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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Belgium is just as horse crazy as the rest of northwestern Europe, and home to both the Belgian Draft and the Belgian Warmblood horses.
The Belgian Draft is one of the strongest of all of the draft breeds and is almost always sorrel chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. The Belgian Warmblood is a product of the Belgian Draft’s blood coupled with other warmblood breeds like hanoverians and holsteiners to create a strong, sound show horse.
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Another country fond of working with warmblood show horse bloodlines (by making them better, of course).
The Swiss warmblood is a popular olympic mount and the lucky Swiss horses seem to have quite a view.
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Still an integral part of existence in most parts of Italy, the horse is everything from transportation, to a tourist attraction to a relaxing past time.
The animals are lighter boned and have a thin coat to withstand work (and play) in hot temperatures in summer and milder winter weather.
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Home of the much loved Dutch Warmblood breed. Whether they are eventing horses or draft work horses, the people of the Netherlands know their horseflesh.
This region is known for their fine showhorses and their warmbloods are often used in olympic events.
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We are all famaliar with the story of the Trojan Horse, which the clever Greek warriors rode into Troy. It was no accident that they choose the horse as the symbolic animal to carry them to battle as they held horseflesh in wide regard.
Close enough to the home of the Lipizzaner horse, it’d be unfair to say they didn’t have a part in bloodline upkeep, Croatia is also home to inherent horse lovers.
Horses are an integral part of society and the local people are proud of their many years of horse heritage.
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Home to the ancient Lipica horse, ancestors of the Lipizzaners. The white horses founded by the Archduke Charles of Austria in 1580 persisted into the Lipizzan breed.
Today (since 1996) the official breeding farm is owned and run by the Republic of Slovenia.
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The terrain in Chile is as varied and beautiful as the people themselves. Encompassing everything from the mystery of Easter Island to the icy beauty of Patagonia.
In many parts of this vast country horses are used more for work than play by tradition as well as necessity and luckily this is a place that some of them still roam free.
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Germany is famous for their strong and able draft & warmblood horses. Built for stamina, strength, and intense cold weather conditions these animals are hardy, intelligent and hardworking by nature.
Be sure to check out the Holsteiner which is one of the oldest German breeds.
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Brazil is a vast and diverse country, and it’s Portuguese colonization lent them a love of fine horses as well as some solid bloodlines to choose from.
In many respect the hardy horses that made it across the Pacific was the basis for all of the South American breeds. Most of them known for their hardiness & smooth pacing gaits.
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A rich and varied horse history exists in Hungary and the puszta rider is the Hungarian answer to the western cowboy.
Although they do dress a little different, (who doesn’t want to ride in a long blue dress?) the puszta probably out-masters many western style cowboys in sheer mastering of horsemanship.
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