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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Still a necessary form of transportation in many parts of Panama, the horse is more than just a family pet to many who live there.
Of course there are plenty of horses in Panama that actually put food on their owner’s plate by taking tourists for rides.
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Home of some of the friendliest people on earth (and where they filmed Xena the Warrier Princess), New Zealand is a lovely (if remote) place where horse culture is a large part of life, for both work and play.
The Irish Draft horse is one of the most popular eventing mounts used in competition today.
Although the Draft is Ireland’s claim to fame on the show circuit, the tough native ponies and local draft breeds have earned the Irish a name in the horse industry as well.
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