Finnhorse

Intro

Also called Suomenhevonen and Finnish Universal, the Finnhorse is one of the only horse breeds native to Finland. These animals are known and prized for their sheer adaptability due to a unique combination of warmblood and coldblood genetics.

Origins

This breed is a descendant of the Northern European domestic horse, which is a combination of warmblood, and heavier draft animal. Historically these animals were bred to fulfill all of the needs of locals and were just as handy in trotting races as they were on the farm. While they were originally bred as small drafts, they have changed over the years and are now the fastest coldblooded trotters in the world.

In 1924 breeding was divided into two branches. This was done to keep the lineage of the heavier animals while allowing breeders to concentrate on creating a lighter animal that was more suitable for riding and trotting.

Years later in 1950 the Finnhorse numbers decreased considerably, lack of need for them working the land and the declining popularity of trotting created a lack of demand. In 1971 the riding type was given its own branch of the studbook and today there are four recognized types.