ANSC 1401 Horse Breeds

Stallion

sexually mature male horse

Colt

sexually immature male horse

Mare

sexually mature female horse

Filly

sexually immature female horse

Gelding

male horse castrated before reaching sexual maturity

Foal

young male or female horse until weaned at 4-6 months of age

Equine

species name for horses

Jack

male donkey

Jennet (Jenny)

female donkey

Mule

- offspring of a Mare and Jack

- Large Ears

- Tough

- Ornery (bad-tempered & combative)

- Some are jumping mules

Hinny

offspring of a Stallion and Jenny

Stud

place where stallions are houses (Stud Farm); horse used for breeding

Hand

unit of measurement for the height of horses (1 hand=4in)

Gaits

the pattern in which a horse moves its feet/hooves

Walk

- Natural Gait

- 4-beat lateral gait, each foot/hoove moves independently

- Slowest but most fundamental

Trot

- Natural Gait

- 2-beat diagonal gait (paired diagonal feet move simultaneously)

- performed in English Tack

- most efficient

Jog

- Natural Gait

- 2-beat diagonal gait (paired diagonal feet move simultaneously)

- Performed in Western tack

- level, smooth sensation

Pace

- Natural Gait

- 2-beat lateral gait (lateral limbs strike ground simultaneously)

- Teeter-totter sensation while riding

- Only recognized in standardbreds

Canter (Lope)

- Natural Gait

- 3-beat gait where 2 hooves move simultaneously, while the other 2 move independently

- Performed in Western tack

- Can manipulate lead foot/hoof

Canter (Gallop)

- Natural Gait

- 3-beat gait where 2 hooves move simultaneously, while the other 2 move independently

- Performed in English tack

- Can manipulate lead food/hoof

Running Walk

- Artificial Gait

- Fast walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse

- Forelegs brought upward

- 4-beat gait that is faster than ordinary walk; hind foot oversteps hoof print of forefoot by 15-50in

Rack

- Artificial Gait

- Forelegs brought upward

- 4-beat gait that is faster than running walk or ordinary walk; hind feet do not overstep the hoof print of the forefeet as far compared to running walk

Light Breeds

- 14.2 hands and over

- 900-1200+ lbs

-"Hot-blooded"

- Usually riding breeds

- Small bones & thin legs

American Quarter Horse

- Light Breed

- 14.2-16.0 hands

- 1,000-1250lbs

- Uses: recreation, work, racing, showing, rodeo, hunter/jumper

- Fastest in quarter mile for Racing; some agile horses perform in Cutting sport

- Quiet disposition, heavily muscled, most versatile

- Always a solid color with white never extending above knees and hocks; no white posterior; white line extending from ear to muzzle

- Curved croup, more horizontal neck

American Quarter Horse Association

- AQHA: largest horse breed association globally with the most promotional information

- Formed in 1941

- Can register a horse that is 1/2 Quarter Horse and 1/2 Thoroughbred

Arabian Horse

- Light Breed

- similar in height to Quarter Horse but lighter in weight

- Light-muscled & light-boned

- Desert horse from Egypt

- Characteristics: speed, stamina, spirit, beauty, energetic, alert

- used in endurance events and trail rides; also recreation, showing, stock horse

- Dished face (gibba), longer and arched neck (swan-necked), flat croup & high tail setting, large footed

Thoroughbred Horse

- Light breed

- 15.2-17.0 hands in height

- 900-1,200lbs in weight

- bred for speed and endurance

- Uses: racing, hunters, jumpers, dressage, polo, 3-day events

- Foundation for Quarter Horse, Morgan, and Standardbred breeds

- Bigger, longer, and "leggier" than Quarter Horse

Morgan Horse

- Light Breed

- 14.1-15.1 hands in height

-1,000-1,200lbs in weight

- Similar to Arabian in appearance; not as heavily muscled, not as refined, and neck is more upright

- Used to establish Standardbred & American Saddlebred breeds

- Uses: recreation, showing

Standardbred Horse

- Light breed

- 14.2-16.2 hands in height

- 850-1,150lbs in weight

- Similar conformation but smaller than Thoroughbred

- Includes trotters (2-beat diagonal gait) & pacers (2-beat lateral gait)

- Name derived from "standard for speed in sulky races"; additionally used for endurance & fitness events

- Must trot a mile in 2:30 min or less to be registered

- Must pace a mile in 2:25 min or less to be registered

American Saddlebred/American Saddle Horse

- Light Breed

- 15-16 hands in height

- 1,000-1,200lbs in weight

- the horse "peacock"

- Developed as plantation horse in Kentucky

- Known for ease of riding; vertical action in back, no overreach of hind legs; comfortable, smooth ride

- Uses: recreation and showing

- 3-gaited: walk, trot, and canter gaits

- 5-gaited: walk, trot, canter, slow, and rack gaits

Tennessee Walking Horse

- Light Breed

- 15-16 hands in height

- 1,000-1,200 lbs in weight

- Originated in Middle Tennessee Valley as a plantation horse

- Characteristics: genetic ability to perform running walk, other gaits are walk and canter, nodding of the head

- used for recreation & showing

- Known for ease of riding and easy moving

True or False: Breed registries with color requirements do not breed true

True

American Paint Horse

- Same type and pedigree as Quarter Horse

- Must have one spot above the legs larger than a silver dollar

- Sire and Dam must be Paint, Quarter Horse, or Thoroughbred

- Uses: racing, work, recreation, showing

- 3 basic color patterns: Overo, Tobiano, Tovero

Overo

- Colored with irregular sporadic (jagged) white spots

- White spots DO NOT cross back; colored top line

- Black circle around eyes

- At least ONE colored leg

- Face often white

- Blue-eyed

Tobiano

- White with regular, oval-shaped colored spots

- White crosses the back

- White legs

- Usually have white mane/tail

- More symmetrical coloring on head

Tovero

- Combination of tobiano

and overo characteristics

- Dark pigment around ears

- One or both eyes are blue eyes

- Dark pigment around the

mouth

- Usually have chest spots,

flank spots and spots

around the base of the tail

American Pinto

- Similar color patterns to American Paint Horse

- Can be any breed type EXCEPT NO Appaloosa or Draft Blood allowed to be registered as a Pinto

- Must have some white coloration

Appaloosa

- Have strong Quarter Horse bloodlines

- Uses: recreation, work, racing, showing; noted for endurance and sure-footedness (ability to move on difficult terrain without slipping/falling)

- 3 color characteristics: eyes are encircled with white (white sclera), skin is mottled - with and irregular round/cylindrical spotting, and hooves are black and white striped vertically

- 2 basic color patterns: Blanket & Leopard

Appaloosa (Blanket)

- color/pattern distributed over the hind limbs

Appaloosa (Leopard)

- color/pattern distributed all over the body

Palomino

- can refer to breed or color

- Golden in color with white main/tail; skin must be black, dark, or mouse-colored

- Must have 15% or less dark hairs on mane/tail

American Buckskin

- Hair coat of some shade of yellow (gold to nearly brown) with black or brown points (mane, tail, lower legs)

- No dorsal line (line down back)

American Buckskin (Dun)

- Hair coat of some shade of yellow (gold to nearly brown) with black or brown points (mane, tail, lower legs)

- Has a dorsal line (line down back)

- Can have leg barring (zebra like stripes along forelegs and hind legs)

American Buckskin (Grulla)

- Hair coat that is mouse-colored with black points (mane, tail, lower legs)

- Can have a dorsal line (line down back)

- Can have leg barring (zebra like stripes along forelegs and hind legs)

American Buckskin (Red Dun)

- Buckskin characteristics over a red base

- Underlying body color is Sorrel with red points (mane, tail, legs)

- Can have a dorsal line (line down back)

- Can have leg barring (zebra like stripes along forelegs and hind legs)

Draft Horses

- 14.2-17.2 hands in height

- 1,500-2,000lbs in weight

- Large bones, thick & heavy body

- Initially developed as warhorses for carrying knights in armor, now used for work in underdeveloped countries

- In America, they are used recreationally and kept as pets

- Nurse Mares: produce more milk than light breeds; kind, gentle and more willing to accept a foal

- "Great Horse"

Half Drafts

- Draft horses bred with light breed horses

- Used in athletic events for children & elders due to their calm & gentle nature

Percheron Horse

- Draft Horse

- Originated in France

- Grey, black, or a combination

- No feathering on legs

- Much knee & hock action

Clydesdale Horse

- Draft Horse

- Originated in Scotland

- Typically sorrel or bay with white extensive white face & leg markings

- Feathered legs; can lead to fungal infections if not properly groomed

- Budweiser Horses

Belgian Horse

- Draft Horse Breed

- Originated in Belgium

- MOST MASSIVE of Draft Horses; known for size & strength

- Sorrel & Roans with flaxen (lighter in color) mane/tail

- Do not officially have feathering, but sometimes can

Shire Horse

- Draft Horse

- Originated in England

- TALLEST of the Draft Horses

- Usually black, but can be bay or brown

- Feathered legs

Suffolk Horse

- Draft Horse

- Originated in England

- Chestnut/Sorrel color; ONLY draft breed that breeds completely true for color because it has no recessive genes (Suffolk horses will always breed chestnut/sorrel offspring)

Pony Breeds

- Less than 14.2 hands in height

- Less than 800lbs in weight

Welsh Pony

- Originated in Wales

- Best athlete of the ponies; easy to train, good for competitions

- Ideal for young children

- Uses: work in coal mines, work cattle, pull chariots, serve as postmen mounts

Pony of the Americas (POA)

- Developed in Iowa

- Shetland X Appaloosa

- Must have Appaloosa coloring

- Developed for use by young people & families

Shetland Pony

- Originated on the Shetland Islands near Scotland

- Used to pull coal mines

- Shaggy, furry hair coat

- Smart, mean, short-tempered, tough & stubborn

- Compete in races

Hackney Pony

- Used for pulling English style

- Much leg action similar to the Saddlebred

Miniature Horses

- Maximum Height 34in.

- No specific breeds, all color variations

- Good temperament

- Expensive

- Used as pets & in circuses

True or False: Other horse breeds around the world are less important in the USA.

True

Paso Fino

- South American Origin

Lipizzan (Lipizzaner)

- From Lippiza

- highly maneuverable; can perform "airs above the ground"

- from the imperial Austrian stud farm; gray in color

Warmblood

- Large Size

- Agility of the Thoroughbred

Other Breeds

- Holsteiner

- Selle Francias

Grey

- Solid or dappled grey with lighter grey or white mane/tail

Bay

- Darker reddish-brown horse, black mane/tail and legs

Chestnut/Sorrel Horse

- Red bodied horse with a lighter or same (red) colored mane/tail

- Can have white legs & face

- Can also be fully solid

Black

- Pitch-black horse with a black mane/tail

- Body will not show red in the sunlight

- Can have white markings

Brown

- Dark/dirt brown bodied horse with a brown or black mane/tail

- Can see hints of red in sunlight

Roan

- Even mixture of colored and white hair, while the head, mane, and tail are mostly solid colored

Yellow

- Yellowed horse with a lighter yellow mane/tail

What horse breed is this?

American Quarter Horse

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Appaloosa

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American Saddlebred

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Morgan

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Arabian

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Belgian

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Percheron

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Suffolk

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Shire

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Clydesdale

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American Buckskin

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Dun

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Red Dun

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Grulla

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Palomino

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American Pinto

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Thoroughbred

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American Paint Horse

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Tennessee Walking Horse

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Welsh

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Shetland

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Hackney

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Pony of the Americas (POA)

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Miniature Horse

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Overo

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Tovero

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Tobiano

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Palomino

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Sorrel

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Roan