Horse Breeds

Different type of horse breeds

Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, which are horses that never have been domesticated. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.

Horses are adapted to run, allowing them to quickly escape predators, and possess an excellent sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down, with younger horses tending to sleep significantly more than adults. Female horses, called mares, carry their young for approximately 11 months and a young horse, called a foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under a saddle or in a harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.

The types of breeds

Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses.

• Draft:Draft horses are typically tall, strong and heavy horses. On average they weigh over 1,600 pounds and are 64 inches. They were bred to pull and carry heavy loads, as they can pull twice their weight. Historically they were used for many things ranging from farm work to carrying soldiers in battles. These horses are usually even-tempered and level headed. They are labeled cold-blooded as they are large, strong horses made for working, paired with a calm temperament.
• light:They all share that they were bred for speed, agility, endurance, and riding. Used for every type of riding, these horses were bred to be under the saddle of a rider. These horses fall under the category of horse as they have high energy, are easily excited and fleet-footed.
• gaited:These horses are similar to light types in the sense that they were bred for riding, but different because they were meant for a smoother ride. They are capable of gaits such as the running walk, foxtrot and more. Historically these horses were made for “gentlemen” such as Generals, officers, and men that were wealthy.
• warm-blood:Warm-blooded types are usually tall, strong and athletic horses. They’re known as a middleweight horse and are called warm-blooded because they are a combination of both hot and cold-blooded horses. They have sensible attitudes with high energy. This high energy is perfect for dressage, jumping harness and equestrian Olympic sports.
• ponies:Pony type horses are quite smaller than the rest- hence the name! They usually measure less than 5 feet in height due to their shorter legs. There are over 100 breeds of pony that were bred to pull, pack, harness, ride, jump and more. Ponies are widely popular for sports and recreation, especially for children due to their small size.