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Arabians Arabian horses originated in the Arabian Peninsula or the Middle East. Today Arabians are mainly used for endurance competitions and flat racing. They’re used for the endurance competitions, or long distance riding, because they have longer legs than most horses. An odd fact about Arabians is they have seventeen ribs, five lumbar bones, and sixteen tail vertebrae while most horses have eighteen ribs, six lumbar bones, and eighteen tail vertebrae. Even though they originated in the Arabian Peninsula they are more commonly found in the United States. |
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Appaloosas Bred for their endurance, stamina, and good temperament is the Appaloosa. They originated in Oregon in the eighteenth century. They were named after the Palous River. The Appaloosas were also great value to the Nez Perce Indian tribes who lived in the area now known as Idaho. In 1877 the breed almost died but came back in 1938. Today they are very popular and are used mainly for jumping and racing. Their coat comes in many different patterns such as the blanket, marble, leopard, snowflake, and the frost patterns. |
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Thoroughbreds Well known for its speed in racing is the Thoroughbred. It is the world’s fastest horse, and because of that it is the world’s most valuable racehorse. The Thoroughbred gets its speed from its long and powerful hind legs. They originated in England when native running horses crossed with stallions. In the sixteenth century King Henry VIII crossed the Thoroughbred with other breeds. This improved many breeds. One downside about the Thoroughbred is its difficult and sometimes stubborn temperament. |
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Pintos The Pinto breed, or more commonly known as the Paint horse, derived from Spanish horses and so does its name. Their name comes from the Spanish word pintado which means paint. They originated in the seventeenth century in the United State. They are well known for the patterns on their coat which can be classified into two types. One type of coat pattern is the ovaro coat and the other is the tobanio coat. The ovaro coat is a solid color with irregular shapes of white. The tobanio coat is the opposite, a solid white base coat with irregular shapes of a color. They are usually seen in western competitions, like barrel racing or roping. Pintos have good legs and strong, powerful hindquarters. |
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Quarter Horses The Quarter Horse got its name from excelling in quarter mile races. It has over twenty million registered in the American Quarter Horse Association. The Quarter Horse originated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the United States. They were originally used for many jobs including farming, hauling, and working cattle. Today they are used in western-style competitions and in short distance racing. They are also used for pleasure riding. |
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Tennessee Walking Horse The Tennessee Walking horse originated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Another name for it is the Tennessee Walker. It derived from many different breeds including the Thoroughbred, and the Narragan Pacer. One characteristic of the Tennessee Walker is its three smooth gaits. They are the flat walk, a running walk, and its canter. They are a popular breed for showing competitions. Tennessee Walking Horses are also good for novice riders because of their kind and good-natured temperaments. |
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