, in the

ancient district of La Perche. Most Percherons are black or gray, with an occasional bay or

chestnut. Percheron is noted for its handsome clean-cut head, excellent

temperament, and longevity.

Equine BreedsShire The Shire breed originated on the low, marshy lands of East

central England. The great size and bulk of this breed are derived directly

from the Great Horse of the Middle Ages. The Shire is taller than any other draft breed. Common colors are bay, brown, and black with white

markings.

Equine BreedsA light horse is usually 12 to 17 hands in height and weighs

900 to 1,400 lbs. They are usually used for riding, showing, and racing.

A pony, on the other hand is smaller, usually less than 14.2 hands and weighing 500 to 900 lbs.

Equine BreedsPony Breeds Haflinger Shetland Welsh Pony Dales Pony Exmoor Pony

Haflinger

Exmoor Pony

Dales Pony

Equine BreedsAmerican Walking Pony Breed originated near Macon, Georgia from a foundation

cross of Tennessee Walking Horse and Welsh Pony. Used for pleasure riding and as mounts for children and

small adults. All colors accepted.

Equine BreedsShetland Pony Native to the Shetland Islands, which lie 100 miles north of

Scotland. One of the oldest breeds in existence All colors accepted.

Equine BreedsLight Horse Breeds Akhal-Teke American Crème Horse American Curly American Mustang American Walking Pony American Warmblood

Akhal-Teke

American Mustang

Equine BreedsLight Horse Breeds Appaloosa Arabian Buckskin Cleveland Bay Cracker Horse Dutch Warmblood

ArabianBuckskin

Cleveland Bay

Equine BreedsLight Horse Breeds Hackney Lipizzan Miniature Horse Missouri Fox Trotter Morab Morgan Norwegian Fjord

LipizzanMorgan

Norwegian Fjord

Equine BreedsLight Horse Breeds Paint Palomino Paso Fino Pinto Pony of the Americas Quarter Horse Saddlebred

Paso FinoSaddlebred

Equine BreedsLight Horse Breeds Selle Francais Standardbred Dan Patch Story Tennessee Walking Horse Thoroughbred Trakehner

Selle Francais

Equine BreedsThe males of the ass family are called jacks, and the females

jennets.

Asses are also commonly known as donkeys, burros, or jackstock.

Long-Eared Breeds Mammoth Ass Standard Donkey Miniature Donkey Mule

Miniature Donkey

Equine BreedsAppaloosa Originated in the United States- in Oregon, Washington, and

Idaho from animals that first came from Central Asia. Ancestors of the Appaloosa were introduced into Mexico by

the early Spanish explorers. For many years Appaloosa horses were owned by the Nez

Perce`.

Equine BreedsAppaloosa Appaloosas may be black, bay, brown, chestnut, white with

dark spots over the loin and hips, white with dark spots over the entire body, or mottled dark and white, or with white spots over a dark body.

The eye is encircled by a white sclera, and the hooves are stripped vertically black and white.

Equine BreedsArabian The foundation stock of the Arabian horse was obtained

from either the Egyptians or the Libyan tribes of northern Africa.

Oldest breed of horses, and the foundation head of all other light horse breeds.

Develop in the desert country of Arabia. The Arabian breed is medium to small in size, has a

beautiful head and great endurance.

Equine BreedsArabian Predominating colors are bay, gray, and chestnut, with an

occasional white or black.

Equine BreedsMorgan Known as the first family of American horses. The early development of the breed took place in the New

England states. Standard colors are bay, brown, black, chestnut; and white

markings are not uncommon. The breed is noted for easy keeping qualities: stamina,

docility, beauty, courage, and longevity. Morgan blood was used in laying the foundation of many

breeds.

Equine BreedsQuarter Horse Quarter horses originated in the United States. The Quarter horse is an ideal stock horse. The most predominant colors of the breed are chestnut,

sorrel, bay, and dun. Palominos, blacks, browns, and roans are not uncommon.

Equine BreedsQuarter Horse Animals are disqualified for registration if they have paint,

pinto, appaloosa, or albino coloring.

Equine BreedsThoroughbred The history of the thoroughbred had its beginning in the

17th century, though the original lineage of the breed is as old as civilization.

All U.S. Thoroughbreds are registered in the Jockey Club, established in 1894. Membership in the club is by election.

Thoroughbreds are bay, brown, chestnut, black, or less frequently gray.

Equine BreedsThoroughbred About one-third of the nation’s Thoroughbreds are bred in

Kentucky. Racing and the unquestioned value of the Thoroughbred

for crossbreeding purposes assure the breed a bright future.

Equine BreedsPaint Horse The paint horse represents a combination of breeding,

conformation and color. Paint horses originated in the United States. Paint horses are distinguished by two color patterns- they

must either be overo or tobiano. Most tobianos have color on the head, chest and flanks and

some in the tail. The legs are nearly always white.

Equine BreedsPaint Horse The overo often has jagged or lacy-edged white markings,

mostly on the midsection of the body and neck area.

OveroTobiano

Equine BreedsBuckskin Buckskin horses originated in the United States largely

from horses of Spanish extraction. Buckskin is a shade of yellow that may range from gold to

nearly brown-dun, red dun, or grulla (mouse dun). The Buckskin is primarily a color breed with no particular

type favored.

Equine BreedsPalomino The word palomino implies a horse of a golden color, with

white, silver, or ivory mane and tail. Originally, Palominos were not considered either a breed

or a type but simply as a color. Palomino horses originated in the United States from

animals of Spanish extraction.

Equine BreedsPalomino Palominos are used as a stock, parade, pleasure, saddle, and

fine harness horses.

Equine BreedsTennessee Walking Horse Early settlers from Virginia brought the sturdy original

saddle stock to Tennessee. The breed represents an amalgamation of the

Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Morgan, and American Saddlebred breeds.

A great array of colors exists, including sorrel, chestnut, black, roan, white, bay, brown, gray, and golden.

Equine BreedsTennessee Walking Horse An ideal horse for the amateur or the person who rides

infrequently.

Equine BreedsMiniature Horse The miniature horse is a small model of a full sized horse;

it is not a dwarf. Miniatures horses were used in England and Northern

Europe to pull ore carts in the coal mines as early as 1765. They were also bred as pets for some of the royal families

of Europe. Miniature horses cannot exceed 34 in. in height at the

withers.

Equine BreedsMiniature Horse All colors are accepted.

Equine GaitsA gait is a particular way of going, either natural or acquired

which is characterized by a distinctive rhythmic movement of the feet and legs.

Walk A natural slow, flat footed, four beat gait. It should be springy, regular, and true.

Equine GaitsTrot A natural two-beat, diagonal gait in which the front foot

and the opposite hind foot take off at the same split second and strike the ground simultaneously.

There is a brief moment when all four feet are off the ground and the horse seemingly floats through the air.

This gait varies considerably according to breed and training.

Equine GaitsCanter (Lope) The canter is a slow, restrained, three-beat gait in which the

two diagonal legs are paired, thereby producing a single beat that falls between the successive beats of the other unpaired legs.

In the show-ring the lead should be toward the inside of the ring. Thus when traveling to the left, the front leg should lead (the horse is on the “left lead”).

Equine GaitsRun (Gallop) The run or gallop is a fast, four beat gait in which the feet

strike the ground separately- first one hind foot; then the other hind foot; then the front foot on the same side as the first hind foot; then the other front foot, which decided the lead.

In executing the gallop, the propulsion is chiefly in the hindquarters.

Equine GaitsPace The pace is a fast, lateral two-beat gait in which the front

and hind feet on the same side start and stop simultaneously.

The feet rise very little above the ground. The pace is faster than the trot but not so fast as the run or

gallop.

Equine GaitsMovement Defects

The feet of an animal should move straight ahead and parallel to a centerline drawn in the direction of travel; any deviations from this way of going constitute defects.

Forging The striking of the forefoot by the toe of the hind foot.

Equine GaitsMovement Defects

Paddling Throwing the front feet outward as they are picked up. This condition is predisposed in horses with toe-narrow or

pigeon-toed standing positions.

Equine GaitsPounding A condition in which there is a heavy contact with the

ground in contrast to the desired light, springy movement. Defects in conformation that shift the horse’s center of

gravity can lead to pounding.

Rolling Excessive lateral shoulder motion, characteristic of horses

with protruding shoulders.