Horse Basics Category

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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Flaxen Horse Breeds

Liver flaxen harnessed team
We’ve already taken a look at breeds that are primarily chestnut, grey, bay and black. Today we take it one step further and visit flaxen breeds, chestnut bases with lovely blonde mane & tail hair.

Uncommonly Blonde

The flaxen modifying gene is somewhat of a mystery as far as genetics go. It only affects chestnut based horses by displaying a creamy white mane & tail. Unlike some of the more common colors, this genetic combination doesn’t affect all breeds – many of the breeds below only come in flaxen.
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Horse Breeds From Estonia

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

Modern Changes

This is a relatively flat country with a rather mild climate, not a bad one for equines. Like most places, horses were traditionally used for transportation and agriculture so individual breed numbers flourished at one time or another. However, as inefficient horses are phased out of agriculture entirely, the breeds developed for the task are facing a bleak outlook.
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Horse Breeds From England

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

Good Things in Little Packages

The UK in general is known for their riding ponies of all shapes and sizes – the variety is almost endless. Perhaps one of the most colorful found in England is the British Spotted Pony. This spotted little fellow doesn’t come from appaloosa horses, but rather thought to be a native to the British Isles. In fact, spotted ponies may have been there before mankind ourselves.
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Bay Horse Breeds

Bay BreedsBays are common among most breeds, however there are a few exceptional breeds for which the bold red coat and shiny black points are a distinguishing characteristic.

Beloved Bays

While it is an incredibly common color, bay is also quite a pretty one. From light, dusty browns to vibrant rich reds – all offset by the handsome contrast of a deep black mane and tail. Although common, bay is not one of the base colors, it is the result of a bay modifier (Agouti gene) on an animal with a black base.
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