Horse Breeds - A Detailed Guide
Horse breeds originated due to demand. Horses were bred for strength, when the need was to move heavy loads. When required for transportation, horses were bred for speed. Earlier horses were used as a mode of transportation, but today they are used more for pleasure such as horse riding and racing.
Categorizing Horse Breeds
Horses were owned all around the world. Different climates all over the world in combination with the different work horses were made to do, resulted in different breeds of horses. More than 150 different types of horse breeds exist in the world. Each breed can be classified in three different categories; light, heavy and pony. Apart from the three main categories horses can be classified into sub categories. A few examples of the sub categories inclusions are Warmbloods, Gaited horses and Draft horses.
The light breed- The Arabian horse is a light breed. It is the oldest and the purest of all breeds. It is sweet, graceful and very loving by nature. It is bred for it’s speed and high endurance levels and is extremely fast and very attractive. The Arabian horse is mainly used for racing. The heavy breed- Two types of horses fall under this category, the battle horse and the draft horse.
The battle horses were trained for battles and wars. The draft horses were trained in farmlands for pulling carts and plowing fields. The Clydesdale horse is the most popular draft horse. It is very attractive, friendly and a good horse for riding. Other draft horses are the Belgian, the Shire and the Suffolk Punch horses.
The pony- A pony is a very popular horse. One of the best known and the smallest horse is the Shetland pony. It is a peaceful and calm animal. Due to it’s small size it is a great horse for children. Ponies were also used earlier to work in mineshafts due to their size.
Over the years, horses have been bred according to different jobs like carrying heavily armored knights, herding, pulling carriages, racing and packing supplies. Most of the ponies and horses are cross- bred. Therefore you may not be able to tell a horse breed at the first glance. If you want to buy a quiet horse for calm long trail rides then you would not want to buy a racehorse. A Quarter Horse would be more suitable. Thus, when buying a horse do a thorough research on the different breeds. You can look through the local classifieds, visit a stable to find out about horse breeds or visit a horse-breeding farm. Look for specific traits of different horses and read about the breeds to avoid getting fooled.
Buying A Horse
When buying a horse you may ask specific questions and observe the nature and the temperament of the animal. This will give you a fair enough idea of the specific breed traits of the horse.
You can ask about the horse's age, height and build. Color and markings. His or her temperament quiet, calm, gentle. Different breeds of horses exist all over the world. Whether you are looking for a quiet, a gentle one or a thoroughbred, the options are many. To avoid being tricked while buying a horse, a thorough research about horse breeds is a must.