People know a huge number riding horse breeds. They differ significantly in character and anatomical features from horses, which are used for meat and milk, and for performing heavy types of work. Some breeds are used for racing, others are intended for walking. Next: features of riding horse breeds, their best unique representatives.
What types of riding horse breeds exist depending on their purpose and what are their features?
The first type is horses that are used for walking. They are not suited for racing due to their nature. Calm, pliable, graceful, good-natured - this is exactly the temperament of representatives of horses for pleasure riding. They are also used to train beginners in equestrian sports.
The second type is horses intended for sport racing. Their character is completely opposite to the first type. They are bold and proud, strong and stubborn, nimble and impulsive - all these characteristics are combined in a sports horse. Such horses are not suitable for quiet summer or spring walks. They need drive and constant strength loads.
All riding horse breeds have the same anatomical features. They have a wide, strong back (in order to withstand the load), muscular shoulders, and good physique. And, of course, a luxurious tail and an incredible mane. The height of riding horses is about 165 cm at the withers. Their endurance, patience, and brilliant beauty make them unique and special among all other breeds.
Which breeds are suitable for easy walking, family fun or training?
The ranking of the best riding horse breeds of the first type is occupied by Marwari, American Saddlebred, Lipizzaner, Kabardian, Andalusian.
Marwari or Malani
A rare breed of horse originally from India, the Marwar region, from which the name comes. The breed is unique due to its unusual ear shape. They are sharp and curved inward, which makes them exclusive among other breeds. The Marwari stands approximately 165 cm tall and is distinguished by its deep chest, slender neck, elongated legs and powerful hooves, making them one of the most beautiful riding horses in the world.
The Marwari is popular for walking due to its calmness, friendliness, loyalty and easy-going nature. It is also very hardy and patient, suitable for agricultural work. If treated well and cared for, it can become not only a walking horse, but also a faithful, loving friend.
American Horse
A popular riding horse breed in the USA, created at the end of the 18th century for traveling long distances and for light riding. The breed is distinguished by its proportional constitution, straight head, long legs, and pronounced withers. The beauty of this horse is amazing: a strong curved back, a thin long neck, deep eyes, large nostrils. The height at the withers reaches up to 175 cm, weight up to 550 kg. Riding such a horse will be a real pleasure for both adults and children.
Noble character, incredible calmness, exceptional intelligence - all this distinguishes the American Saddlebred Horse from other breeds. She is also very fast. Therefore, it can also be used for sports racing.
Lipizzaner horse
The embodiment of grace and snow-white beauty. One of the best riding horse breeds . The name comes from the plant in Lipica, where it was created. Lipizzaner horses have a regular, strong build, a long muscular body, a graceful posture, a curved neck, a small head and ears, and a luxurious tail.
The horses are distinguished by easy movement and a sense of rhythm, and are excellent for performances and riding. The character is very flexible and calm. They are also used to perform a variety of tricks. One of the most famous is capriole - performing a standing jump. They are never aggressive or violent. They are also distinguished by excellent health, intelligence, endurance and patience. They have a well-developed maternal instinct. The horse is very friendly, quickly becomes attached to people, gives them love and warmth.
Kabardian horse
One of the oldest horse breeds. The owner is tall - about 155 cm at the withers. This breed belongs to the largest horses. He has a massive muscular build, a strong broad back, a broad chest, and strong hooves. Anatomically different from other breeds with a humped nose and mobile ears. Also, the Kabardian horse has a luxurious tail and a beautiful thick mane, which makes it attractive.
It is characterized by high performance, so horses of this breed are universal in use. They are good not only at riding, but also at hard work in the mountains and on the plains.
Easily withstands changes in atmospheric pressure. If you want to go for a ride in the mountains, use this horse. She knows the terrain perfectly and will never get lost in the mountains. A combination of character traits such as endurance, patience, mobility, energy. At the same time, incredible calmness makes this horse unique.
Andalusian breed
Popular in Spain, she is one of the best riding horse breeds . The combination of beauty and endurance makes the horse unusual. Expressive deep eyes, a neck with a beautiful curve, massive shoulders and a wide back, a luxurious thick mane and tail are the epitome of elegance. The flowing bangs add a highlight. Used exclusively for riding, as well as for performances.
Andulaz horses are docile, good-natured, hard-working animals by nature. They are ideal for training and know how to interact with people who treat them well. Their intelligence and intelligence are also advantages.
Irish Tinker.
Tinker is a hybrid of Gypsy and Irish breeds. Officially, the breed is called the Gypsy Harness. But in Germany and Holland these small horses are called tinkers. Today the Irish Tinker is famous all over the world. This squat, powerful and tightly built horse is prized among horse breeders. The breed is distinguished by its piebald coat - a dark background with white spots. There are also speckled, roan, and black individuals.
What riding horse breeds have sporting qualities?
Endurance, speed, violent character - these are the qualities that sports horses possess.
English thoroughbred
A unique horse, bred in England in the early 18th century, but popular throughout the world. Irresistible appearance and well-developed muscles are the main quality of the breed: proportional build, broad forehead, long neck, mobile ears. The beauty is complemented by beautiful large eyes and a thin small muzzle.
The temperament of the English Thoroughbred horse is exuberant, brave, and agile. Her attentiveness, accuracy and energy lead to numerous victories in various competitions. She is loyal to her owner and does everything to achieve achievements in sports. Character in many cases depends on the attitude towards her, on caring for her, caring for her. If she doesn't like something, she can be impulsive and capricious. The breed is stress-resistant, balanced, and quickly responds to commands, which is also important for achieving victory in races. Ideal for professional equestrian sports.
Appaloosa
A riding horse breed developed in the 18th century in the USA. The horse is small in stature, with a proportional head, expressive large eyes, small ears, strong legs, and a strong back. The soft, shiny mane and tail add extra beauty to the horse. The fusion of anatomical features with endurance and balance allows you to achieve victories in competitions. The Appaloosa's pace is incredibly high, reminiscent of dancing. The exclusivity of the horse lies in its specific color - forelock color, by which one can accurately guess the breed. Intense white sclera, black-spotted skin, and evenly striped hooves all make the horse unique.
By nature, the Appaloosa interacts well with people, obedient, calm, and balanced. She is characterized by such qualities as ease of learning, intelligence, intelligence and excellent trust in her owner. She is also very loyal and submissive.
Arabian thoroughbred horse
One of the most ancient riding horse breeds in the world, bred on the Arabian Peninsula. The representative of the breed has a regular physique, a long neck, a rounded body and strong legs. The arched neck, expressive clear eyes and silky tail and mane make her very graceful. Capable of running 100–160 km, which proves its endurance in long-distance running. The speed reaches up to 60 kilometers per hour. It is distinguished by excellent health, agility, longevity (lives an average of 30 years) and excellent temperament.
Menoran horse
A brave, hardy breed. The animal is perfect for sports competitions and is easy to train. Thanks to its ability to interact with people, its raven color, and its lush long tail and mane, the animal delights with its charm and delights others during performances.
Hanoverian riding horse
Famous sporting breed in the world. Tall height, muscular legs, wide back, strong body help to reach the top in equestrian sports. Distinctive features are power, mobility, and the ability to make good jumps. The horse has a persistent, balanced temperament and clearly follows all commands. Thanks to this, she is known at international competitions as a repeated winner.
Rare and unusual species
Horses are man’s faithful friends; for centuries they have helped people survive, transported heavy loads, kept them warm and saved them from death in battle. Modern life has brought many breeds to the brink of extinction, as the need for horses has disappeared.
One of the rarest breeds is the Sorraia. This is a short horse with an inexpressive gray color, originally from Portugal. About 200 heads of Sorraia have survived. The unprepossessing appearance led to the fact that people did not breed Sorraya, and the breed was on the verge of extinction.
The following breeds are considered unusual:
- American Paint Horse. The horses are short (140-160 centimeters), piebald in color. The main difference between the breed is the combination of spots of white and other colors. Painthorse literally means "painted horse".
- Cream Akhal-Teke. The rare color gives the horses a special charm and increases the price.
- Knabstrupper. Bred in Denmark. The spotted color of the skin is a characteristic feature of the breed. There are the following types of spotting: leopard, saddleback, marbled and trout.
- Appaloosa. Divorced in the USA. Short horses with forelock color even have spots on their skin.
- Marwari. The famous Indian breed is distinguished by its unusually shaped ears, which almost touch and rotate 180°.
Among the unusual ones are horses with an uncharacteristic, rare color. These colors include pearl, champagne, leopard, and raven roan.
Dutch Warmblood
Horses of the Dutch breed have proven themselves in competitions in modern dressage and show jumping. Although they can be found in many other equestrian competitions. Their body is strong, muscular and proportionally built. The height of representatives of this breed ranges from 165-172 cm. The color can be different - bay, red, gray, black and with lighter spots on the legs and forehead.
Dutch Warmblood horses have an obedient, calm character. They are very friendly and sociable, as well as brave. The Dutch are easy to learn and easily tolerate changes in environment, quickly and painlessly adapting to new conditions.
Black caviar
An Australian mare with the unusual nickname Black Caviar, who won 25 races in a row, is considered one of the fastest on the planet. The owners of the unique horse are three families. During the entire time that Black Caviar participated in horse racing, she brought them over $7.5 million, although they bought her for only $2,100.
In 2013, the mare's trainer Peter Moody announced that his ward would no longer take part in racing for health reasons. Black Caviar was sent to the farm, and now it is used to produce new champions in equestrian competitions.
A year after the horse retired at the age of seven, she was awarded the title of the best horse of the last 50 years. The owners are proud of their mare, because thanks to her high status they were able to earn a lot of money by selling her offspring.
A horse's running is influenced not only by its physical characteristics and heredity, but also by its maintenance. For an animal to be fast, it needs proper nutrition, clean stables and a strict sports regime.
Westphalian
Representatives of this horse breed have a lot in common with Hanoverians. Both of these breeds are native to Germany. Westphalians are also good at dressage, riding and other equestrian sports. They are quite large, have a powerful, well-developed physique with a somewhat elongated croup. Horses of the Westphalian breed can be bay, red, black, and also gray (the first two colors are most common), of a single color.
The height of Westphalians ranges from 165-170 cm. They are calm, affectionate and very balanced. Westphalian horses are very persistent and assertive in training. It is this character trait that most contributes to the fact that they often achieve success in various sports competitions.
Hanoverian
This breed appeared in Germany in the eighteenth century. Hanoverian horses are excellent athletes, which is why they are most often bred for competition. Horses of this breed are especially good at show jumping and dressage. This is understandable, Hanoverians are very powerful, agile and playful.
Their height at the withers rarely exceeds 175 cm, and an adult representative of this breed can hardly be found below 160 cm. In appearance, Hanoverian horses are very similar to English horses. The color is plain, can be of any shade.
Sardar
This red stallion of the purebred English breed was born in 1963. His parents were Razgar and Alarm. Already at the age of 2, the stallion set his first record - he covered one mile in 1.5 minutes. Subsequently, his career only developed. He set 8 world records, some of which were never broken.
Sardar was acquired by the Beslan stud farm named after A. Kantimirov for $3.5 million - an incredible amount at that time.
The stallion was the dream of many; even Jacqueline Kennedy wanted to ride him.
Seattle Dancer
A stallion of purebred English breed and bay color. His parents were Nijinsky and May Charmer. The stallion was born in 1984, at the same time he was bought for 13.1 million dollars at an American auction. Such a high cost is explained by the pedigree of the stallion - his parents participated in many equestrian competitions and received prizes.
Nijinsky won 11 of 13 races, but his descendant did not reach such heights. Seattle Dancer won 2 out of 5 starts, and also took 2nd place in one. The racing was finished in 1988, after which the stallion became a breeding stallion. Among his offspring there is only one champion - Toronto. In 2007, Seattle Dancer died due to a heart attack.
Advice for beginning horse breeders
According to experienced buyers - breeders, in order to avoid mistakes when choosing, it is worth considering the following.
- Purpose. Why are you purchasing an animal? Among the draft animals, the first ones will be American, Mexican, Russian trotters, and heavy draft horses. But it is better to choose racing or riding animals from English, Caucasian or Arabian stallions.
- The next thing to pay attention to is age. For novice breeders, it is better to choose individuals from 7 years old. For those who are already among horse breeders, very young ones, from three years old, will be suitable. Teeth can help determine age. In foals up to 6 years of age, they are oval in shape, and by 12 years of age, the incisors become triangular.
- The stallion's height/weight ratio is the rider's dimensions. Plus, it is desirable that the animal’s body volumes correspond to the required indicators provided for a particular species.
- Such an important selection criterion is character. Those who are just starting to get acquainted with each other need a horse that has an easy-going character, calm, and affectionate. Demanding specimens require a more experienced owner.
- How affordable they will be for you. Here half-breeds will be budget-friendly, which, however, does not in the least detract from their attractiveness.
American pepper
The Peppers Pride mare was born in 2003 in New Mexico (USA). Two years later, she took part in a horse race for the first time and received the New Mexico Classic Cup as the youngest and fastest foal. From that moment on, her long and successful racing career began.
Over the course of 4 years, American Pepper took part in fifty competitions, of which the first 19 were unbeaten. 19 gold cups for 1st place in a row brought her the title of record holder for the most victories on the American continent. The further path of Peppers Pride was thorny. On the world stage, she met worthy opponents and suffered a number of failures.
The mare's last win was in 2008. She took the lead in the final round of the race and brought the owner $125,000 in prize money. A couple of months later, the horse completed its performances and left the standings undefeated. She is now with a professional horse breeder and has given birth to 6 foals.
The average running speed among horses over long distances is 54 km per hour, and the maximum speed is 60.8 km per hour. This figure belongs to a purebred riding stallion named Haukaster.
Oryol trotter
This breed is almost universal and its representatives can be found in a wide variety of equestrian competitions. The height of Oryol trotters varies between 157-170 cm, they are quite large and massive. Their physique is proportional, muscular and strong. Oryol horses can be gray (various shades), dun, bay, black or roan.
The character of Oryol horses is calm and balanced, but also energetic. They are very smart and can learn various techniques and skills quite easily.
Real Shires
The British are the trendsetters in the breeding of many breeds of domestic animals. Over the centuries, a good school of breeding work has developed there. Back in the 17th century, the heavyweight Shire breed was bred. Then strong animals were needed for heavy knights.
Real mammoths are recorded in the history of horse breeding. In 1846, the British could boast of a horse that reached an incredible size - 2 meters 19 centimeters. The growth of a huge handsome man with shaggy legs could delight anyone.
Of course, it’s difficult to imagine such a horse galloping, but its gait is incredibly soft. That is why today they love to use this breed for walking.
Mustang – up to $60,000
This beautiful horse has been known to many since childhood from books about the American prairies. The Mustang is quite capricious and cannot be trained. However, the beauty, incredible speed, and grace of the horse evoke delight and attract attention to it. Due to their mixed origin, the features of this breed are blurred, but they are all equally strong, hardy and tough.
All Mustangs are currently protected by US law. In the 16th century, mustangs were brought from the Old World to the continent by the Conquistidores. Many of the horses strayed from the herd, running away into the deserted American steppes, where they crossed with other free horses. They easily adapted to wild natural conditions thanks to the climate on the continent that was comfortable for horses.
Shareef Dancer
Another representative of the purebred English bay breed. His parents were Northern Dancer and Sweet Alliance. The stallion was born in 1980, and in 1983 was sold for a then record 40 million dollars . The buyer was Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He gave that kind of money under the impression of the purity of the breed, excellent conformation and excellent racing abilities. Out of 5 starts there were 3 wins.
After completing his racing career, Shareef Dancer became an excellent breeding sire. His descendants repeatedly became winners of horse races. The stallion himself died in 1999.
Annihilator
This Australian pacer became one of the world record holders in value in 1989. Its cost was $19.2 million, at that time only the famous Shareef Dancer was ahead of it.
Annihilator had an impressive appearance: a magnificent dark chocolate color and a luxurious long mane. In addition to excellent external data, he was famous for his amazing speed. He won 6 races at the racetrack, bringing his owners a decent income. The largest winning amount was 12 thousand dollars . The stallion's racing career ended in 2012.
Friesian – up to $30,000
Friesian
breed is one of the oldest in Europe.
In the West they are sometimes called “black pearls”, because the Friesian is an incredibly beautiful black horse. They were first heard of in the 13th century, because at that time these hardy horses carried knights with their armor.
By nature, these horses are very calm, peace-loving, which makes companionship favorable, but if we talk about sports riding, the Friesian is not very suitable for these purposes. You can be friends with these beauties, take pictures, ride on horseback, but their trot is rather weak.
Appaloosa.
The Appaloosa is a horse breed developed and popular in the United States. This breed was developed by the Nez Perce Indians through selection from the descendants of the horses of the Spanish conquistadors and breeds imported to America by Europeans. After the military defeat, the Nez Perce lost many of their horses and lost their horse breeding traditions. The breed survived thanks to a small number of lovers and was fully restored in 1938 with the formation of the Appaloosa Lovers Club. The color of the Chubara can vary from dark with white spots to almost white with small dark spots. Unlike other forelock horses, not only the coat, but also the skin has a spotted color.
Hungarian treasure
Kincsem (Hungarian for “my treasure”) is the fastest horse of the 18th century, winning 54 competitions in its lifetime. This world record has stood for several centuries.
Kincsem was born in the stables of Queen Victoria in 1974. The little mare had an unsightly appearance and no one liked it. Even the queen herself considered it a “failure” and said that nothing good would come from a thin and lanky horse with a disproportionate body.
However, after some time, the Hungarian Treasure was stolen. She was found in a gypsy camp. When asked why the thieves chose this particular animal, the horse thieves replied that she had good muscles and was much tougher than the others in the stable.
After a couple of years, the unattractive Kincsem turned into a gorgeous racehorse with excellent characteristics. In 1876 she was sent to competitions, where she took first place and received the FA Cup. Within 2 years she won 10 competitions in a row and was named the best racehorse in Great Britain.
Fusaichi Pegasus
Purebred English stallion of dark bay color, whose parents are Mr. Prospector and Angel Fever. Fusaichi Pegasus was born in 1997. Its first owner was Fusao Sekiguchi - the future champion cost him $4 million. Just 3 years later, the stallion won the Kentucky Derby. In total, he had 9 starts in his career, 6 of which he emerged victorious (2 losses). The total winnings amounted to almost $2 million .
After finishing his racing career, Fusaichi Pegasus received the status of the most sought-after breeding stallion. Among his offspring there are both winners and prize-winners.
The stallion became one of the record holders in terms of value in 2000 - he was sold immediately after completing his racing career. The buyer was the Irish company Coolmore Stud. The purchase cost her $70 million .
Secretariat
This stallion of purebred English breed and red color was born in 1970. His parents were Bold Ruler and Samsingroyal. Is the horse called phenomenal? he won 16 out of 21 starts and received prizes. In 1972, Secretariat became Horse of the Year, set 5 agility records during his life and received the American Triple Crown.
The cost of the record holder was $6 million . In 1989, he was euthanized due to an incurable disease and buried at the Claiborne farm (Paris). Secretariat was a good sire - about 70 foals were sired from him.
