Horse Basics Category

Horse Breeds From Germany

German FlagIt’s Friday and a great day to visit a new exotic location and learn about the amazing horse breeds it’s given rise to. Looking at each breed in the context of their origins is an interesting ride, today a look at the breeds from Germany.

Growing Them Strong

Germany is home to an incredible number of well-established breeds for the size of the country, each breed with their own story – many of which were changed forever by the events of the 20th century. Among the German breeds is my personal favorite & oldest of the German warmbloods, the Holsteiner. Descendant from marsh horses of the Elmshorn district of Holstein initially bred for war, this breed has gone on to become an incredibly versatile, athletic & level headed sport mount – on springs.
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Pinto Horse Breeds

Pinyo Horse BreedsAlthough I say this about a lot of colors, the pinto white pattern is hands down my favorite. Piebald, skewbald, sabino or tovero I love them all.

Lovely Spots

The distinction between pintos and paints is simple. Any animal with a pinto white pattern is a pinto, however only animals with Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred bloodlines are allowed to become registered paints. That said there are a number of other breeds that breed specifically for those lovely spotted coats and include a wider variety of genetics.
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Horse Breeds From Georgia

Georgia FlagIt’s the end of the week and time to visit another exotic location and learn about the amazing horse breeds it’s given rise to. Looking at each breed in the context of their origins is an interesting ride, today a look at the breeds from Georgia.

Growing Them Strong

Despite its small size Georgia is home to a variety of geography. This variety requires animals who can handle the intense variation in footing & vegetation while still thriving. There are only two breeds from Georgia that I can find, and you can bet they are tough as nails.
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Common Breed Confirmation Quiz

Common Breed Confirmation QuizThere are some breeds out there that most horse lovers can identify with just a single glance, others are far more difficult to decipher without further investigations.

The Ones You Know…Or Do You?

Today I wanted to focus on some of the more commonly found breeds and see just how fast my readers are on the draw when it comes to recognizing them. Instead of just showing pictures I thought I’d make it more fun by turning it into a quiz. There are 10 images of mystery breeds, guess each one and check your answers at the bottom of the post…no peeking.
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Horse Breeds From France

France FlagIt’s Friday again and time to visit another country of the world and see all of the amazing horse breeds it’s given rise to. Looking at each breed in the context of their origins is absolutely an interesting ride. Today a look at the breeds from France.

Prehistoric Grey

The Camargue in France is home to one of the oldest horse breeds on the planet. They are though to be the ancestors of prehistoric animals that posed for ancient cave painters in southern France. These animals have, for the most part, left to let nature take its course. Although they’ve had outside influence over the centuries, strong bloodlines persist and natural conditions persistently adapt strong mammals.
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Appaloosa Horse Breeds

Appaloosa BreedsAlthough I say this about almost every horse color out there, I think appaloosa is one of my favorites. Their sheer stubbornness and overall strength of character can only be matched by their glorious spotted coats.

Spot of Another Color

Although often attributed to horses of the Native tribes in the wild wild west, appaloosa genetics have a much longer and even more distinguished lineage. Long before their arrival in the Americas on Spanish, Portuguese or French vessels, spotted equines were prized on the Iberian peninsula. Not only were they rare, but they were thought to be ancestors to spotted Asian animals found on ancient Chinese art.
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Horse Breeds From Finland

Finland FlagIt’s Friday again and we are visiting another country of the world to see all of the fantastic horse breeds it’s given rise to. Looking at each breed in the context of their origins is absolutely an interesting ride. Today a look at the breeds from Finland.

Northern Star

Finland is the northernmost country in the European continent, with about a third of the country above the Arctic Circle. Much of the landscape was shaped by ancient glaciers which left behind a variety of interesting geography including an enormous lake district and vast forest lands. It stands to reason that there aren’t many breeds that come from this climate as it is largely inhospitable to the equine animal.
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Horse Breeds From Ethiopia

Ethiopia FlagIt’s Friday and we are visiting another country of the world to see all of the amazing horse breeds it’s given rise to. Looking at each breed in the context of their origins is absolutely an interesting ride. Today a look at the breeds from Ethiopia.

Old & In Danger

Ethiopia is home to the oldest feral horse population in Africa and the only wild horses left in east Africa, the Kundudo. Generally speaking, domestic horses are not well suited to the climate of many African countries, the asses and zebras fare far better on this continent. This wild herd is descendant of proud animals once used by royalty in battle, but today they battle to continue their own existance.
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