With the many ways in which horses are used, it is no surprise that many different breeds have been developed. However, all of these breeds can be placed into several categories. These categories are the light, heavy and pony classifications. Some people prefer to further divide some of these categories with classifications such as warmbloods, draft and gaited horse varieties.

While each horse breed has its own breed association, there is no overall horse breed registry, as there is for dogs and cats. However, there are national horse associations for the different horse sports and competitions, such as the United States Equestrian Federation and the British Equestrian Federation.

Light Horse Breed Overview

One of the oldest light horse breeds is the graceful, speedy Arabian. This horse breed is known for its stamina and endurance and has been competing in desert races for hundreds of years. However, this breed is also popular for being beautiful inside and out. Unlike some other breeds, most Arabian horses are known for being sweet natured and loving.

Another popular light horse breed is a descendant of the Arabian, the Thoroughbred. These horses command some of the highest prices in the world, since horse racing has become a big business. If you are looking for a safe family horse, you may want to think twice about buying a Thoroughbred, since this breed is often a bit high strung and likely to run away when being ridden by less experienced riders.

If you are looking for a horse that is versatile enough to help you round up cattle, compete in races, complete grueling trail competitions or just go for a leisurely ride, you may want to look at a breed that started as an American cow horse, the Quarter Horse. This breed was named for its ability to race at high speeds for a quarter mile.

For people looking for a family friendly, hard working horse on the small side, the Morgan horse is probably the perfect choice. The Morgan was developed by a man named Justin Morgan, who was amazed by the strength and sweet nature of his little horse. It was simple to create a breed from this single animal, because all of the Morgan’s foals had his characteristics. As the breed was refined, the Morgan became a bit more elegant looking, but kept its powerful, compact body and gentle disposition.

Of course, the tiny Miniature Horse is also extremely popular today. Although some people think this breed is a pony, it is classified as a horse because it does not have pony characteristics. This breed is kept as a companion animal and is sometimes used as a guide horse by blind or disabled people.

Other popular light horse breeds include the Appaloosa, the Standardbred, the Saddlebred, the Tennessee Walking Horse, the Paint and the Paso Fino.

By Katya Coen

For centuries, horses have been one of the most popular domesticated animals. While today, people enjoy riding and racing them, in the past they were domesticated because they were the primary mode of transportation for many.

People from almost every corner of the globe have owned horses for one reason or another, and it is for this reason that there are now so many different breeds. However, all horses fall into one of three main categories: pony, light, and heavy classifications. If you are unfamiliar with horse breeds, this is a good starting place.

From this point, some people like to further classify horses into the subcategories such as draft horses, gaited horses, and warmbloods. So these are terms that you might hear when people talk of horse breeds. But for all intents and purposes, we will stick with the three main categories for this article.

Knowing about these different breeds might give you an idea of what kind of horse will be best for your situation – and will let you in on which horses are good for children, which are good for the whole family to ride, which ones are good for racing, and which ones will help out on the ranch.

Pony Breeds

The smallest of the popular pony breeds is the Shetland Pony, and for this reason, it is often the first horse given to children. While the Shetland is usually sweet and relaxed, this breed can, on occasion, get feisty. So no matter what breed of pony, children need to be supervised with horses of any kind.

The Connemara Pony, is larger than the Shetland, and for this reason, often makes a great pony for older children. Another good breed for this young adults and young teens is the Welsh Pony, which is just a little bit larger than the Connemara.

Light Breeds

People often mistake the Miniature Horse for a pony, but it is not classified as one because it does not have the same characteristics as those of the pony breed. This light breed horse is often a companion for children as well as a guide for the disabled.

One of the most loved horse breeds around falls into the category of Light Horses – the Arabian. These horses are not only attractive, but in general, are also known for being sweet, loving, graceful, and speedy. Everything about this horse seems to be perfect – from its kind nature to its speed and endurance while racing.

A descendent of the Arabian, the Thoroughbred, is another popular light breed. This horse is quite fast, so it makes for a great racing horse. Because of this, this breed of horse can be quite expensive. If you are looking for a horse for the family, though, this might not be the best choice since these can be too fast and dangerous for inexperienced riders.

If you are looking for a horse that could help out on a farm or a ranch rounding up cattle, or for a tough horse that can compete in races and competitions, then you may want a Quarter Horse. This is an American horse breed that got its name for being able to race at a good pace for a quarter of a mile. It is a pretty tough breed, but also good for taking on a leisurely ride.

A smaller horse that is also family-friendly as well as hard working is the Morgan Horse. A man named Justin Morgan, who was amazed by the strength and loving nature of his little horse, developed the Morgan breed. This breed has a strong body with a friendly disposition.

Other popular light horse breeds include the Paint, the Standardbred, the Appaloosa, the Saddlebred, the Tennessee Walking Horse, and the Paso Fino.

Heavy Breeds

There are two types of heavy horses: horses that were once used in battle and draft horses. The warhorses went through tough training to ready them for battle, while the draft horses were used to work on farms or to pull carts and wagons.

The Percheron is a smaller heavy horse, but still quite powerful. This horse breed is intelligent and has a friendly nature, so it is easier to train than others, and can be a good animal for the family or the farm. However, if color is important to you, you might note that it only comes in gray or black.

The most famous of the draft horses is probably the Clydesdale. This attractive horse has been bred to do hard work, but it also has a friendly nature, so it makes for a good horse to ride on, too.

Some other popular draft breeds include the Belgian, and then the rarer Shire and Suffolk Punch breeds.

Of the war horse breeds, the Lipizzaner is the probably most famous. This is most likely because these horses often travel around doing performances for Austrian events.

As you can see, there are many breeds to choose from, and hopefully this will give you some idea of what type you are looking for. The best thing to do, however, is to see how different horses interact with you individually when shopping for a horse for you and possibly for your family.

Katya Coen is a regular contributor to All Horses, where you can find a wealth of information on everything pertaining to horses and you can even browse our gallery of horse pictures.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katya_Coen

By Michael Russell

The Andalusian lineage dates back to prehistoric times. Cave paintings, discovered on the Iberian Peninsula and dated 20000 to 30000 B.C., show the Iberian Horse clearly. It is thought that as time progressed, the breed was influenced by strains of horses from the French Celts, Carthaginians, Romans, several Germanic tribes, and the Moors.

This noble breed was cited by the Greek philosopher and commander of the army, Xenophon, as being a deciding element in his army’s victory over Sparta. The noted commander, Hannibal, used Andalusians when he invaded Italy. Both of these esteemed warriors waxed eloquent in their praise of the Spanish Horse.

Richard de Belisme, Duke of Shrewsbury, is credited with importing Andalusians to Britain in 1188. During the reign of Richard I, the knights of his Court favored the steed for combat and tournaments. And the Duke of Newcastle wrote in 1667 of the great attributes of the breed.

In 1580, some of the finest specimens of the breed were imported to Lipizza (then Italy, now Slovenia) to be bred with native stock and form the foundation of the famous Lipizzaners. Periodically the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria would re-introduce an Andalusian to the bloodline, in order to maintain the original qualities which were so desirable in the Lipizzaners. Their efforts helped to establish the school as a living monument to the art of classical equitation and the Andalusian breed was an important factor in this.

Many breeds of horses have been improved, through careful crossbreeding, by the introduction of the Andalusian strain to their bloodlines. In fact the Andalusian has been instrumental and the most influential strain in strengthening, creating, and improving breeds around the world. Not only the Lipizzaners, but most of the German warmbloods, the Connemara of Ireland, the Cleveland Bay of England, the American Quarter Horse, and the Paso Fino of South America have at their roots the blood of the Andalusian.

Andalusians are referred to, by their native country of Spain, as “Pura Raza Espanola” (Pure Spanish Horse, or PRE). About 60 years ago, the distinction was made between this breed and the Lusitano of Portugal, which is also referred to as an Iberian Horse. The Andalusians of today are registered in a separate stud book by the Spanish people. They take great pride in this old and noble breed. The Spanish government actively promotes the use of the Andalusian in Classical Dressage training, showing, and competition. Due to their exceptional agility, it is also encouraged that they be used by the government sanctioned bullfighting arenas.

Characteristics and Conformation

The Andalusian is commonly described as powerfully built, yet elegant. Its head is of medium length, rectangular, and lean. In profile it may seem slightly convex, or straight, with a wide forehead and well-spaced ears. The eyes are large, oval-shaped, and vibrant with life. The neck is of a reasonable length, thick without being disproportionate, yet elegant and well-crested in stallions. The shoulders are well-defined, the back is short, and the hindquarters are broad and muscular. The mane and tail are thick and abundant. The tail is set low, the tailbone is long, and lies close to the body.

The height ranges from 15.2 to 16.2 hands (152.9 50 164.6 cm., or 60.8 60 64.8 in.), making the Andalusian of average height. Around 80% of the horses are white, or shades of grey. About 15% are bay, and less than 5% are black, palomino, or dun. All of these colors are suitable for horses registered as purebred.

Their temperaments are docile, yet proud. The breed, by nature, is sensitive and highly intelligent. The Andalusian responds well, is cooperative, and learns quickly and easily under gentle care and handling.

The Andalusian horse is amazingly versatile and is used for jumping, pulling – both pleasure and competitive, trail riding, and Western and English saddle pleasure riding. It also excels for use in parades and exhibitions. Because it is gentle and docile, and naturally loves people, it is the quintessential family horse.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Horses

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

By Michael Russell

When Christopher Columbus landed in the New World in 1492, he found a continent without horses. After returning to Spain, upon his return to the Americas, he brought back mares and stallions from Andalusia and Cordela. These horses were a mixture of Andalusian, Barb, and the now-extinct Spanish Jennet. The resulting offspring of this mixture was a horse with a very smooth and comfortable gait suitable for the varied terrains of the New World. Because of a trait contributed by the Jennet, of passing the most desirable characteristics along to its offspring, the horse quickly became favored by the Conquistadors. This was the founding stock of the Paso Fino breed. The breed established a place in the history of Western Civilization, being cited as instrumental in the conquest, exploration, and development of the Americas.

Over the 500 years since the introduction of the founding stock in the Western Hemisphere, the Paso Fino has been selectively bred and refined. And although they can be found elsewhere Peru, in South America, claims the most famous and purest bloodlines of this breed.

The most outstanding characteristic which makes the Paso Fino unique is the pattern and even cadence of its instinctual 1-2-3-4 gait. The hoofbeats are individually and distinctly heard as the horse moves. The movement is smooth and lateral, rather than diagonal. The rider feels very little, if any, up-and-down movement when the horse is in motion. This most unusual gait is performed at three speeds:

Classic Fino – Used for show purposes only, this is the same forward speed as a slow walk. The horse is collected and balanced. Watching the leg motion is fascinating.

Paso Corto – this is similar in speed to a trot. It’s a moderate speed, yet allows one to cover a good distance in leisurely fashion. Because of the smoothness of the stride, both horse and riders can go for hours tirelessly.

Paso Largo – this is a faster speed with a longer stride. The actual speed is different for each horse because it will reach its top speed in natural coordination with its tempo and stride.

Description and Conformation

The Paso Fino’s colors run the gamut of the equine color range. There is no one defining color assigned to this breed as being necessary for it being registered as a purebred horse and they can be with, or without, white markings.

This breed ranges in height from 13 to 15.2 hands (52 to 60.8 in,. or 132 to 154 cm.), with the most typical being 13.3 to 14.2 hands (53.2 to 56.8 in., or 135 to 144.2 cm.), which is considered small to average height for a horse. The weight ranges from 700 to 1100 pounds (49.7 to 78.1 stones). The full size of the Paso Fino may not be reached until it is five years of age.

The Paso Fino is often described as being of noble appearance. The immediate impression that one has is that of power, grace, and overall athletic balance in this horse. Its mane and tail are luxurious and flowing. The neck is sinuous, arched, and muscular. The shoulders are well-defined, but not prominent. The back is short and connects with slightly sloped hindquarters. The legs appear short, but powerful. The breed is naturally sure-footed with extremely durable hooves. Unless the horse is habitually used on rock or hard surfaces, it is rarely shod.

This beautiful breed of horse possesses a natural affection, is very intelligent, and is built for hard work. It performs well in gaited events, for showing, trail riding, and for pleasure riding.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Horses

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell