A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral “breeds” that are naturally selected. Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe.
A zebroid is the offspring of any cross between a zebra and any other equine to create a hybrid. In most cases, the sire is a zebra stallion. Offspring of a donkey sire and zebra dam are called a donkra and offspring of a horse sire and a zebra dam called a hebra do exist, but are rare and are usually sterile. Zebroids have been bred since the 19th century. Charles Darwin noted several zebra hybrids in his works.
The Fjord horse or Norwegian Fjord Horse is a relatively small but very strong horse breed from the mountainous regions of western Norway. It is an agile breed of light draught horse build. All Fjord horses are dun in colour, with five variations in shade recognised in the breed standard. One of the world's oldest breeds, it has been used for hundreds of years as a farm horse in Norway, and in modern times is popular for its generally good temperament. It is used both as a harness horse and under saddle.
A polo pony is the term used for a horse used in the game of polo. They may be of any breed or combination of breeds, though many have a significant amount of Thoroughbred breeding. They are called "ponies", but that is a reference to their agile type rather than their size; almost all are horse-sized. They require considerable training and ongoing conditioning, and because each rider requires at least two horses in a single match, this can be a considerable expense. When playing, polo ponies have their manes roached and tails braided so that there is no danger of being tangled in the mallet.
On horses, the mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck. Heredity plays a role, giving some horses a longer, thicker mane, and others a shorter, thinner one.
Halter is a type of horse show class where horses are shown "in hand," meaning that they are led, not ridden, and are judged on their conformation and suitability as breeding stock. Depending on breed and geographic region, such events may be called "Halter," "In-Hand," "Breeding," "Model," or "Conformation" classes.
The Aegidienberger is a small gaited riding horse from Germany. Like the Icelandic horse, it can naturally perform a gait known as the tölt. Mostly used as an all-purpose riding horse, they were developed in Aegidienberg and first recognized as a breed in 1994.
The Guizhou pony is a small pony from the Guizhou province of China.
The Clifden Show in Ireland is the largest horse show in the world which showcases the Connemara pony breed. It is not unusual for over 400 ponies from all over Ireland as well as other countries to attend this annual event. The show attracts breeders, industry experts, and visitors from all over the world, where ponies are bought and sold.
Primitive markings are a group of hair coat markings and qualities seen in several equine species, including horses, donkeys, and asses. In horses, they are associated with primitive breeds, though not limited to such breeds. The markings are particularly associated with the dun coat color family. All dun horses possess at least the dorsal stripe, but the presence of the other primitive markings varies. Other common markings may include horizontal striping on the legs, transverse striping across the shoulders, and lighter guard hairs along the edges of a dark mane and tail.
Hypohippus is an extinct genus of three-toed horse, which lived 17–11 million years ago. It was the size of a pony at 1.8 meters long. and fossils of it have been found in Nebraska, Colorado, and Montana.
Feathering also known as feather is the long hair on the lower legs of some breeds of horses and ponies. On some horses, especially draft breeds, the hair can almost cover the hooves. While nearly all horses will grow longer hair on the lower legs and back of the fetlocks at times, particularly in the winter, "feather" refers to the particularly long growth that is characteristic of certain breeds.
The Anchitheriinae are an extinct subfamily of the Perissodactyla family Equidae, the same family which includes modern horses, zebras and donkeys. This subfamily is more primitive than the living members of the family. The group first appeared with Mesohippus in North America during the middle Eocene and thrived until the late Miocene. The subfamily continued in Eurasia with the genus Sinohippus until the early Pliocene, when it finally became extinct. This subfamily were considered browsers with their more ancestral low-crowned molars, in contrast with the modern, specialized grazer species today.
Crawshay's zebra is a subspecies of the plains zebra native to eastern Zambia, east of the Luangwa River, Malawi, southeastern Tanzania, and northern Mozambique south to the Gorongoza District. Crawshay's zebras can be distinguished from other subspecies of plains zebras in that its lower incisors lack an infundibulum. Crawshay's zebra has very narrow stripes compared to other forms of the plains zebra.
Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping. Members of the subfamily are referred to as equines; the only extant equines are the horses, asses, and zebras of the genus Equus.
Nelson or Old Nelson was George Washington's horse and one of several horses owned by Washington. He was a chestnut with a white blaze and white feet. The horse was acquired by Washington in 1779 and died in 1790 at about the age of 27, quite old for a horse in that era. As Washington was known for being a skilled horse rider, Nelson was a significant icon for a number of years, being one of Washington's favorite horses.
A horse passport is documentation that allows horses to be accurately identified and more easily be transported internationally. In the United States, they are primarily intended for animals competing in International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) events. In the United Kingdom, it is now required for all equines to have a "passport" and an animal cannot be sold without one.
Identified in 2014, the mushroom gene is a recessive dilution gene that affects red pigment in horses.
The Burmese Horse or Bama Myinn is a breed of horse from Myanmar (Burma). It is one of two horse breeds in Myanmar, the other being the Shan Horse.
The Spanish Barb horse is a direct descendant of the original horses brought over from Spain. It may be of any color.
