Understanding Different Horse Breeds
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008
by Terry Powell
http://www.horseideas.com
There are well over a hundred different horse breeds in the world, and it may be impossible to get to know every single of them. But, if you are a true horse-lover, you may already know a vast number of them and are still keen to know more.
History of Horses
It is important to first understand how the relationship between men and horses began before you try to learn horse breeds. Believe it or not, horses first became valuable to humans because they produced milk and could be eaten. Later on, however, humans realised that horses were strong and fast and began to use them to carry or draw loads and as a mode of transportation.
Breeding Horses
Purposeful breeding has thus been introduced, which means that horses are now bred in planned ways to meet specific human needs. To do that, the breeders need to select specific male and female horses with the desired characteristics to mate, so that the new-born horses will carry the traits desired by us humans. A widely known example is the racing horses. In fact, there are different registries around the world that document the various horse breeds.
To know about the different horse breeds is probably a hard mission for an average person, but a true horse-lover can usually tell a lot of the breeds. This is especially true for someone who is fond of horse racing or simply would like to get himself a horse. Often, knowing the breed of your horse would tell you what the horse is capable of doing and whether its price is truly justified.
Horse Species
Despite the big variety of horse breeds, horses are generally placed under three main groups - pony, light, and heavy horses.
Ponies are the smallest kind of horses, and are known to many of us. Due to their size, some would even not consider them horses at all. Even so, ponies can be as hardy as other horses. Some breeds can carry adult riders and pull heavy loads. Because of their size and mild nature, ponies are often kept as pets by children. Examples of pony breeds are the Shetland and Welsh ponies.
Next to ponies are the light horses. Some of the breeds under this group are the beautiful Arabian and the fast Thoroughbred. Other breeds are the Quarter Horse, Appaloosa and Morgan. These horses are primarily meant to be ridden for fun or for sport. In the past, they were popularly used to pull light wagons, carts, carriages or chaises.
Some horses belong to the heavy group. In the past, these horses were used for war. They were also used for carrying and pulling heavy loads. Heavy horses are therefore ideal for farm work. They are large but have well-formed, powerful muscles, shoulders and legs. Heavy horse breeds include Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron and Lipizzaner.
Keep in mind that even within the same group, different horse breeds can carry very different traits. Hence, it is always important to understand what sets your horse breed apart from the rest.
We have just covered some basic areas of different horse breeds, and you can learn more about horse breeding from our online guide. You may also like to view some fun horse videos when you are there. Have fun!
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