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Yes, we know that’s not a horse up there, but we had to share it anyway. This is a Scottish breed of cattle called Highland Cattle & they are absolutely stunning. That coat is amazing & gives them such a cuddly look. We love this picture simply because it is stunning.
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The rare breed for this Monday comes from the US & that means it’s a relatively recent addition to the breeds of the world. The handsome American Cream Draft horse began in 1905 in a small town in Iowa. The foundation of the breed was an old mare named Old Granny.
The first draft breed native to the US, the American Cream Draft is an incredibly rare sight in the 21st century. The replacement of farm animals with heavy equipment caused a sharp decline in their numbers & the first native draft breed in the US actually faced extinction. In 1982 a revival attempt was made & luckily today the numbers still increase. Read more
This is another one of those images we have a special reason for liking. It’s not just a sweet looking horse laying down, this one has got an apron face which is rather rare face marking that is difficult to find images of. We were delighted to run across it as we are of any image of rare markings or colors.
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The rare breed for this week comes from Germany, although this breed is a rare sight even in it’s hometown. The Altwurttemberg breed was started by the Wurttemberg Prince House, although sadly they were created without an obligatory breed goal.
Although they had no real goal, the bloodlines used as their foundation were top notch. About thirty horses from Normandy were used between 1872 -1888, crossed with English Thoroughbreds, Holsteins & Oldenburgs. Through this careful breeding the Altwurttemberg horse was established. Read more
There is something about animals with blue eyes, whether it’s that they look more human or that they just stand out. In this particular image the contrasting brightness of the halter seems to enhance those peepers even more.
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This Monday’s rare breed comes from Russia & it is one of most ancient breeds of Siberia. The Altai has been raised there for centuries & has always been indispensable to the nomad tribesmen of the area.
This breed takes it’s name from the Altai mountains in Southern Siberia & like many breeds in unforgiving climates, they are built robustly surefooted. These animals have always been relied on to carry people & other precious cargo over mountainous terrain or through fast moving rivers, so their strength & tenacity was prized. Read more
Mainly we like this image because its a great example of a snowflake appaloosa. Images of them are difficult to find so we were delighted to run across this one. We also love the relationship between horses & dogs. By their very nature they shouldn’t really be pals, but they make it work anyway.
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This week’s rare breed is from Germany & they are a relatively recent cross – contributing to their rareness. The Aegidienberger comes from a cross between the elegant Peruvian Paso & the incredibly pure blood of the hardy Icelandic horse.
The underlying drive behind the cross was to create a larger gaited animal that is well suited to the colder climates of Germany. The handsome Paso contributes their size, smooth gait & refined Spanish ancestry. While the Icelandic horse contributes it’s sturdy build, heavy winter coat & robust constitution. The perfect cross should be 62.5% Icelandic & 37.5% Peruvian Paso. Read more
What is not to like? Kids & horses are incredibly cute together – especially when a sweet & innocent moment is captured on film. We were all that size once & probably most of us loved horses then every bit as much as we do today. It’s a lifetime love affair for most of us.
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This Monday our rare breed is from Kazakhstan & is found within the Kazakh breed which dates back to the 5th century BC. The Adaev is a riding type horse that was bred to be adaptable for a wide range of uses.
A pureblooded Adaev is a very rare thing these days. The breed is ancient & has been shaped by local geographical conditions in the Caspian Depression. During the 1980’s the breed was revived due to increased interest in preserving their bloodlines. Although intentions were good, this led to dilution of the Kazakh blood with a mix of Don, Thoroughbred & Orlov Trotter bloodlines. This was in an attempt to refine the animal & make them better for riding. Read more
We like it because that horse on the right looks like it is smirking at us & the one of left might just burst out laughing at any moment. We love to see humanlike emotion reflected in animals. While we love all horses, we do like photography of them that uses interesting angles & captures classic moments.
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This weeks horse is from Austria & they are so rare that you may not know of them. The Abtenauer is the smallest variation of the Noriker horse & like many of the European draft animals, their population numbers are very low in the 21st century.
These animals come from & are named for the isolated valley of Abtenau in Austria. It is believed they may have originally come from Greek war mounts that were left in the region when no longer needed. Smaller in stature for a draft breed, the Abtenauer is beautifully built with excellent balance & a consistently sweet disposition. Read more
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