Weird Facts
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There is a legend that states that in the 16th century, a Spanish Galleon capsized during a violent storm off of the coast of the islands of Assateague and Chincoteague, which are found just off of the coast of Virginia and Maryland. It is said that there were Arabian horses aboard that ship that were sent by the viceroy of Peru. They were on their way to Panama to be used in the gold mines that were found there. When the Spanish Galleon capsized, seventeen of these Arabian horses swam ashore to the islands in order to survive and live on.The seventeen horses began to do whatever they could to survive. They ate American beachgrass, coarse saltmarsh cordgrass, bayberry twigs, thorny greenbrier stems, seaweed and poison ivy. In the manner of true survivorship, the horses began to drink small amounts of salty seawater when their sources of fresh water were not available.This scavenger diet was not without consequence and the diet stunted the growth of the horses. The salty seawater gave the stomachs of the horses a very bloated appearance. [...]
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The existence of the Spanish Mustang today is largely due to the actions of a very few people working together to set up a Spanish Mustang Registry as well as the Southwest Spanish Mustang Association. The Spanish Mustang Registry was first established in 1957 by a man named Robert E. Brislawn of Wyoming. Mr. Brislawn lived the life of the cowboy, working on various ranches and eventually owning his own. He very much valued the hardy, strong and courageous horses that he noted were decreasing in numbers every year. [...]
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There is a very long history of Cleveland Bays in America. The Cleveland Bays were first imported into the United States during the early 1800's with the first stallions being imported to Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia. After these initial imports, the horses began to be imported into the Midwest.The Cleveland Bay horses were originally imported to be used as coach horses. They were also sought to improve on the current native stock. There were many different states in the west that began to utilize the Cleveland Bay stallions in their breeding programs with their range horses. The Cleveland Bays were noted for their staying power and that they were easy to keep. Their size also made them a perfect match for the cattle that were classified as big. However, since so many of the purebred horses were being used to improve the stock base, the purebred Cleveland Bays soon died out.In the late 1800's, there was a very large company in the Midwest that was a major importer and exporter of various horse breeds, including the Cleveland Bay. [...]
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In reality, the American Warmblood isn't considered a breed as where the Morgan, Thoroughbred, or Arabian horses are. In fact, the term Warmblood is just a way to differentiate between cold bloods and hot bloods. The Warmblood is actually considered a group of sport horses. They are specifically bred to compete in such events as dressage, show jumping, and combined driving. The American Warmblood is called this because of the country of origin, as other warmbloods are named after the country of their origin.The early warmbloods were often used as cavalry, riding, and carriage horses. In order to be registered, warmbloods are put through a battery of tests to rate performance and all around ride ability.The American Warmblood Registry wasn't formed until 1981, the American Warmblood, in order to be registered with the association must have been born in the United States, Mexico, or Canada. The horses breeders of America have come to the conclusion that all European Warmbloods just intermingled and do not necessarily represent completely different breeds. [...]
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The Belgian Warmblood is a horse that is bred specifically for show and competition, it particularly excels in dressage, and jumping arenas, it also takes part in three-day events on occasion. In the 1950s, these horses were mixed with Gelderlanders to increase their size and strength. Then in the 1960s, Selle Francais and Hanoverian horses were introduced into the bloodline. Then again, later two more breeds were added, the Thoroughbred and the Anglo-Arabian. These breeds were introduced to increase the conformation and speed of the Belgian Warmblood. The combination of all of this cross breeding gave the Belgian Warmblood great athletic ability and more free movement in general.The Belgian Warmblood is not characterized by coat color or pedigree but by its purpose. Between the ages of three and four years old the horses are sent before a jury in a stallion licensing test. The test is a variation of inspections and examinations of the horse's athletic ability as well as an evaluation of qualities under saddle. If a stallion does not achieve the marks that are required they are not eligible for the stud book. [...]
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The first Canadian horses were a big part of early settlers in Canada as well as in the United States. Americans today have very little knowledge of these horses because only fragmented information is available. Their numbers are dwindling with only somewhere around 2,500 in existence; most of these are located in Eastern Canada. These days more horse enthusiasts have become aware of this and the special qualities of these horses or as they were called "the little iron horse" by the early settlers. Their ancestry can actually be traced all the way back to the 17th century by a stock that was brought to Acadia and New France. The introduction of French horses to New France (Canada) was done in 1665 when Louis XIV sent two stallions and twenty mares from the royal stables to the colony.The Canadian horse like many others had other horse strains blended in to reap any benefits the other horses might have. Such breeds included the Andalusian, Breton, and the Dutch Friesian, which brought upon the feathered legs, their trotting ability, the abundance of mane and tail, and it's all around appearance. [...]
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These ponies inhabit a 37-mile barrier island off the coast of Assateague Maryland and Virginia. The breed is somewhat of a mystery, and there is great speculation and intrigue to how they even came to be on this small island. They however, have gained some attention by their appearance in such things as the children's book, 'Misty of Chincoteague' and there is even an annual 'Pony Penning' event that takes place. There are a couple myths of how these hardy ponies came to reside on the islands. One of these legends states that a 16th century Spanish ship was on its way to South America but was thrown off course and wrecked on the island in a storm; the cargo is believed to have escaped from the ship. The other story says that the horses were set free on the Assateague Island by farmers in the 17th century to avoid fencing requirements and livestock tariffs. The horses were said to have adapted to the island life and evolved into the ponies.During the late 18th century, ponies were captured and some were domesticated while others were returned to the wild where they could continue to roam free and breed. [...]
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This particular breed is derived from some of the finest horses brought from Spain to South America in the 1500s; many of them were escapees in battle or simply scattered in the many battles. Afterwards, they were on their own and they either survived or suffered because of the harsh conditions. The ones that survived passed their superior traits on to their offspring, and from this came the Criollo. They are found throughout South America, but they are highly concentrated in Peru and Argentina. Their endurance cannot be matched by many horses; the only one that really comes close is the Arabian.The Criollo has a naturally low basal metabolism, it has proven on some occasions to be a better long distance horse than the Arabian because in the occasional prolonged race; they can go longer without supplemental food.The word Criollo originally referred to animal and people that were born of pure Spanish ancestry in the Americas or it referred Portuguese term criulo, which meant any animal or African American born in the Americas. [...]
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The origins of the Falabella trace back to the horses of Latin America, as well as the Andalusian horses that the Spaniards brought with them on their conquests; they were later left to survive on their own. Over time, they went through a series of environmental and biological changes that contributed to their development. They adapted and formed a new breed that is completely different from the ones of their native land. The horses had to migrate to find food and water because of the environmental issues; this refined their instincts and their ability to sense danger was sharpened. They were formed into the horses they are today by the family in which their name came from, the Falabella family, and they have continued to develop these horses through many generations. They were first developed on the family's ranch in Argentina. [...]
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The Hackney Pony is the result of the work of one man. In 1866, a man by named Christopher Wilson bred his Hackney stallion "St. George" with Fell Pony mares. The breed originally appeared in the early 18th century in Great Britain, from the Darley Arabian came his offspring "Flying Childerns" foaled in 1715, then later from through his grandson "Blaze," a renowned British Thoroughbred foaled in 1733.They also are believed to have Welsh Pony in them as well. When they first came about, they were known as Wilson Ponies. To develop endurance for the cold and other dreadful types of weather, they were kept out all year with very little food care. When the Hackney Pony gained recognition in the 1800s, they became very popular and the horses were well liked for their trotting ability and class. They don't have their own stud book as a breed, but they share with the Hackney horse in all countries that have a Hackney Stud Book Registry.The Thoroughbred blood was crossbred with the British Norfolk Trotter; it started with the sire Norfolk Trotter "Jary's Bellfounder" who is also believed to have passed his bloodlines onto the Standardbred. [...]
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The American Mustang is a horse that has descended from horses that were brought to America by the Spanish. The word Mustang is derived from the Spanish word mesteno, which means "stray or ownerless." It is a word that describes all the wild horses in the United States. Today's modern horse is the product of what has evolved over three million years; they disappeared from this hemisphere over 10,000 years ago. When explorers Cortes and DeSoto came to the North America, they brought horses back to the continent with them. The Pueblo Indians learned to ride horses and then this skill was passed on to other Indians throughout the years. In 1680, a revolt against the Spanish caused them to retreat and in turn leaving thousands of horses behind.The American Mustang numbers probably exceed any of the other horses that are out there, by 1900, there was an estimated two million of these horses roaming freely. They became known as "the living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West," which happened to be a Congressional statement that led to the passing of the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act in 1971. [...]
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The original East Friesian horses are actually extinct, the breed that is known today as East Friesian are much more warmblood in appearance and temperament than their earlier ancestors. The original East Friesian breed was much more coldblooded in nature and appearance and were used as light draft horses. They were most typically used on farms as carriage horses, farming horses and general transportation mounts.Even the earliest East Friesian horses had the same smooth strides and gaits that are attributed to the warmblood competitive horses bred today around the world.Arabian stallions were originally bred with the East Friesian mares to produce a Friesian Arab that was designed to be more of a riding horse and add the refinement of the Arabian to the somewhat heavier and stockier looking East Friesian. [...]
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This small, sturdy pony is the last surviving descendant of the once numerous native ponies of the West Isles of Scotland. They have a lineage through both the Celtic ponies as well as the Norse ponies but are a unique breed unto themselves.Most Eriskay Ponies are gray in color, however there are some bays and blacks. All Eriskay Ponies are born dark in color and their coat lightens as they mature. There are no other colors seen in this breed and no coat patterns other than solids.The Eriskay Ponies were often simply called "crofter" ponies as they lived quite literally in the back yards of the cottages. Since most of the men worked on fishing boats, these ponies where both working animals and pets to the women and children that did the day to day work around the small farms and acreages on the islands. [...]
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The Finnish Horse has several different names including the Finnish Universal, the Finnhorse, or in it's native country as suomenhevonen. The Finnish Horse is also known as the Finnish Universal because this breed is literally used for every type of horse activity and event from agricultural work to harness racing. They truly are a universal breed and are highly regarded in Finland.Unlike many horse producing countries, the Finnish Horse is the only breed native to Finland. The Finnish Horse was developed through the crossing of several different breeds, although the exact origins of the Finnish Horse are not clearly understood. While very popular in Finland with over 20,000 horses in the registry, there are few breeding programs for the Finnish Horse outside of its native country. There is some breeding of the Finnish Horse in Germany, but this is an exception.The Finnish Horse can actually be designed into one or more categories in the breeding registry. These are pony, trotter, riding horse and draft. Each Finnish Horse in the registry will be designated as one or more types and will be used in appropriate breeding programs. [...]
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The Frederiksborg horse is the oldest recorded horse breed in Denmark and although modern Frederiksborg horses may not be able to directly trace their lineage back to the Royal Frederiksborg Stud that is located near Copenhagen. The foundation of the breed is still in evidence however in the shape and athletic ability of these beautiful horses.The Frederiksborg was the most popular breed of horse at the haute ecole or dressage type training centers throughout the 19th century before the Lipizzaners, Andalusians and Lusitanos became the more popular horses in dressage and haute ecole disciplines.The first breeding programs for the Frederiksborg were developed under the command of King Frederik II to supply the military with strong, athletic horses for officer's chargers, to compete in haute ecole disciplines and to be used as the official carriage horses for the royal family on state occasions. [...]
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