There are over a hundred breeds of ponies. Ponies are incredibly versatile little horses. Historically they have been bred to do virtually everything imaginable. They are used for pulling, packing, harness, riding, jumping, plowing and even ranch work. Ponies are prized for their intelligence, strength and hardiness in rugged conditions. Non-horse equines are closely related to horses and can interbreed with horses, but are not horses themselves. They are donkeys, zebras and mules.
The wild ass is the untamed version of the domesticated donkey. Pound for pound donkeys are much stronger than a horse. The donkey is the original beast of burden. They are sturdy, sure footed and easy to keep. A mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey. The result is a very strong agile animal. Mules make excellent pack animals. Draft mules were used to pull freight in the old west.
Today they are growing in popularity as riding animals. Zebras are a wild non domesticated equine. It is possible but very difficult to train a zebra for riding under saddle. Like the mule a zorse is also sterile. Have you been duped by a horse myth? Horse Myths Busted. Six easy step by step horse drawing lessons. Learn to draw horse heads and horse hooves too.
Check out these fun true horse stories! Several horses of this breed have been ridden to Olympic gold in various events, especially by riders from France. This kind of success is largely due to their lively demeanor and responsive disposition, character traits that also make them popular with private owners. The Standardbred is best known as a horse that performs well in harness racing. This is because it is among the very fastest horses — if not the fastest — at a trot.
Trotting Standardbreds have been clocked at speeds of up to 30mph. As well as being pacy trotters, they also benefit from traits such as having a friendly nature, being highly versatile and being willing to learn, and as such, they are a popular horse in many other areas too.
They are particularly suitable for beginners since they are a very easy horse to ride. This is because they are one of the few breeds that can show leopard complex patterns, and many of these horses display attractive and unique combinations of spots.
This breed is descended from the horses brought over to the Americas by the Spanish. Those animals were then selectively bred by the Native American Nez Perce tribe to become a type of horse that was particularly well suited to hunting. Nowadays, they are known for their strength, speed and stamina, and they are most commonly used for western riding disciplines as well as for trail riding.
The Morgan Horse is one of the oldest American breeds and dates back to a stallion named Figure, a horse that was owned by a breeder named Justin Morgan, hence the name.
Morgans are prized as one of the most versatile of all breeds and have been used for a wide range of tasks through the years. During the American Civil War , they were used as cavalry chargers by both sides, and they also make excellent coach horses, riding horses or horses for harness racing. Although not the most numerous breed by global population — at probably fewer than , worldwide, they are comparable to Andalusians in this respect — they are nevertheless a popular and beloved horse in the US.
The Shetland Pony originated in the Shetland Isles to the northeast of mainland Scotland, where the often harsh climate helped create a strong and hardy animal. Small horses were kept in the Shetlands from the Bronze Age, and the modern Shetland Pony probably also shares some blood with Scandinavian and Celtic pony breeds. Nowadays, they are known for their diminutive size, cute appearance, resilient nature and high degree of intelligence. They are suitable to be ridden by children up to around 16 years old, and they can become cherished pets.
Due to their intelligence, they are also commonly trained as trick ponies. There are thought to be around , purebred Shetlands in the world today, and they are a popular animal with practically everyone who comes into contact with them. Few horses are as evocative of the old Wild West and the pioneer spirit as the Mustang.
However, tame Mustangs can be adopted, and many of them are magnificent animals, making them a popular option. As well as the blood of the original Spanish horses, Mustangs also contain a certain amount of Thoroughbred and American Quarter blood, although since they breed in the wild, there is considerable variation from horse to horse and herd to herd.
Mustangs usually possess impressive speed and stamina, and most are also friendly and calm. Thanks to the pressures of natural selection, most of them are also healthy and robust animals.
However, since the breed is not controlled, some can be fiery and wild, so they might not always be the best option for rookie owners. The Belgian Horse — or Belgian Draft — is closely related to the Brabant Horse, and the two breeds only diverged in the s. Brabants were bred in Belgium, where a thicker, stockier stature was preferred — whereas in the US, they were bred to be taller and lighter.
This aside, the Belgian has established itself as one of the most popular draft horses in America. They are still used as workhorses, but they are more commonly encountered in shows as well as being used for riding. Like the Belgian, the Percheron is another draft horse with European origins, this time coming from France.
Like many larger breeds of horse, they are descended from the warhorses of the Middle Ages, and once big horses were no longer required to carry knights in armor into battle, they found new work as coach horses, in agriculture and pulling heavy goods. In the 19 th century, Arabian blood was added to the line, and before the start of the First World War, many were being sent to the US. Percherons can be ridden, but they are also an excellent choice of carriage horse. The Percheron is considered the most famous as well as the most numerous of the draft breeds from France.
Although not a common horse outside of the country, over three million of these horses live in Mongolia — a greater number than the human population — so by the raw figures alone, this is one of the most popular, or at least the most common, horses in the world. Unsurprisingly, this kind of climate has made the Mongolian Horse an incredibly resilient breed, and it is also one with scarcely believable levels of stamina.
Hanoverians are strong, agile and elegant horses that are especially suited to riding disciplines such as show jumping, eventing and dressage.
The Clydesdale is one of the most famous breeds of draft horses Budweiser anyone? Introduced in Scotland in the s, these draft horses were used almost exclusively to pull wagons and other forms of transportation.
It was common to see Clydesdales pulling carts of milk and vegetables well into the s. While Clydesdales are still bred in Scotland, they are more commonly foaled in America. The Don has been bred in the former Soviet Union since the s. Originally on the small side, the breed gained in size in the s after being cross-bred with Arabians and Karabakh.
Known for its incredible stamina, Don helped give the Cossack cavalry its fearsome reputation. Gypsy Vanner horses are the mutt of the equine world. They are descended from a mix of Friesian, Shire, Clydesdale, and Dales pony. These extremely docile horses were originally bred exclusively in England and Ireland to pull the wagons of local gypsies or Roma as they were sometimes known.
For decades, Gypsy Vanners were bred exclusively in Britain. In the late s, the breeding stock was introduced to America as well.
Fjord horses are believed to have arrived in Norway over years, and domesticated over years ago. Initially used by the Vikings as a warhorse, the Fjord evolved into a working horse, used by farmers laboring in the Norwegian mountains. While Norway continues to set the breed standard, Fjord horses are bred in multiple countries throughout the world.
A Pinto horse is simply a horse that has large splotches of white and another color. While Pinto colored horses have existed since ancient times, today they are most commonly found in the United States.
The Pura Raza Espanola has existed for centuries in Spain. The Spanish King desired to bring to life the idealized horses depicted in paintings and statues. Their ancestors, however, are not American, but Spanish. When Spaniards arrived in America, the Native Americans were attracted to the spotted coats of the Spaniard horses and bred them to American horses.
The Appaloosa remains incredibly popular in the United States, though breeders exist throughout the world. As might be evident by its name, the Tennessee Walker is a horse that was originally born and bred in the United States.
The horse was developed by plantation owners in the Antebellum South who needed a horse that could easily roam the vast plantations. The history of the Shire horse is a bit convoluted. The short story is that the Shire is descended from the Great Horse, a breed brought to England almost years ago. At that time, Shires were used for draft work, primarily pulling beer delivery carts. Today they are bred predominantly in England and the United States.
Shetland Ponies can trace their ancestry back to the Bronze Age. They originated off the Scottish coast in the Shetland Isles.
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