Horse World

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Horses have been around for a long time.

There are cave drawing of primitive horses.

The first domesticated horses known to man were those located in the steppes of central Asia somewhere between 3000 and 4000 B.C.

The first horses were thought to have been kept for their meat and milk. Early man probably started using horses as pack animals when early man became more nomadic.

In early 3rd millennium B.C. archeological evidence points to the horse as being used to pull vehicles during war or to pull two-wheeled chariots.

They became popular harness animals. Today different horse breeds are known for various uses such as horse racing, horse shows, as a working farm horse and as a pet.

Here are a few examples of breeds and how man utilizes horses.

The American Quarter Horse is known for its ability to sprint short distances. This is currently the most popular breed in the United States. This breed does extremely well in barrel racing, calf roping, all western riding events and any sport where speedy maneuvering is required.

The Appaloosa is known for its leopard-spotted coat.  It is a well-known stock horse, and also does well in western riding disciplines.

The Arabian horse is a very intelligent, high spirited, and high stamina horse with a very distinctive head shape and high tail. The Arabian horse is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world.

Arabians were used in raiding and in war. A very good endurance rider, it is used in competitive equestrian activities.

The Australian stock horse has been bred for the typical Australian conditions and is a hardy horse, known for endurance, agility and a good temperament. It is a very valuable workhorse.

The Belgian Horse is a heavy breed. Used mainly as working animals, they have been occasionally used as show horses, gaming horses and even trail riding horses. This breed is able to pull tremendous amounts of weight.

The Brazilian Sport Horse is a young breed recognized for participation in the Olympic Games. A very athletic horse, known for being calm and agile. It does well in show jumping, dressage and any sporting event.

The Cleveland Bay is a carriage-type horse and is believed to be the oldest breed in Britain (other than the native ponies).

Bred in the Cleveland area of northeastern England, they are said to have dated back to the Romans and may even have existed as far back as the medieval times.

They were used as packhorses for traveling salesmen, hunters, and farm horses and also as a competition horse. The most well known Cleveland Bay in America is Tregoyd Journeyman.

The Clydesdale is a draft horse and a very hard-working farm horse. Today Clydesdales are often used for exhibition or in parades.

The Indian Half-Bred Horse was a breed developed in India and used as army studs in order to produce suitable cavalry horses. The breed is used today as army mounts, by police forces, especially in rural areas.

The Karabakh Horse is one breed that is threatened with extinction as there are only 1,000 left in the world. The breed is known for good temperament and for speed.

Today they are mainly bred in Azerbaijan. This breed is a very sure-footed, hardy and strong horse that is not very large, but has strong legs.

The Mustang appears in many western movies and was a free-roaming feral horse in the North American west. They became a living symbol of the historic pioneer spirit of the West.

The Peruvian Paso is a beautiful horse used as a saddle horse because if its smooth ride and natural gait called the paso llano, which is a lateral, four beat gait.

The Russian Trotter was developed in Russia as a fast trotting horse and is known worldwide to be the fastest trotters. These horses are easy to train, quiet and very energetic. The legs are strong and have feet that move outward as they move which makes them to be good as racehorses.

The Spotted Saddle horse is another beautiful horse with its colorful markings, wide set, soft expressionate eyes and long ears. This breed possesses strength and stamina and is gentle and easy to handle.

The Tennessee Walking Horse is a very gentle and comfortable ride and has a unique four-beat “running walk”. The breed is well suited for trail rides and in Western riding disciplines and in harness applications.

Previous Articles By This Author

• Buying Your First Horse
• Equipment for Horses
• Basics of Horse Care
• Grooming your Horse
• The History of Horses