Types, Breeds and Sizes of the Horse
All horses are members of the Equidae family,
belonging to the modern genus Equus; within this they are
classified as Equus caballus. Under the heading of Equus
caballus,
the horse is further categorized into different breeds. The term
"breed" describes a group of animals that share distinctive inherited
characteristics. Each breed has common ancestors, and therefore has a
similar genetic makeup. There are natural breeds and artificial breeds.
Natural breeds are animals that through natural
selection,
have evolved characteristics specific to their survival within their
differing habitats, and have passed these down to the next generations.
An example of this is the Basque or Pottock pony, which grows thick
whiskers on its top lip during the winter, protecting them from the
prickly plants they live off when food is short.
Artificial Breeds Many modern breeds,
however, are largely
artificial—man has selected certain characteristics from different
individuals, and through a process of cross-breeding, has created
horses with qualities suitable for specific purposes.
The Studbook Breed societies regulate the
breeding process
requirements and keep the studbook. The breed society has requirements
in respect of size, conformation, action, and in some cases color, that
need to be exhibited for a horse to be rcognized as part of that breed.
There are two types of studbook—open and closed. An open studbook
allows a horse bred from parents of a different registered breed to be
eligible for a particular breed, providing it meets the requirements. A
closed studbook only allows a horse to be registered if both its
parents are registered. This type of studbook keeps a breed much purer,
and a good example of this is the Arabian studbook.
Developent of Horse Breeds Horse breeds
developed into groups
as people bred animals to perform fundamental tasks. The heavy draft
horse was developed for agricultural work, adn became highly
specialized in this field. An offshoot for this was the light draft
horse, which was suitable for both light agricultural work and draft
work. The harness, or carriage, horse evolved as a lighter, faster
breed suitable for harness work and light haulage. The saddle horse, as
its name suggeste was the ideal riding horse.
The modern horse was brought to America by the Spanish
explorers.
These horses were imported into Spain by the Arabs, so the ancestors of
the mustang were hot-blooded Arabians. The Arabian horse also, through
war, spread to the Shetland Isles and Iceland. The steppes horses
remained small and coarse. The European "Great Horse" was the
foundation of the slow-moving, cold-blooded draft breeds.
As the need for specific breeds and types of horses
arose the
various modern horses were developed. The English wanted a fast horse
for sport so they developed the Thoroughbred. When the roads improved
and more speed was in demand, the great coach horses of England gave
way to the lighter harness types such as hackneys.
Some breeds of horses, such as Plantation Walker, were
developed for
pleasure. The owners of the large plantations of the South wanted a
stylish, gentle breed of horse. Some breeds have been developed for
sport and competitions: the English developed the Thoroughbred, the
Americans created a Quarter Horse which was could start in an instant
and run a a quarter mile at top speed. The Russians developed the Orlov
Trotter.
Today, there has been much interbreeding between the
different main
groups as the emphasis now is on producing good riding horses. There
are also different pony breeds, and these too fall into different
groups, with some breeds being more suitable for riding and some for
driving, while many are "ride and drive" breeds, such as the Welsh
ponies, which excel in both.
Blood Types There are three different blood
types that a
horse may be described as having—hot, cold, or warm. The hot-blooded
horse is typified by the Arab or the Akhal-Teke. This is a fine-boned
and fast horse, often with a fiery temperament. Having originated in
desert climates, they are resistant to extreme heat and commonly have a
very thin skin and coat. The coldblooded horse originated in Northern
Europe and is typified by heavy draft horse such as the Saffolk Punch
or the Shire. They are big, strong-bodied horses with a calm and docile
temperament. The warmblood is a a mixture of the two with a ancestors
from both the hot and cold blood types, ans is typified by the
Trakehner and the Danish Warmblood.
Definition of a Type There are various types of
horse or pony
that are not breeds, but do have specific characteristics. A "type" is
a horse or pony that is suitable for a particular job, but can in fact
be of any breed. For example, a hack can be any well-proportioned horse
with quality, often with a high degree of Thoroughbred blood. Similarly
a hunter can be any horse that hunts, although they do uniformly need
the qualities of stamina and bravery. Often when assessing a horse, it
is quite straightforward to say what type it is without knowing its
specific breed.
Breeds of Horse
A recognized breed is one which has an Association
with a Stud Book
and Breeding record. Most recognized breeds have certain foundation
sires, and all registered foals must trace their ancestry back to these
stallions. In order for the foal to be registered, both the dam and the
sire must be registered. There are certain breeds known as "color
breeds" in which qualification is based on a specific color, e.g.
Appaloosa, Palomino and Spotted Horse. In addition to the purebred
registrations, certain associations also have so-called "Half-Bred"
books. These offsprings may be registered if only one parent is
purebred.
The Size of Horse
The size of the horse is measured from the top of the
withers to the
ground and is estimated in "hands". There are four inches to a hand.
Horse whose height does not exceed fourteen hands, two inches (58
inches) are considered "ponies".
The average size of the horse varies greatly with his
breed. Many
associations limit the horses which they accept for registration to a
certain size, others do not. In buying a horse for children the size is
extremely important. Little children simply cannot do as well on a big
horse. The gait is too long and the child's feet do not contact the
horse where they can be effectively used as aids.
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