Horse breed

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Illustration of horse breeds from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890-1907) Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary b35 043-0.jpg
Illustration of horse breeds from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890–1907)

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.

Contents

Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation, color, performance ability, or disposition. These inherited traits are usually the result of a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods aimed at producing horses for specific tasks. Certain breeds are known for certain talents. For example, Standardbreds are known for their speed in harness racing. Some breeds have been developed through centuries of crossings with other breeds, while others, such as the Morgan horse, originated from a single sire from which all current breed members descend. More than 300 horse breeds exist in the world today. [1]

Origin of breeds

Modern horse breeds developed in response to a need for "form to function", the necessity to develop certain physical characteristics to perform a certain type of work. [2] : 155  Thus, powerful but refined breeds such as the Andalusian or the Lusitano developed in the Iberian Peninsula as riding horses that also had a great aptitude for dressage, [2] : 155  while heavy draft horses such as the Clydesdale and the Shire developed out of a need to perform demanding farm work and pull heavy wagons. [2] : 156–57  Ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments. However, by the 20th century, many pony breeds had Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding. [2] : 155, 170–173  Other horse breeds developed specifically for light agricultural work, heavy and light carriage and road work, various equestrian disciplines, or simply as pets. [2] : 162 

Purebreds and registries

Australian Stud Books from the 1990s Australian Stud Books.JPG
Australian Stud Books from the 1990s
One volume of the 1873 American Stud Book Americanstudbookvolume2closed.jpg
One volume of the 1873 American Stud Book

Horses have been selectively bred since their domestication. However, the concept of purebred bloodstock and a controlled, written breed registry only became of significant importance in modern times. Today, the standards for defining and registration of different breeds vary. Sometimes, purebred horses are called "Thoroughbreds", which is incorrect; "Thoroughbred" is a specific breed of horse, while a "purebred" is a horse (or any other animal) with a defined pedigree recognized by a breed registry. [3]

An early example of people who practiced selective horse breeding were the Bedouin, who had a reputation for careful breeding practices, keeping extensive pedigrees of their Arabian horses and placing great value upon pure bloodlines. [4] Though these pedigrees were originally transmitted by an oral tradition, written pedigrees of Arabian horses can be found that date to the 14th century. [5] In the same period of the early Renaissance, the Carthusian monks of southern Spain bred horses and kept meticulous pedigrees of the best bloodstock; the lineage survives to this day in the Andalusian horse. [6] One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for Thoroughbreds, which began in 1791 and traced back to the Arabian stallions imported to England from the Middle East that became the foundation stallions for the breed. [7]

Some breed registries have a closed stud book, where registration is based on pedigree, and no outside animals can gain admittance. For example, a registered Thoroughbred or Arabian must have two registered parents of the same breed. [8] [9] [ obsolete source ]

Other breeds have a partially closed stud book, but still allow certain infusions from other breeds. For example, the modern Appaloosa must have at least one Appaloosa parent, but may also have a Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, or Arabian parent, so long as the offspring exhibits appropriate color characteristics. [10] The Quarter Horse normally requires both parents to be registered Quarter Horses, but allows "Appendix" registration of horses with one Thoroughbred parent, and the horse may earn its way to full registration by completing certain performance requirements. [11]

Open stud books exist for horse breeds that either have not yet developed a rigorously defined standard phenotype, or for breeds that register animals that conform to an ideal via the process of passing a studbook selection process. Most of the warmblood breeds used in sport horse disciplines have open stud books to varying degrees. While pedigree is considered, outside bloodlines are admitted to the registry if the horses meet the set standard for the registry. These registries usually require a selection process involving judging of an individual animal's quality, performance, and conformation before registration is finalized. [12] A few "registries," particularly some color breed registries, are very open and will allow membership of all horses that meet limited criteria, such as coat color and species, regardless of pedigree or conformation. [13] [14]

Breed registries also differ as to their acceptance or rejection of breeding technology. For example, all Jockey Club Thoroughbred registries require that a registered Thoroughbred be a product of a natural mating, so-called "live cover". A foal born of two Thoroughbred parents, but by means of artificial insemination or embryo transfer, cannot be registered in the Thoroughbred studbook. [8] However, since the advent of DNA testing to verify parentage, most breed registries now allow artificial insemination, embryo transfer, or both. The high value of stallions has helped with the acceptance of these techniques because they allow a stallion to breed more mares with each "collection" and greatly reduce the risk of injury during mating. [15] Cloning of horses is highly controversial, and at the present time most mainstream breed registries will not accept cloned horses, though several cloned horses and mules have been produced. [16] Such restrictions have led to legal challenges in the United States, sometime based on state law and sometimes based on antitrust laws. [17]

Hybrids

Mules with pack saddles during a demonstration (2014) Legacy Pack String (16349780096).jpg
Mules with pack saddles during a demonstration (2014)

Horses can crossbreed with other equine species to produce hybrids. These hybrid types are not breeds, but they resemble breeds in that crosses between certain horse breeds and other equine species produce characteristic offspring. The most common hybrid is the mule, a cross between a "jack" (male donkey) and a mare. A related hybrid, the hinny, is a cross between a stallion and a jenny (female donkey). [18] Most other hybrids involve the zebra (see Zebroid). With rare exceptions, most equine hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce. [19] A notable exception is hybrid crosses between horses and Equus ferus przewalskii, commonly known as Przewalski's horse.

See also

Related Research Articles

Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses. Furthermore, modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appaloosa</span> American horse breed noted for spotted color pattern

The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colorful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's color pattern is genetically the result of various spotting patterns overlaid on top of one of several recognized base coat colors. The color pattern of the Appaloosa is of interest to those who study equine coat color genetics, as it and several other physical characteristics are linked to the leopard complex mutation (LP). Appaloosas are prone to develop equine recurrent uveitis and congenital stationary night blindness; the latter has been linked to the leopard complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warmblood</span> Middle-weight horse types and breeds

Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palomino</span> Genetic color in horses

Palomino is a genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. The palomino color derived from the inter-breeding of Spanish horses with those from the United States. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" (chestnut) base coat. Palomino is created by a genetic mechanism of incomplete dominance, hence it is not considered true-breeding. However, most color breed registries that record palomino horses were founded before equine coat color genetics were understood as well as they are today, therefore the standard definition of a palomino is based on the visible coat color, not heritability nor the underlying presence of the dilution gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian horse</span> Horse breed originating in the Middle East

The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse with historic roots on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest modern breeds. Although modern DNA cannot trace breed purity in the modern population beyond 200 years, there is archaeological evidence of horses in the Middle East with landrace characteristics that resemble modern Arabians dating back 3,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses have spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.

A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. Crossbreeding, sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism. While crossbreeding is used to maintain health and viability of organisms, irresponsible crossbreeding can also produce organisms of inferior quality or dilute a purebred gene pool to the point of extinction of a given breed of organism.

A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders while they are young. The terms studbook and register are also used to refer to lists of male animals "standing at stud", that is, those animals actively breeding, as opposed to every known specimen of that breed. Such registries usually issue certificates for each recorded animal, called a pedigree, pedigreed animal documentation, or most commonly, an animal's "papers". Registration papers may consist of a simple certificate or a listing of ancestors in the animal's background, sometimes with a chart showing the lineage.

The Welara is a part-Arabian pony breed developed from the Arabian horse and the Welsh pony. It was originally bred in England by Lady Wentworth at the Crabbet Arabian Stud in the early 1900s from imported Arabian stallions and Welsh pony mares. Breeding then spread throughout North America. In 1981, a breed registry was formed in the United States, and a studbook began to be published. They are used for many disciplines of English riding, and are known for their refinement, hardiness and spirit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haflinger</span> A breed of horse developed in Austria and northern Italy

The Haflinger, also known as the Avelignese, is a breed of horse developed in Austria and northern Italy during the late 19th century. Haflinger horses are relatively small, are always chestnut with flaxen mane and tail, have distinctive gaits described as energetic but smooth, and are well-muscled yet elegant. The breed traces its ancestry to the Middle Ages; several theories for its origin exist. Haflingers, developed for use in mountainous terrain, are known for their hardiness. Their current conformation and appearance are the result of infusions of bloodlines from Arabian and various European breeds into the original native Tyrolean ponies. The foundation sire, 249 Folie, was born in 1874; by 1904, the first breeders' cooperative was formed. All Haflingers can trace their lineage back to Folie through one of seven bloodlines. World Wars I and II, as well as the Great Depression, had a detrimental effect on the breed, and lower-quality animals were used at times to save the breed from extinction. During World War II, breeders focused on horses that were shorter and more draft-like, favored by the military for use as packhorses. The emphasis after the war shifted toward animals of increased refinement and height.

The Colorado Ranger is a horse breed from the Colorado High Plains in the United States. The breed is descended from two stallions imported from Turkey to the US state of Virginia in the late 1800s. These stallions were then bred to ranch horses in Nebraska and Colorado, and in the early 1900s the two stallions who every registered Colorado Ranger traces to, Patches #1 and Max #2, were foaled. The breed was championed by rancher Mike Ruby, who founded the Colorado Ranger Horse Association in 1935. Original registry membership limits resulted in many Colorado Ranger horses being registered instead as Appaloosas, but pedigree research is ongoing to discover additional horses who trace their ancestry back to the original stallions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stud farm</span> Establishment for selective breeding of livestock

A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the development of a stud book. Male animals made available for breeding to outside female animals are said to be "standing at stud", or at "stud service", referencing the relatively high probability that they are kept at a stud farm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Warmblood</span> Type of horse

The American Warmblood is a horse of warmblood type, intended primarily for the traditional sport horse disciplines of dressage, show jumping, eventing and combined driving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade horse</span>

A grade horse is a horse whose parentage is unknown, unidentifiable, or of significantly mixed breeding. This differs from purebred animals of known bloodlines and also differs from deliberately crossbred animals that are produced with an intent of either creating a new breed of horse or an animal with characteristics that deliberately combine the strengths of two different breeds. Many grade horses are the result of unintentional or accidental breedings, though in some cases, they are the result of a planned breeding of a stallion and a mare, but animals who themselves are of uncertain bloodlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bavarian Warmblood</span> Breed of horse

The Bavarian Warmblood is a horse breed of southern Germany that developed from an older Bavarian heavy warmblood breed called the Rottaler. Since mechanization in the mid-20th century, the Bavarian Regional Horse Breeders' Society has concentrated on producing a riding horse for the Olympic disciplines and recreational riding based on other European warmblood bloodlines.

An Austrian Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Warmblutzucht in Österreich. Although the studbook is made up of jumping and dressage horses from many other countries, the mare base consists of native horses with a long history. The AWÖ keeps an open studbook, in which mares and stallions must pass rigorous inspections before becoming breeding stock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thoroughbred</span> Horse breed developed for racing

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed for horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for agility, speed, and spirit.

The Pinto Horse Association of America (PtHA) registers horses, utility horses, ponies and miniature horses of various pedigrees with certain kinds of pinto coat colors. The word pinto is Spanish for "paint." In general terms, pinto can apply to any horse marked with unpigmented pink-skinned, white-haired areas on its coat. The Pinto Horse Association of America provides the owners and riders of pintos with a show circuit and a breed organization. The primary requirement for PtHA registration is coat color; the pinto is not a true breed, but a color breed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pintabian</span> Breed of horse

The Pintabian horse is an American part-Arabian horse breed. It has over 99% Arabian blood, but also exhibits the tobiano color pattern, which is not found in thoroughbred Arabians. The registry began using the term "Pintabian" in 1992 and trademarked the word in 1995. which is the official registering authority for Pintabian horses worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Part-Arabian</span> Breed of horse

A part-Arabian, partbred Arabian or, less precisely, half-Arabian, is a horse with documented amounts of Arabian horse breeding but not a purebred. Because the Arabian is deemed to be a breed of purebred horse dating back many centuries, the modern breed registries recognized by the World Arabian Horse Organization generally have tightly closed stud books which exclude a horse from registration if it is found to contain any outside blood. However, Arabian breeding has also been used for centuries to add useful traits to countless other horse breeds. In the modern era, crossbreeding has been popular to combine the best traits of two different breeds, such as color, size, or ability to specialize in a particular equestrian discipline.

References

  1. ↑ Equine Research Inc. (2004). Hedge, Juliet; Wagoner, Don M. (eds.). Horse conformation: structure, soundness, and performance. Guilford, Conn.: Lyons Press. pp. 307–308. ISBN   9781592284870. OCLC   56012597.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Sponenberg, D. Phillip (1996). "The Proliferation of Horse Breeds". Horses Through Time . Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. ISBN   1-57098-060-8. OL   8699719M.
  3. ↑ Ensminger, M. Eugene (1999). Horses and Horsemanship (7th ed.). Interstate Publishers. p. 176. ISBN   978-0-8134-3115-4. OL   1020574M . Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  4. ↑ Edwards, Gladys Brown (1980). The Arabian, War Horse to Show Horse. Arabian Horse Trust of America. pp. 22–23. ISBN   093827600X.
  5. ↑ "Is Purity the Issue?". WAHO Publication Number 21 January 1998. World Arabian Horse Organization. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Andalusian". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  7. ↑ "History of Thoroughbreds". Britishhorseracing.com. British Horseracing Authority. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
  8. 1 2 "American Stud Book Principal Rules and Requirements". Jockey Club. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  9. ↑ "2008 Rules & Regulations". 2008 Rulebook. Arabian Horse Association. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Appaloosa Horse Club Handbook 2007" (PDF). 2007 Rulebook. The Appaloosa Horse Club. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  11. ↑ "AQHA Registration Rules and Regulations" (PDF). 2007 Rulebook. American Quarter Horse Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
  12. ↑ Bernhold, Suzette. "What Is A Warmblood Anyway?". Warmblood Whisper. American Warmblood Society. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ↑ "Registration and Membership Instructions". Palomino Horse Association. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Registration Procedure". National Pinto Horse Registry. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  15. ↑ McAfee, Melonyce (January 30, 2007). "Did They Save Barbaro's Semen?". Slate. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  16. ↑ Mott, Maryann (April 4, 2006). "Champion Horses Cloned by Texas Breeder". National Geographic News. Archived from the original on September 8, 2006. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  17. ↑ Becker, Frank (2013). Equine Law. p. 207. ISBN   978-0-615-90347-7.
  18. ↑ "Mule Information". BMS Website. British Mule Society. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Befuddling Birth: The Case of the Mule's Foal". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. July 26, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2008.
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