A horse is a horse of course of course. Right? Well, not exactly. There are more breeds of horses than Carter has liver pills. We’re just going to touch on a few examples here, otherwise we’re going to need a book about 2000 pages long.

For example, and we’ll just start with the letter A, there is the Australian Stock Horse. This is one of those horses that arose from selective breeding due to the demands of the environment. The history of this breed actually began in 1788. When the first breed of horses was brought to Eastern Australia by the First Fleet. These horses were of mixed English Thoroughbred and Spanish stock and they were hardy enough horses that they were a perfect choice for the cavalry.

Moving along to the letter B, we have the Basotho Pony. This horse is found only in Lesotho, which is in South Africa. The horse is used almost exclusively for riding. The breed itself was developed sometime after 1825 from the Cape Horse. By the start of the 20th century this breed almost completely disappeared due to exporting of the horses and cross breeding with Arab and Thoroughbred horses. Fortunately, during the later part of the 20th century, a society was formed to revive the breed.

One of the most famous breed of horses starting with the letter C is the Clydesdale. This horse was developed in a district of Scotland. It is a heavy draft horse breed. The breed itself was developed by farmers in Lanarkshire, which is the old name for Clydesdale. This horse was mainly bred to meet the agricultural needs of farmers. The Clydesdale is a real work horse. Make no mistake about that.

The letter D gives us the Dartmoor Pony. This horse is one of nine breeds that are specific to the British Isles. This particular breed comes from a barren moorland called Dartmoor, which is located in Devon, England. These are very old horses which go all the way back to the reign of King Henry I. Today, Dartmoor Ponies are found all over Great Britain as well as countries like France, Sweden and Germany.

Moving along to the letter E, we have the Eriskay Pony. This particular pony is the only surviving variety of the Hebridean pony. It is found on the Hebrides Islands off the coast of Scotland. Today this particular breed of pony is almost extinct. Recent DNA testing of these animals show that they are of very ancient origin. These horses are mostly used for transportation and common chores such as pulling carts and even taking children to school.

And in case you are wondering, yes there are breeds of horses that begin with the letter Z. One of them is the Zaniskari Pony, which is found in Northern India. This particular breed is what is called a riding and pack breed.

Yes, there are more breeds of horse than you can possibly imagine. If you’re interested in doing more research on these animals you can do so by going to www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/Horses-w.htm. You’ll have enough to read to keep you busy for many years to come.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Horses
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When Christopher Columbus landed in the New World in 1492, he found a continent without horses. After returning to Spain, upon his return to the Americas, he brought back mares and stallions from Andalusia and Cordela. These horses were a mixture of Andalusian, Barb, and the now-extinct Spanish Jennet. The resulting offspring of this mixture was a horse with a very smooth and comfortable gait suitable for the varied terrains of the New World. Because of a trait contributed by the Jennet, of passing the most desirable characteristics along to its offspring, the horse quickly became favored by the Conquistadors. This was the founding stock of the Paso Fino breed. The breed established a place in the history of Western Civilization, being cited as instrumental in the conquest, exploration, and development of the Americas.

Over the 500 years since the introduction of the founding stock in the Western Hemisphere, the Paso Fino has been selectively bred and refined. And although they can be found elsewhere Peru, in South America, claims the most famous and purest bloodlines of this breed.

The most outstanding characteristic which makes the Paso Fino unique is the pattern and even cadence of its instinctual 1-2-3-4 gait. The hoofbeats are individually and distinctly heard as the horse moves. The movement is smooth and lateral, rather than diagonal. The rider feels very little, if any, up-and-down movement when the horse is in motion. This most unusual gait is performed at three speeds:

Classic Fino - Used for show purposes only, this is the same forward speed as a slow walk. The horse is collected and balanced. Watching the leg motion is fascinating.

Paso Corto - this is similar in speed to a trot. It’s a moderate speed, yet allows one to cover a good distance in leisurely fashion. Because of the smoothness of the stride, both horse and riders can go for hours tirelessly.

Paso Largo - this is a faster speed with a longer stride. The actual speed is different for each horse because it will reach its top speed in natural coordination with its tempo and stride.

Description and Conformation

The Paso Fino’s colors run the gamut of the equine color range. There is no one defining color assigned to this breed as being necessary for it being registered as a purebred horse and they can be with, or without, white markings.

This breed ranges in height from 13 to 15.2 hands (52 to 60.8 in,. or 132 to 154 cm.), with the most typical being 13.3 to 14.2 hands (53.2 to 56.8 in., or 135 to 144.2 cm.), which is considered small to average height for a horse. The weight ranges from 700 to 1100 pounds (49.7 to 78.1 stones). The full size of the Paso Fino may not be reached until it is five years of age.

The Paso Fino is often described as being of noble appearance. The immediate impression that one has is that of power, grace, and overall athletic balance in this horse. Its mane and tail are luxurious and flowing. The neck is sinuous, arched, and muscular. The shoulders are well-defined, but not prominent. The back is short and connects with slightly sloped hindquarters. The legs appear short, but powerful. The breed is naturally sure-footed with extremely durable hooves. Unless the horse is habitually used on rock or hard surfaces, it is rarely shod.

This beautiful breed of horse possesses a natural affection, is very intelligent, and is built for hard work. It performs well in gaited events, for showing, trail riding, and for pleasure riding.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Horses
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Teach Your Horse to Say “Yes” to YouThis video gives seven powerful steps to improve your horse’s responsiveness and to teach your horse to “listen up” to your cues. Learn how to eliminate all unresponsiveness. Why? Because, small disobediences in your horse can grow into huge problems. A responsive horse is a safe and enjoyable horse.The Seven Steps Are…Learn to read your horse’s energy level Reestablish the “whoa” cue Develop a more responsive mouth through proper use of your hands Tune up your horse’s neck reining skills Say listen up with your legs Gain the power of positive breathing Catch the rhythm

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