When I was old enough to be responsible to care for my own steed, I already knew that the horse of my dreams was just that, the horse of my dreams. To own a prancing pure white stallion or a high-stepping coal-black mare, I would have to buy a Lipizzaner, American Saddle Horse, or an Andalusian. But those kinds of horses were either not for sale to a beginner with a tiny barn or they cost so much, I couldn’t afford one. I was amazed to discover that there are about 350 different breeds of horses, and I had to look for a horse that was just right for me, possibly even a good grade horse (that means not registered) that was a safe mount. Color really didn’t matter as long as the horse was healthy and gave a safe, comfortable ride. (But I’m not sure what my friends might have said if I had a purple horse. That certainly would have been a “horse of a different color!”) Then I had to decide if I wanted to ride western or English style. Well, living in central Pennsylvania farm country with oodles of trails and dirt roads, the choice for me was simple: western.
I’m sure if you don’t have your own horse yet, you’ve dreamed and thought a lot about what your first horse will be. Perhaps you’ve already had a horse, but now you’re thinking of buying another one. What kind should you get?
Let’s look at some of the breeds that are the most popular for both western and English riders today. We’ll briefly trace a few breeds’ roots and characteristics while you decide if that kind of horse might be the one for you. Please keep in mind that this information speaks to generalities of the breeds. If given the proper care and training, most any breeds of horses make excellent mounts as well.
Some Popular Breeds (Based on Body Confirmation)
The Arabian
Sometimes called “The China Doll of the Horse Kingdom,” the Arabian is known as the most beautiful of horse breeds because of its delicate features. Although research indicates Arabians are the world’s oldest and purest breed, it is not known whether they originated in Arabia. However, many Bible scholars believe that the first horse that God created in the Garden of Eden must have embodied the strength and beauty that we see in the Arabian horse of today. It is also believed that all other breeds descended from this gorgeous breed that has stamina as well as courage and intelligence.
A purebred Arabian has a height of only 14 or 15 hands, a graceful arch in his neck, and a high carriage in his tail. It is easy to identify one of these horses by examining his head. If you see a small, delicate “dish” face with a broad forehead and tiny muzzle, two ears that point inward and large eyes that are often ringed in black, you are probably looking at an Arabian. The breed comes in all colors, (including dappled and some paint), but if you run your finger against the grain of any pureblood Arabian’s coat, you will see an underlying bed of black skin. Perhaps that’s why whites are often called “grays.”
Generally, Arabians are labeled spirited and skittish, even though they might have been well trained. If you have your heart set on buying an Arabian, make sure you first have the experience to handle a horse that, although he might be loyal, will also want to run with the wind.
The Morgan
The Morgan Horse, like a Quarter Horse (see below), can explode into a gallop for a short distance. The Morgan, with its short legs, muscles, and fox ears, also looks very much like the Quarter Horse. How can we tell the two breeds apart?
A Morgan is chunkier than a Quarter Horse, especially in his stout neck. His long, wavy tail often flows to the ground. His trot is quick and short and with such great stamina, he can trot all day long.
So where are the Morgan’s roots?
The horse breed was named after Justin Morgan, a frail music teacher who lived in Vermont at the turn of the eighteenth century. Instead of receiving cash for a debt owed, Mr. Morgan was given two colts. The smallest one, which he called Figure, was an undersized dark bay with a black mane and tail. Mr. Morgan sold the one colt, but he kept Figure, which he thought was a cross between a Thoroughbred and an Arabian. Over the years, he found the horse to be strong enough to pull logs and fast enough to beat Thoroughbreds in one afternoon and eager to do it all over again the same day!
When Mr. Morgan died, his short but powerful horse was called “Justin Morgan” in honor of his owner. After that, all of Justin Morgan’s foals were called Morgans. The first volume of the Morgan Horse Register was published in 1894. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Morgans have been registered.
If you go Morgan hunting, you will find the breed in any combination of blacks, browns, and whites. Don’t look for a tall horse because all Morgans are between 14 and 15 hands tall, just right for beginners. If you’re fortunate enough to find a well-trained Morgan, he’ll give you years of pleasure whether you ask him to gallop down a country trail, pull a wagon, or learn to jump obstacles.
The Mustang
If you want a taste of America’s Wild West from days gone by, then you should treat yourself to the “Wild Horse of America,” the Mustang.
This 14—15 hand, stout horse has its roots from Cortez and the Spanish conquistadors from the sixteenth century. Although the Mustang’s name comes from the Spanish word, mesteno, which means “a stray or wild grazer,” he is most well known as the horse of the Native Americans. Numerous tribes all over the western plains captured horses that had escaped from their Spanish owners and ran wild. The Native Americans immediately claimed the Mustang as a gift from their gods and showed the world that the horse was, and is, easy to train once domesticated.
It didn’t take long for the white settlers to discover the versatility of the Mustang. Because of his endurance, this little horse soon became a favorite for the Pony Express, the U.S. cavalry, cattle round-ups, and caravans.
Since the 1970s, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has stepped in to save the Mustangs from extinction. As a result, herds of Mustangs still roam freely in U.S. western plains today. At different times of the year and in different parts of the country, the Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program allows horse lovers to take a Mustang or burro home for a year and train it to be a reliable mount. After the year, the eligible family can receive a permanent ownership title from the government. As of October 2007, more than 218,000 wild horses and burros have been placed into private care since the adoption program began in 1973.
If you’d like a “different” kind of horse that sometimes has a scrubby look but performs with the fire of the Arab-barb blood, then go shopping for a Mustang. You’ll find him in any black, brown, or white combination and with the determination and stamina to become your best equine friend.
The Quarter Horse
There’s no horse lover anywhere in the world who hasn’t heard of the American Quarter Horse. In fact, the Quarter Horse is probably the most popular breed in the United States today.
But what exactly is a Quarter Horse? Is he only a quarter of a horse in size, therefore, just a pony? No, this fantastic breed isn’t a quarter of anything!
The Quarter Horse originated in American colonial times in Virginia when European settlers bred their stout English workhorses with the Native Americans’ Mustangs. The result? A short-legged but muscular equine with a broad head and little “fox” ears, a horse that has great strength and speed.
It didn’t take long for the colonists and Native Americans to discover that their new crossbreed was the fastest piece of horseflesh in the world for a quarter of a mile. Thus, the breed was christened the American Quarter Horse and began to flourish. Besides running quick races, it also pulled wagons, canal boats, and plows. When the American West opened up, cowpokes discovered that the Quarter Horse was perfect for herding cattle and to help rope steers. Although it remained a distinct breed for over three hundred years in the U.S., the Quarter Horse was only recognized with its own studbook in 1941.
If you are looking for a reliable mount that has a comfortable trot and smooth gallop, you might want to look at some seasoned Quarter Horses. (That means they have been trained properly and are at least five or six years old.) They come in any color or combi
nation of colors. Their temperament is generally friendly, yet determined to get the job done that you ask them to do.
The Shetland Pony
Many beginning riders incorrectly believe that the smaller the horse, the easier it is to control him. You might be thinking, “I’m tiny, so I need a tiny horse!” But many beginners have found out the hard way that a Shetland Pony is sometimes no piece of cake.
Shetland Ponies originated as far back as the Bronze Age in the Shetland Isles, northeast of mainland Scotland. Research has found that they are related to the ancient Scandinavian ponies. Shetland Ponies were first used for pulling carts, carrying peat and other items, and plowing farmland. Thousands of Shetlands also worked as “pit ponies,” pulling coal carts in British mines in the mid—nineteenth century. The Shetland found its way at the same time to the United States when they were imported to also work in mines.
The American Shetland Pony Club was founded in 1888 as a registry to keep the pedigrees for all the Shetlands that were being imported from Europe at that time.
Shetlands are usually only 10.2 hands or shorter. They have a small head, sometimes with a dished face, big Bambi eyes, and small ears. The original breed has a short, muscular neck, stocky bodies, and short, strong legs. Shetlands can give you a bouncy ride because of their short broad backs and deep girths. These ponies have long thick manes and tails, and in winter climates their coats of any color can grow long and fuzzy.
If you decide you’d like to own a Shetland, spend a great deal of time looking for one that is mild mannered. Because of past years of hard labor, the breed now shows a dogged determination that often translates into stubbornness. So be careful, and don’t fall for that sweet, fuzzy face without riding the pony several times before you buy him. You might get a wild, crazy ride from a “shortstuff” mount that you never bargained for!
The Tennessee Walking Horse
If you buy a Tennessee Walker, get ready for a thrilling ride as smooth as running water!
The Tennessee Walking Horse finds its roots in 1886 in Tennessee, when a Standardbred (a Morgan and Standardbred trotter cross) stallion named Black Allan refused to trot; instead, he chose to amble or “walk” fast. With effortless speed comparable to other horses’ trots, Black Allan’s new gait (each hoof hitting the ground at a different time) amazed the horse world. Owners of Thoroughbreds and saddle horses were quick to breed their mares to this delightful new “rocking-horse” stud, and the Tennessee Walker was on its way to becoming one of the most popular breeds in the world. In just a few short years, the Walker became the favorite mount of not only circuit-riding preachers and plantation owners, but ladies riding sidesaddle as well.
Today the Walker, which comes in any black, brown, or white color or combination, is a versatile horse and is comfortable when ridden English or Western. He is usually 15 to 17 hands tall and has a long neck and sloping shoulders. His head is large but refined, and he has small ears. Because he has a short back, his running walk, for which he is known, comes naturally.
If you go shopping for a Tennesee Walker, you will find a horse that is usually mild mannered yet raring to go. Although most Walkers are big and you might need a stepstool to climb on one, you will be amazed at how smooth his walk and rocking-horse canter is. In fact, you might have trouble making yourself get off!
Some Popular Breeds (Based on Body Color)
The Appaloosa
French cave paintings thousands of years old have “spotted” horses among its subjects, ancient China had labeled their spotted horses as “heavenly,” and Persians have called their spotted steeds “sacred.” Yet the spotted Appaloosa breed that we know today is believed to have originated in the northwestern Native Americans tribe called the Nez Perce in the seventeenth century.
When colonists expanded the United States territory westward, they found a unique people who lived near the Palouse River (which runs from north central Idaho to the Snake River in southeast Washington State). The Nez Perce Indian tribe had bred a unique horse—red or blue roans with white spots on the rump. Fascinated, the colonists called the beautiful breed palousey, which means “the stream of the green meadows.” Gradually, the name changed to Appaloosa.
The Nez Perce people lost most of their horses following the end of the Nez Perce War in 1877, and the breed started to decline for several decades. However, a small number of dedicated Appaloosa lovers kept the breed alive. Finally, a breed registry was formed in 1938. The Appaloosa was named the official state horse of Idaho in 1975.
If you decide to buy an Appaloosa, you’ll own one of the most popular breeds in the United States today. It is best known as a stock horse used in a number of western riding events, but it’s also seen in many other types of equestrian contests as well. So if you would like to ride English or Western, or want to show your horse or ride him on a mountain trail, an Appaloosa could be just the horse for you.
Appaloosas can be any solid base color, but the gorgeous blanket of spots that sometimes cover the entire horse identifies the special breed. Those spotted markings are not the same as pintos or the “dapple grays” and some other horse colors. For a horse to be registered as a pureblood Appaloosa, it also has to have striped hooves, white outer coat (sclera) encircling its brown or blue eyes, and mottled (spotted) skin around the eyes and lips. The Appaloosa is one of the few breeds to have skin mottling, and so this characteristic is a surefire way of identifying a true member of the breed.
In 1983, the Appaloosa Horse Club in America decided to limit the crossbreeding of Appaloosas to only three main confirmation breeds: the Arabian, the American Quarter Horse, and the Thoroughbred. Thus, the Appaloosa color breed also became a true confirmation breed as well.
If you want your neighbors to turn their heads your way when you ride past, then look for a well-trained Appaloosa. Most registered “Apps” are 15 hands or shorter but are full of muscle and loaded with spots. Sometimes, though, it takes several years for an Appaloosa’s coat to mature to its full color. So if it’s color you’re looking for, shop for a seasoned App!
The Pinto
The American Pinto breed has its origins in the wild Mustang of the western plains. The seventeenth and eighteenth century Native Americans bred color into their “ponies,” using them for warhorses and prizing those with the richest colors. When the “Westward Ho” pioneers captured wild Mustangs with flashy colors, they bred them to all different breeds of European stock horses. Thus, the Pinto has emerged as a color breed, which includes all different body shapes and sizes today.
The Pinto Horse Association of America was formed in 1956, although the bloodlines of many Pintos can be traced three or four generations before then. The association doesn’t register Appaloosas, draft breeds, or horses with mule roots or characteristics. Today more than 100,000 Pintos are registered throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Pintos have a dark background with random patches of white and have two predominant color patterns:
Tobiano (Toe-bee-ah’-no) Pintos are white with large spots of brown or black color. Spots can cover much of the head, chest, flank, and rump, often including the tail. Legs are generally white, which makes the horse look like he’s white with flowing spots of color. The white usually crosses the center of the back of the horse.
Overo (O-vair’-o) Pintos are colored horses with jagged white markings that originate on the animal’s side or belly and spread toward the neck, tail, legs, and back. The deep, rich browns or blacks appear to frame the white. Thus, Overos often have dark backs and dark legs. Horses with bald or white faces are often Overos. Their splashy white markings on the rest of their body make round, lacy patterns.
Perhaps you’ve heard the term paint and wonder if that kind of horse is the same as a Pinto. Well, amazingly, the two are different breeds! A true Paint horse (registered by the American Paint Horse Association) must be bred from pureblood Paints, Quarter Horses, or Thoroughbreds. The difference in eligibility between the two regist
ries has to do with the bloodlines of the horse, not its color or pattern.
So if you’re shopping for a flashy mount and you don’t care about a specific body type of horse, then set your sites on a Pinto or Paint. You might just find a well-trained registered or grade horse that has the crazy colors you’ve been dreaming about for a very long time!
The Palomino
No other color of horse will turn heads his way than the gorgeous golden Palomino. While the average person thinks the ideal color for a Palomino is like a shiny gold coin, the Palomino breed’s registry allows all kinds of coat colors as long as the mane and tail are silvery white. A white blaze can be on the face but can’t extend beyond the eyes. The Palomino can also have white stockings, but the white can’t extend beyond the knees. Colors of Palominos can range from a deep, dark chocolate to an almost-white cremello. As far as body confirmation, four breeds are strongly represented in crossbreeding with the Palomino today: the American Saddlebred, Tennessee Walker, Morgan, and Quarter Horse.
No one is sure where the Palomino came from, but it is believed that the horse came from Spain. An old legend says that Isabella, queen of Spain in the late fifteenth century, loved her golden horses so much she sent one stallion and five mares across the Atlantic to start thriving in the New World. Eventually those six horses lived in what is now Texas and New Mexico, where Native Americans captured the horses’ offspring and incorporated them into their daily lives. From those six horses came all the Palominos in the United States, which proves how adaptable the breed is in different climates.
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