Horse breeds

The world of horse breeds

Have you ever wondered how many horse breeds there are? – Unfortunately there is no concrete answer to this either. ☹ According to current estimates there are around 200 different horse breeds. In order to divide the breeds into different groups, four different types were established: Thoroughbreds, Cold-Bloodeds, Warm-Bloodeds and Ponies.

Thoroughbreds: The group of thoroughbreds includes the English Thoroughbred, the Arabian Thoroughbred and various subspecies of the Arabian type. They are famous for their hot temper and insane speed. Thoroughbreds were originally bred as fast hunting horses. Nowadays, thoroughbred breeds are mainly used in racing. They reach speeds of more than 60 km/h and have a great urge to move.

Warmblooded horses: Warmblooded horses are the number one leisure horse today. In terms of body type and temperament, this type of horse lies halfway between thoroughbreds and cold-blooded horses. The most famous warmblood breed is the Hanoverian. He is so popular because he is the all-rounder among warm-blooded animals. Whether dressage, show jumping, eventing, driving or recreational riding - the Hanoverian is successfully represented in every branch of equestrian sport.

Cold-blooded animals: They are also called “the gentle giants”, because cold-blooded animals are characterized above all by their good-natured and patient character. Cold-blooded horses are particularly sturdy and heavy horses that were bred almost exclusively as draft animals and work horses due to their endurance and strength. Unfortunately, many cold-blooded breeds are now threatened with extinction. These include, for example, the Schleswiger and the Russian coldblood.

Bangs: Small but awesome. ? Not all ponies are the same - in Germany, a distinction is made between two types: horses between 1.30 m and 1.48 m are not referred to as ponies, but as small horses and they are only referred to as small horses if they are under 1.30 m high at the withers from a pony. Ponies and small horses are particularly suitable for children and beginners. They are considered robust and sometimes a bit stubborn. A popular pony breed, for example, is the Shetland pony, while German riding ponies and Icelandic horses usually fall into the size range of small horses. By the way, Icelandic horses belong to the group of gaited horses. This means that in addition to or instead of the basic gaits of walk, trot and canter, they can master one or more special gaits. The Icelandic horse's special gait is called “tölt”.

For this purpose, we have put together the TOP 10 of the most popular horse breeds.

• Shetland pony
• Quarter Horse
• Haflinger
• Hannoverians
• Icelandic
• German riding pony
• Westphalia
• Welsh Pony
• Friese
• Oldenburger

Minis with maximum sweetness factor

Now we want to turn our attention to the mini stars among the horse breeds.

Unfortunately, the smallest heartbreaker didn't make it into the top 10 most popular horse breeds - the Falabella. Falabella ponies are considered very intelligent and lovable ponies that are particularly known for their friendly and people-oriented nature. Due to their small size, Falabellas are of course not suitable for riding, but they are often used as show and carriage ponies.

The smallest pony measured was only 30.4 cm tall. Crazy, right?

The Shire Horse belongs to the group of cold-blooded horses. With a maximum mass of more than 1200 kg and an average height of 1.78 m at the withers, they are the largest horse breed in the world. The largest Shire Horse in the world was in the mid-19th century. Century the gelding Sampson with an incredible height of 2.19 m.

By the way: The great saddle pad in the photo above as well as many other innovative horse care products are available here.