Weird Facts
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[-]The Breton Horse originates from the province of Bretagne or Brittany as it is also known, located in northwest France. It is an area with a poor climate and poor characterization; it is a wonder how such an area created a horse with such strength and durability. Brittany is rather known for the creation of distinguished horses, having a history of good breeding farms dating back to the Middle Ages.[/-]
[-]It is still debated today how the arrival of the Breton Horse in the Breton Mountains came to be; they roamed there for thousands of years but the question is over how they first got there. It was back in the Middle Ages that they were first sought out, during the time of the Crusades. Military leaders were in search of these horses, particularly for their comfortable gait. It was at this time that the Breton Horse was sent to New France (or what is known as Canada today) by the King of France. Today's Canadian horse still shows their influence.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Budyonny Horse, pronounced "bood-YAW-knee," is considered Russia's prized horse. The development of this horse actually started with the Russian Army, as it was used as a Cavalry horse as many military horses are. The horse actually gets its name from a famous Calvary officer named Marshall S.M. Budyonny. The Budyonny wasn't officially recognized as a breed until 1948. It was a few years before that though that the Russian Cavalry was disbanded. After that, it was unsure how long the breed would last; today that fate has been completely turned around as it has become a most popular sport horse all around Russia and beyond.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Camargue Horse is one of the oldest breeds on earth. It originated in a triangle that is in the south of France. The Camargue Regional Park was established in 1928; its main purpose is to protect the horses and the cattle of Camargue from human interference. The climate of the area is often harsh. Whether it's suffering under the scorching sun or withstanding the cold and icy winds of the Alps, the Camargue is breed that has withstood extreme conditions as well as lack of food sources. These characteristics have led the Camargue Horse sometimes be referred to as the "horse of the sea." It is has been in the area since the prehistoric times. It is also said that they are the descendents of the Soutre horse, a presently extinct breed.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Campolina got its name from the man that developed the breed, a man by the name of Cassiano Campolina, who lived from 1836 to 1904. He started the development in 1857 on his farm, Fazenda Tamque. Some people will argue though that the real development of the breed didn't start until 1870, when Cassiano got a black mare from a friend. It was a Brazilian mare of Barb bloodline and it was bred with a purebred Andalusian stallion, which belonged to Mariano Procopio, who in turn received it as a present from Emperor Dom Pedro II. The mare gave birth to a half Andalusian named "Monarca", it was considered to be the founder of the breed. He spent 25 years with the Fazenda Tamque herd, he along with a couple others was considered the original sparks of the breed.[/-] [...]
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[-]First off, today this horse is limited in numbers and is considered to be one of the breeds of horse to be endangered. Its origins trace back to South Carolina and clear back as far as 400 years ago. They are one of the many breeds of horse that were brought to the United States by the Spanish. Since this was during the Colonial times, they were very popular among many Native American tribes including the Chickasaw, the Cherokee, the Seminole, and the Choctaw.[/-]
[-]In 2006, there was an investigation that lasted two years. The main goal was to study, census, and document the remaining herds of this horse in an attempt to save it from extinction. A team from the Equus Survival Trust was sent out to South Carolina to photograph the largest herd, which turned out to be a herd of about sixty horses. They were also to collect a sample of the horse's DNA so that it could be sent to Texas A&M University in order to be studied to trace back the heritage of the herd as far back as it would go.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Carpathian Pony is often referred to by another name, Hucul; they originated in the part of Carpathian Mountain range that is in Poland. They are also referred to as the ideal working pony and are usually up to any challenge that is laid out in front of them. They are particularly used as a packhorse under harness, specifically through rough mountain trails. There is still some debate, but it is said that the Carpathian or Hucul Pony is a direct descendant of Eurasian wild horse Tarpan (the primitive horse of Poland) which is no longer in existence. They are actually thought to be the result of a crossbreeding of the wild Tarpan and the Mongolian wild horses. They are named after a small ethnic group called the Hutsuls.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Caspian is said to be the oldest of horse breeds in all of history. Its history can be traced back as far as 5,000 years. They were thought to be extinct for years but were re-discovered in the mountains of Northern Iran, in close proximity to the Caspian Sea, in 1965 by Louise Firouz. She was born in the United States but in Iran searching for ponies that could be ridden by small children.[/-]
[-]In a study in 1979 by H. Hatami-Monazah and R.V. Pandit, it was found that while some Caspian Horses have sixty-four chromosomes, the everyday domesticated horse has sixty-five. The discovery of this anomaly offers convincing evidence that the Caspian shares a genetic history with the last of the purebred wild horses known as Equus caballus przewalskii.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Cleveland Bay originated from Britain in the Cleveland area, which is Northern Yorkshire. It is the oldest of all the indigenous breeds of all the English horses; Yorkshire is actually referred to as the source of two breeds, the Thoroughbred and the Cleveland Bay. The Cleveland Bay is thought to be the result of a crossbreeding between oriental horse and bay colored mares, which took place in the 17th century. They were often raised in harsh environments and this experience hardened the breed making it a durable horse. The Cleveland Bay was originally called the Chapman Horse after a man who used them specifically for sales.[/-]
[-]During the 19th century, many Cleveland Bays were bred with the Thoroughbreds. As a result, the Yorkshire Coach Horse was born, a breed favored because of their speed and power.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Comtois Horse is a very old breed; they are thought to be the descendants of horses brought to France by Burgundians, people from North Germany that were said to have migrated during the fourth century. For the most part these horses have not changed much throughout the centuries. On the border of France and Switzerland lies the Franche-Comte and the Jura Mountains, the original breeding ground of the Comtois Horse. The modern day Comtois is bred in the mountainous areas of the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, as well as in the Alps. The Comtois is specifically bred in these types of areas because it is perfectly suited for these types of rough regions.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Dales Pony was particularly bred for use in the lead mining industry because of its ability to carry heavy loads long distances. Bloodlines from the Galloway, Norfolk Trotter, and Wilson ponies were all infused with the Dales pony to form the strong pony that it had to become in order to perform the heavy tasks. They were also well known for their ability to navigate through rough terrain with such heavy loads on their back. The Dales Pony eventually took the jobs of many larger horses on farms. They also developed a successful career in trotting races, hunting, and even served as artillery horses in the British Army. Being good at many equine events, the Dale Pony earned the name "The Great All-Rounder"[/-] [...]
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[-]The Dartmoor Pony has played a part in history for more than 3,500 years; one of the major roles in their existence has been the transporting of goods. Unfortunately for the Dartmoors, their numbers keep getting lower and lower every year. By the end of World War II, their numbers were reasonably high reaching about 30,000, the last count which took place in 2004 it was completely the other direction with only about 800 left in existence.[/-]
[-]Sadly for them, one of these days they could be a thing of the past as their value falls; also, a lot of them have met the fate of being turned into pet food. Many farmers have been getting rid of them as they've become less worth keeping. The problem a lot of the general public finds with the breed these days is that the Dartmoor Ponies are not pure bred, but cross bred with many other different breeds.[/-]
[-]Yet, there is still some hope for these ponies. A breeding program enacted in 2003 was designated to give this breed a fighting chance for survival.[/-] [...]
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[-]This breed's roots originated in the Gudbrandsdal Valley of Norway and may be tied to a few other breeds of horse; they are believed to have descended from Dutch and Friesland horses. It bears a strong resemblance to the Friesland horse as well as the British Fell and Dales ponies; these breeds are said to have evolved from the same stock of horses.[/-]
[-]There are actually two different types of the Dole Horse, aside from the Dole Gudbrandsdal there is the lighter set Dole Trotter; these two types today are often crossbred with each other. Due to the cross breeding of these two types over the years, their differences are becoming more limited. Both of these types must under go a series of testing before they can be approved for the breeding stock. The draft type has its pull ability tested as well as its trot. Its lower legs are x-rayed and if there are any signs of weakness in these x-rays they are not approved for breeding. The Trotters however just have to show a high ability to achieve on the racetrack for it to be approved for the breeding stock.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Dutch Warmblood is also known as the "Warmblood sport horse" breed. Warmblood in the title is just to differentiate the Dutch from the "cold bloods" and the "hot bloods." It gets its sport horse name from the type of uses that the breed is involved, such as competitive and recreational events, specifically for the international equestrian disciplines of jumping, three day events, dressage, as well as driving. It is a modern sport horse developed from selective breeding of French, German, and English horses.[/-]
[-]There are actually two different types of the Dutch Warmblood; the two different types are bred for the two variations of land they inhabit. One area is Gelderland which is located in the central Netherlands; the soil is sandy so a lighter Dutch horse is bred. In the other area Groningen where the soil is very thick and clay-like, a heavier and stronger horse is developed. These two types of horses are still very much compatible; in fact Groningen blood is infused with Gelderland to make them much larger. The Hackney Horse was also introduced into the Dutch blood line in order to produce a more stylish horse.[/-] [...]
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[-]Aside from being the oldest of the British native ponies, it also happens to be the most primitive but at the same time the purest breed. The Exmoor not only has great physical strength, but it is resistant to most of the common equine diseases. During the often brutal weather of winter, the Exmoor grows two completely different sets of coats, an inner layer which is oily and smooth and outer coat which is a bit longer but also oily. Their tales also somewhat sticks outward, which is called "ice tail" helps to direct water away from the stomach region.[/-]
[-]Many experts suggest that the Exmoor breed is descendant of the Celtic Pony, which migrated from North America across the prehistoric bridge that was made of land and ice. There the Celtic Pony cross-bred with the European native ponies, but only the strongest of the breed survived. Since that time, there has been very little cross breeding. This is the reason that the Exmoor Pony is considered the purest of all the breeds.[/-] [...]
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[-]The Fell Pony shares a close relation and resemblance to the Dales Pony, but it has changed, particularly in the past 100 years after Clydesdale blood was introduced into the Dales and it gained four inches in height and a more draft look. Originally, the Fells Ponies come from the north of England, but today they can be found on the west side of the Pennines.[/-]
[-]The Fell Pony actually gets its name from the Norse word that means "hills."[/-]
[-]The Fell is thought to be a descendant of the Celtic Pony from a foreign stock, which was imported during the times of the Romans. They were actually very commonly employed as draft ponies for the Romans taking part in building the Roman walls; they were also very favored in Northern England. Aside from the Exmoor, the Fell Pony is considered one of the last remaining purebred ponies native to Britain.[/-] [...]
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