The Lipizzan is a horse that was created out of over 400 years of select breeding from horses all over the world to reap the benefits of multiple breeds. They are not only a beautiful and noble breed, but also they have distinctive characteristics like courage, ability, strength, intelligence, and temperament. The story of the Lipizzan horse goes back to 1580 when Archduke Charles II established a stud farm in Lipizza (hence, where the horse got its name). He used the best Spanish horses such as Andalusians, Barbs, and Berbers and bred them with the local Karst horse, which is where the Lipizzan horse received its high rising gait. [...]
The origins of the Lusitano dates clear back to 25,000 BC; an archeological find in Spain and Portugal have proven this. It was in the form of its primitive ancestor, the Sorraia breed. Aside from cave paintings, there have been further discoveries of tools made from bone that were used to make rope from horsehair. The Sorraia is believed to have evolved from the crossbreeding of native Iberian Proto Draft Horses and ancient strains of Oriental/North African horses. Until the 1960s, the Lusitano horse shared its registration with the Andalusian, the Spanish native horse. The Lusitano's common usage was in war, dressage, and bull fighting. [...]
More than 50% of all the registered horses in South America, including the Mangalarga Marchador, still show the characteristics of the famous horses of The Conquistadors, the Jennet. The Mangalarga Marchador, along with the Campolina and the Crioulo horses, make up the 350,000 horses that populate South America. The Mangalarga Marchador, in fact, is the national horse of Brazil.Like a lot of the horses in Brazil and the surrounding areas and coasts, the Mangalarga is well known for its capacity for farm work and other heavy labor activities. It performs with high endurance, good temperament, and a smooth ride. [...]
Derived from a cross between the Arabian and Mongolian Wild Horse, many believe that the Manipuri Pony originated in India from ancient stock. In the seventeenth century, the Manipur cavalry used the Manipuri ponies as feared and respected cavalry mounts throughout upper Burma. In 1945, the British Fourteenth Army used the Manipuri Pony as transport animals into Burma during World War II. Manipuri Ponies are seldom over thirteen hands high.In the seventh century, the King of Manipur introduced the game of Manipuri Sagol Kangjei or polo using Manipuri ponies, which were athletic, tough, swift, very agile, state-bred ponies. Some of the qualities that make these pony's excellent polo horses include their quick response, intelligence, and lightening speed. [...]
Often used today as light draught horses, saddle horses, for cattle rounding, troop horses by the cavalry, or for Italian mounted police work, the robust Maremmana, also called Maremmano or Maremma, stand approximately fifteen hands high or larger. Ridden in the Roman countryside by the butteri, which are cowboys or herdsmen, to work the cattle, the Maremmana are a very steady, solid, good-natured, versatile, enduring, strong, resilient horses that are not terrible fast but work with the cattle using their natural ability.Originating in the province of Maremma on the west coast of Italy in Tuscany, the Maremmana breed ancestry is unclear but believed based on Arabian, Barb, and Spanish stock and descendants of relatives of the Neapolitan horse. They crossed the Maremmana's with the Norfolk Roadsters near the end of the nineteenth century. [...]
Today's Marwari horses descended from the magnificent war horses that served warriors of feudal India and the ruling families from the beginning and throughout India's history. Their status was without equal as they declared the Marwari horses superior, divine, and almighty, to everyone including men of Royal blood. Consequently, they allowed only the Kshatriyas-warrior class ad Rajput families to mount the exalted Marwari horses.The unique characteristic of the Marwari horses are this breeds medium sized, curled ears that are unlike any other horses. Their ears curve inward, often touching at the tips and when pricked forward, form a perfect arch. Their ears can also rotate one hundred and eighty degrees. [...]
The Merens pony, also known as the Merenguais, Cheval de Merens, or Ariegeois de Merens pony, is a mountain pony breed native to the Pyrenees of France's Ariegeois Mountains and named after a high mountainous village near Andorra. For thousands of years it lived in relative isolation in the extremely mountainous terrain.The Ariegeois Mountain native farmers or 'Montagnol' used the Merens Pony for centuries due to their disease resistance, surefootedness, suppleness, and hardiness on tough mountain land. They still use these horses today for some agricultural work such as hauling, plowing, and working in the fields on the steep hillsides. This solid pony has no problem carrying an adult or child and is perfect for mountainous trekking over rough terrain due to its surefootedness and easygoing nature. [...]
The Messara pony are a light draft and riding horse found off the Greece coast on the island of Crete. Founded in the prefecture of Heraklion, they developed Messara ponies on the islands Messara-region by crossing Arabian stallions, which were brought in during the Turkish occupation, with mountain type native mares. The Messara ponies are an extremely rare horse breed today and believed to be almost extinct.The main color of Messara ponies coats are grey, black, brown, bay, and a variation of bay similar to their ancestors. [...]
Miniature horses have extraordinary memories, are intelligent and very friendly. They now train miniature horses as Guide Horses for the visually impaired and blind, and as assistance animals for the handicapped. Some of the many reasons miniature horses make excellent Guide Animals include having a longer lifespan than Seeing-Eye dogs. Eight to twelve years are the average guide dogs working lifespan while miniature horses live anywhere from thirty to fifty or more years. They are an excellent alternative for people that are afraid of dogs, have a dog phobia, or are allergic to dogs. [...]
If you couldn't tell by the name, this particular breed of horse is Japanese in origin-Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan to be exact. The horse was first seen in 1697 when the Akizuki family of the Takanabe Clan was taking horses, and then they were free to roam wild but under the protection of the family. A stud farm was created where they gave the breeding stock full freedom and then rounded up once a year for the selection of certain ones for training, health checks, and some were even castrated as they might have seen them unfit to further breed. This system is still used today, checking the health and spraying or dipping the horses to rid them of insect infestation. [...]
This horse is known for its unique gait. In fact, this gait, known as the fox trot, was how the horse received its name. (The "fox trot" is where the horse appears to walk with its front legs and trot with its hind legs.)They were developed in the Ozark Mountains by settlers who desired a smoother ride and durable mounts that could travel a long distance with ease. They usually traveled at about five to eight miles an hour which made it a favorite among settlers of the early years, particularly doctors, sheriffs, and stockman. Missouri ranks number two in the United States in cow-calf operations and the Missouri Fox Trotter horse is historically tied to the cow grazing industry of the Ozarks. [...]
The Mongolian Horse is, of course, a native of Mongolia and the Mongol People; they are for the most part unchanged since the time of Genghis Kahn. They are also mostly popular because of him; he had one that helped him conquer most of the known world at the time. Because the horses are so small, they are technically ponies but the Mongolians do not accept the word "pony."Because of the horse's native land, they are required to live outdoors all year round, so they can with stand just about any outdoor condition. They live through the summer weather which can reach up to 30 degrees Celsius to the winter weather which can drop to -40 degrees Celsius. [...]
The Mountain Pleasure Horse was formed in the Appalachian terrain of Eastern Kentucky in the 1840s. Long before there was any kind of registries or established breeds, the horse was the essential part of everyday life. It was required for work, travel, and even play. The Mountain Pleasure Horse was the foundation of the rough and tough horses that were required in that time. Also at that time, they were referred to as "Kentucky Saddlers" or just simply "Mountain Horses" for their ability to navigate the rough valley and mountain terrain. Horsemen of that time said they were the perfect horse for that particular time and place. This horse has been bred for well over 160 years and is considered the homegrown product of Kentucky. [...]
The National Show Horse came about through the combination of the Arabian horse which has been referred to as "a living work of art" and the American Saddlebred which has become known as the "peacock of the show ring". This was the work of Gene LaCroix. Since it was born of these two favored breeds, it gained all it needed to become the ideal show horse; it has existed through the years without an official name or promotion. It was because of some horsemen and women of the early 1980s that this horse became known as the National Show Horse, because of its consistent show winning and its beauty, athletic ability, and heart that it deserved this name. [...]
The New Forest Pony is one of the most recognized of the nine breeds of pony of the British Isles; it is a breed that is valued for its strength. Many of them are still roaming the New Forest, hence, where they get their name. The New Forest area lies between Southampton and Bournemouth in Hampshire. There are stud books of these horses that date back to 1906, and the breed itself has been traced back as far 1016. The New Forest Pony appears wild to some, but in fact is owned by many commoners.Thoroughbred and Arab blood has been introduced into the New Forest Pony on several different occasions to improve the height and the all around looks of the pony. The areas of the New Forest that the pony inhabits are commonly called "haunts." [...]
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