The Amur horse is an extinct equine breed that was native to Siberia. Their bloodlines were a cross between the Buryat & the Tomsk horses and they were bred specifically as riding mounts.
This was a tough, hardy animal & although they were built to withstand extreme conditions, they posessed a finer confirmation than many northern animals.
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Like warmbloods in most countries a wide variety of breeds & bloodlines are accepted under the American Warmblood registry, as long as they are of sport horse/ warmblood type and meet physical requirements.
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Perhaps the closest in physical appearance of the equidae family, it makes sense that eventually the donkey and the zebra would be crossed. Here is a little information about resulting hybrids of the two.
Also called the zebras, zebronkey, zonkey, zebadonk, zebryde, zenkey, hamzab & zebrass the zedonk is a result of a zebra male & a donkey female.
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The American Walking Pony was the result of an experimental breeding program with the intention of creating a bright & refined pony with smooth saddle gaits for showing.
The foundation of the breed comes from crossing the smooth gaited Tennessee Walking Horse with the refined physique of the Welsh Pony.
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Members of the Asinus genus of the equidae family, Donkeys got the short straw and the big ears of the family.
There is a variety of domestic donkey breeds & bloodlines range based on local needs, local terrain and the need for stronger & more robust animals.
Definitely the worker bee of the species, most donkeys have it pretty hard. Throughout history they have been bred as work animals, their genetic history shaped by the needs of mankind.
Here is a look at some of the different breeds of donkey. Like horse breeds, info is limited and inconsistent so this is a basic overview of the main breeds I could find.
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The American Thoroughbred owes its roots to Bulle Rock, the first Thoroughbred imported to the American Colonies in 1730.
The colonists quickly took to the sport of horse racing and developed a fine appreciation for racing horses. English animals were imported and bred to local stock and the Americans slowly produced their own individual bloodlines.
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Image from pat Henson
There is a great deal of variation within the Equidae family, much of it due to controlled cross-breeding and hybridization.
Mankind has shaped horses and asses into the animals we recognize today & most modern breeds have been developed for specific purposes.
For those of us who love horses, learning more about their family, history and evolution is of deep interest.
Today we meet some of the hybrids, the paring of animals from two different subgenus species. Often the resulting hybrid is born sterile and unable to further their line.
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American Standardbred horses can be trotters or pacers and their name comes from the standard qualifying speed test they must pass to qualify for registration (a mile in under 3 minutes).
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Most people recognize a zebra when they see one. Black & white stripes pretty much covers it right? There is a lot more variety than you might think.
Last week we met the more colorful Equus & Asinus members of the family, but today it’s all about the black & white. Because of their unique striping patterns the taxonomy of zebra species has been difficult at best & there is a lot of conflicting information out there.
Not only are their stripe patterns regional, but like fingerprints, no two zebras have the same stripes.
Sadly many of the zebra species are facing troubled times in their native territories. Due to hunting (for those beautiful coats) and habitat destruction.
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Learning isn’t always easy, but when it is about something you love it can be entertaining.
It’s amazing how much I’ve learned about horses while writing this site. Even more amazing is how much I have left to learn.
Here is a strange mix of basics, tips, ideas and facts that any horse lover can appreciate.
Basic Horse Tips | Random Horse Facts | Best Ways to Whiten Socks | Hiring a Horse Sitter | Name That Horse Breed Quiz | Horse Translated | How You Can Help Starving Horses
It’s been fun visiting past posts and re-reading things I had forgotten. I’ll be sharing more of The Equinest archives on Saturdays, hopefully new readers will find things they haven’t seen yet & older readers will enjoy revisiting old favorites.
The main goal of American Spotted Paso breeders is to create an animal with the beautiful pinto color patterns and the smooth easy to ride gaits of the Peruvian Paso.
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The Equus family is larger and more diverse than you may think. Each member with its own distinct look and coloring.
As I started delving into the equus family tree I realized just how colorful and beautiful these animals really are. I’m hard pressed to pick a favorite & sad to see so many of them in danger for their lives.
There are far too many colors to put in one post, so I’ve separated into sections. Today we’ll meet the horses, asses and onagers & next week the zebras.
These two groups contain all of the color & some of the most (and least) common members of the Equus family.
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