The Bahamas are home to the Abaco Barbs, one of the rarest breeds of horses still alive today found only on the Bahamian island of Abaco.
An attempt is being made to save the breed the bloodlines of which have been largely untouched by the outside world due to their isolation.
Iceland is home to one of the purest bloodlines of any horse, the Icelandic horse.
Their extreme physical isolation combined with a Government who will not allow imports of any horseflesh keeps their gene pool the same as it has been for over 11 centuries.
At one time the breeding and exporting of horses was a large part of the Puerto Rican economy. Many of the horses of Mexico have bloodline roots in Puerto Rico, including the favored Paso Fino horse.
Both the Paso Fino and the Thoroughbred horses are still a large part of life there and the local people have a high respect for horsemanship.
Home of the Fjord horse (also known as Fjording) which is one of the worlds oldest breeds. The Fjord possesses very pure bloodlines and has been selectively bred in Western Norway for 2000 years.
The municipalities of Gloppen and Eid both feature the fjord horse in their coat of arms.
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Romania has a history of proud partnership with the equine animal, although during the Communist era many of the traditional horse husbandry skills were lost.
Today horses are still used by Romanian farmers to till the land and for transportation, and there are about 1 million horses and 75,000 carts used as registered transportation.
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Like much of Central America, horses are still used in many aspects of daily life in El Salvador and remain an integral part of life there.
Often used as beasts of burden, they are also allowed quite a bit of freedom to roam as they please and are generally well cared for regardless of their use.
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The horse is not a rare sight in Belarus and is still used extensively in agriculture settings and relied on for transportation.
Horses are also used for competition riding, racing, tourism and pleasure riding in this country.
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The only breed native to Finland is the Finnhorse (also called Finnish Horse or Finnish Universal), which is known for it’s versatility.
A cross between warmblood animals and coldblood draft horses, these animals have been bred over the years to be a good agricultural compliment, a strong harness horse and a reliable mount.
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The horse is part of a working society in Guatemala, used for agricultural farming, transportation and pleasure riding and tourism. The people share a strong history of horsemanship and utilitarian love of the equine animal.
The horse is also used to celebrate fiestas which feature drunken horse races. Riders navigate a track as they continue to take drinks of alcohol, the goal is to remain on your animal (and upright).
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Canada is a land of rugged landscapes and true wilderness. Much like the north of Europe, the horses in the northern part of the continent tend to be strong, stocky, solid animals. Built to withstand harsh weather conditions and heavy workloads.
Work aside, the Canadians are fond of their sport horses and play with avid interest in a broad range of equine-related competitions.
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Another of the countries where horses are more than just pampered pets, in Nicaragua most horses earn their (and their owners) dinner every day.
An integral part of daily life, agriculture and transportation, the horse is utilized in much the same fashion today as it has been for hundreds of years.
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Spanish horses are prevalent in the Costa Rican society, everything from the ambling gaited Paso Fino horses to the riding animals that display clearly Iberian and Barb bloodlines.
It’s incredibly interesting how these hardy bloodlines have changed in the Western world since the Spanish brought their mounts over to the ‘New World’.
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