Horse breeds: 150 photos, names, descriptions, features and purpose of the horse

Horses are beautiful and graceful animals that live next to a person and fulfill all his whims. These amazing creatures were used for riding, transporting things, agricultural work. Kind and sympathetic, hardy and unpretentious, these beautiful animals have long accompanied a person and facilitate his work, bring beauty and love into his life.

It is not known exactly when the domestication of this pet took place, but since then horses have been diligently fulfilling their assigned role.

Horses can be designed for work, be a great friend and faithful companion on a long walk, win prizes in competitions, give their love and grace.

Classification of breeds

Depending on the purpose, all horses can be divided according to two indicators. The first will be the origin of the breed, and the second will be the purpose of the horse.

For any owner, it will be the purpose of the horse that is most important, that is, the list of work that it is capable of performing without prejudice to health.

Of course, an Arabian horse can be harnessed to a cart, and a heavy truck can be used to quickly move from one point to another, but this is unlikely to be a rational investment.

But the origin of the breed is also useful in determining the performance of a future or existing beauty pet.

Horse: description, structure, characteristics. What does a horse look like?

According to the zoological classification, horses are mammals, belong to the equid order, the equine family. Male horses are called stallions and female mares. We also often use the word "horse", meaning a horse, usually a male is called a horse, that is, a stallion, and a castrated stallion is also called a gelding.

The horse is a graceful animal, distinguished by its slenderness, it has well-developed muscles and a strong constitution. The horse's body is rounded, legs are long and slender. The horse's head, which rests on a graceful and muscular neck, is large and elongated. But, interestingly, despite the large size of the horse's head, the horse's brain is relatively small. But despite this moment, horses, along with dolphins,

elephants, monkeys, dogs and cats, are the smartest animals on our planet, possessing high intelligence, they are perfectly amenable to training and education.

The horse's head is adorned with large and pointed ears, and a pair of large and expressive eyes is located on the muzzle. All horses have excellent eyesight, hearing and smell.

The horse's body is covered with hair, the length and color of which depends on the species and breed of the horse. Also, the color and intensity of a horse's coat can change with age.

Origin of the breed

According to this indicator, all horses can be divided into the following categories:

Local or indigenous breeds. These breeds are great for local habitation and are able to withstand the harsh conditions or unfavorable climates of a particular area. An example is the Yakut horse or the Altai, steppe or Thessal breed.

Transitional rocks.Such representatives of the horse tribe can be found everywhere. Originally intended for life in a certain area, such horses were able to assimilate in other areas of residence.

Most often, such breeds were obtained as a result of natural selection or, at best, folk selection, when the owners were more concerned with the working qualities of their assistants than with professional selection and complex selection, with a perspective for the distant future.

Factory breeds. These horses were bred specifically for specific human needs. The ancestors of such breeds were selected by breeders according to certain indicators, selected only for this breed.

Such work is quite difficult, it requires strict selection of producers, careful rejection of unsuitable specimens and consolidation of the selected qualities in subsequent generations.

It is possible to do this in the highest quality possible only in the conditions of specialized breeding plants. The famous Oryol trotters or the magnificent Arabian horses can be considered a good example of such a breed.

Popular breeds of domestic selection

Oryol trotting

In the 18th century, Count Orlov bought from the Turkish Sultan a beautiful gray stallion, a purebred Arab named Smetanka. One of the sons of the horse became the founder of the popular horse breed, the Orlov trotter. Representatives of this line are distinguished by a frisky and stable trot.

The Oryol trotter is beautifully built, its profile betrays the presence of Arab blood. The body of the horses is lean, the neck is long, curved, the legs are slender and strong. The breed is considered one of the best in domestic breeding, it is appreciated not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Budennovskaya

The Budyonnovskaya horse breed was bred in the Rostov region on the basis of Don mares and thoroughbred English stallions, it was registered in 1948. At first, these horses served for the needs of the army, and now they are used in equestrian sports. They have gained popularity due to their endurance, strength and unpretentiousness. The Budyonnovsk horse inherited tirelessness from the Don ancestors, and from the thoroughbred horsemen it inherited perseverance and the will to win.

Horse breed Budyonnovskaya

Representatives of this breed line participate in competitions and win victories in various disciplines:

dressage;
smooth jumps;
show jumping;
triathlon.

Donskaya

The Don horse breed, popular in Russia, was bred under the leadership of Budyonny on the basis of Kalmyk mares, which were brought to the Don by nomads. For breeding, stallions of Arabian, Persian origin and the best representatives of the thoroughbred riding breed were used.

Don horses are medium-sized, but very hardy and hardworking animals. They are capable of making long transitions over several days. Horses are not afraid of either heat or cold, they are undemanding to nutrition and quality of care.

Two colors are widespread in the breed - red and bay. The Don horse has short, shiny coat. A distinctive feature of the horses is the concave knees, and they are located slightly lower than those of other breeds. This structure of the limbs allows the Don horse to make a powerful jump and easily move on various ground. Today this breed is in demand among athletes, it has shown itself especially well in show jumping, driving, and horse racing.

The popularity of different horse breeds is associated with their external characteristics or an interesting history, while others have conquered it thanks to sporting achievements or hot temperament. Every nation highly values aboriginal horses, because their ancestors worked on their breeding. However, some breeds have received worldwide fame and recognition, these include purebred horses - Arabian, English riding and Akhal-Teke.

Purpose of the breed

The purpose of the breed plays a much more important role in the acquisition of a pet.There are such roles as:

Riding horse breeds are intended only for riding or racing. These are the most graceful representatives of the horse tribe. And the most capricious. But there is no sense in ordinary life from them.

Harness-riding breeds are stronger and more resilient. They can cope with a small load, and it is quite comfortable to travel on them because of the rather narrow back. Such breeds are sometimes called light-harnessing.

Sled rocks are intended for the transport of goods. Sitting astride them is completely uncomfortable, but, in principle, possible. The inconvenience will be expressed more for the rider than for the horse. But on the other hand, such breeds will cope with a rather serious load.

Heavy trucks. These are the strongest and most resilient horses. They perfectly transport the heaviest loads without prejudice to their own health. They are often referred to as heavy-duty breeds.

But sitting on them will become a big problem, too wide back of the breed of heavy horses will not allow you to sit more or less comfortably.

Rare and unusual varieties

The list of the most beautiful horses will be incomplete if rare and unusual breeds are not included in it.

Knabstrupper breed

Knabstrupper
The name of this rare breed was given by a village in Denmark. Knabstrupper horses are not to be confused with others. Their distinguishing feature is their white coat with many black or brown spots.

If at the beginning of the 19th century horses of this species were large and massive, now they have an average constitution. Height at the withers - 150 cm.

Exterior features:

the neck is thick;
the head is neat, graceful;
the withers are pronounced;
long slender limbs;
chubate suit.

Horses of this breed can often be seen in the arena of European circuses.

Falabella breed

Falabella breed
These are the smallest horses in the world. Their height does not exceed 75 centimeters. The birthplace of the breed is Argentina, where at the end of the 19th century the breeder H. Falabella began breeding miniature horses. He crossed the short animals collected by his father-in-law with the Scottish ponies.

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Exterior features:

the suit can be piebald, roan, forelock;
proportional graceful body;
thin legs with small hooves;
long tail and mane.

Small horses are started as a pet, since they cannot perform any other functions. They are not even suitable for riding.

It is interesting

In Ancient Russia, a slightly different classification was used. In those distant times, horses were divided into three types.

Merciful horses were intended for public service. They were ridden exclusively by princes and boyars. They were given only for especially exceptional merits, and even then not to everyone. Only top officials and leaders of military squads could have a merciful horse.

Sumy horses were intended to carry packs and bags. They were used in military campaigns and were distinguished by good speed and carrying capacity.

The lead horses were slow and slow. Therefore, they were used exclusively for the transportation of bulky goods. They walked for themselves, without haste, in carts and carried all kinds of baggage, without which the conduct of hostilities is impossible.

At that time, no one really cared about the peasants, so working breeds did not exist. And the horses were very expensive, not every wealthy person had the opportunity to purchase such an assistant.

Horse breeds

In general, there are a huge variety of horse breeds (about 450), and it is rather difficult to understand them. There are horse breeds with names by which it is easy to determine the purpose of the pet or its historical homeland.

For example, a Russian heavy truck was created in Russia and is designed to transport heavy loads or any other physically difficult labor.

And the English riding horse is suitable exclusively for horse racing or horse riding, and the islands of Great Britain are considered its homeland.

The breeds of horses with photos show all this diversity and allow you to enjoy beautiful horses and great workers in all their glory, to feel grateful to noble or simple animals.

Arabic

This is one of the oldest horse breeds. It was brought out by nature itself. Homeland is the Arabian Peninsula. Difference from other types:

beautiful physique;
agility;
endurance;
rapidity.

The characteristic feature is the concave head and curved neck, as well as strong legs with well-defined joints.

Horse breeds

The horse breed is deservedly positioned as the most beautiful horse breed. They are graceful and graceful, light and mobile.

This breed is divided into two subspecies.

The first type is intended for training or simple horseback riding for your own entertainment. They are distinguished by a calm and flexible character, easy smooth running.
The second type is the complete opposite. They are aggressive and quick-tempered, proud and nervous, strong and tenacious.

Often only one owner and rider is recognized. They need constant physical activity, without which the animal will quickly lose its capabilities and qualifications.

Such animals are designed for racing, they need a fast rhythm, the desire to win splashes in their blood.

Representatives of pleasure horses include American horse, Marwari (Indian horse), Lipician, Kabardian, Andalusian horses. Moreover, the latter breed will be an excellent acquisition for participating in horse shows.

Sports horses are represented by English thoroughbred, Arabian thoroughbred, Appaloosa, Hanoverian, Akhal-Teke, Trakehner breeds.

Golden horses. Unusual horse colors

Bulany horses with a sandy yellow body color and black mane, tail and lower legs are called. There are various shades of a dun suit - from a fawn color of the body, almost white (light brown), to dirty yellow, almost dark brown (dark brown). Buck horses often have apples and a golden tint of the coat. Often, the lower part of the legs is not black, but dark brown, the reason for which is the action of the Cremello gene, which can sometimes lighten the black pigment a little even in a heterozygous state. Bucky horses have dark skin and brown, sometimes amber eyes. The brown suit is created by one (!) Cremello gene based on the chestnut suit. Golden Buck typical for Akhal-Teke horses. Among the representatives of the Belarusian harness breed, there are often light brown horses with a light gray, almost white body color.

Solovykh horses with a red body color of various shades (from brownish to sandy) and a white mane and tail are called. Dark nighting a horse can be confused with a playful one. Sometimes very light salty horses whose body is almost cream-colored. Such horses can be confused with Isabella horses, but their main difference from Isabella horses is dark skin and dark eyes. Salted horses are often born very pale, almost white. These foals have pink skin that darkens over time. The eyes are usually brown, like most horses, and only occasionally can they be light brown, amber. Golden straw also found, especially in the breed group of Palomino and Kinsky horses. The coat of these horses resembles 585 gold or a newly minted coin. The golden straw color is one of the rarest flowers in the world. It is characterized by a bright golden color. Such horses are very rare, so it is almost impossible to find them, however, they are still found.

Horses of this tailing are born fairly light, most often white. Over time, the foals darken, and their body color takes on a standard sandy color.In addition to the color of the trunk and mane, brown eyes are a characteristic feature of the horses of this dressing. Occasionally, they can be amber or have a light shade.

To obtain a salty horse coat requires one gene clarifier cream

The horse's isabella, or cream shade as it is called in some circles, is very beautiful and very similar to the nighting suit. But the isabella color has characteristic differences, for example, blue and green eyes.

Isabella suit is determined by two (!) Genes of the cream on the basis of any suit. When homozygous, the cream gene lightens both red and black pigments. Since the formation of this suit requires two identical genes, it is rare. In the old hippological literature, you can often find its definition as light salty. In the USA there is no single name for the isabella suit, but there are terms-cremello, literally cream (cremello, isabella color based on red), perlino, literally pearl (perlino, based on the bay suit) and smoky cream (smoky black, black based). Hippologists in the United States call Perlino horses of the Isabella suit with dark mane and tail, and Cremello horses whose mane and tail are approximately the same shade as the body or lighter. In the United States, the service industry for determining the genotype of a horse is developed, so it is not difficult to say with certainty whether an Isabella horse is genetically black or red in the United States. In fact, these terms are just names of genotypes, and you should not translate them literally when translating hippological literature, as most would-be translators do. We have already mentioned that there are Isabella horses with different shades of mane and tail in relation to the color of the body, but studies have not revealed an exact connection between the shade of the mane and tail and the genotype of Isabella horses.

At birth, foals have a white tinge of pink skin. As they grow older, the skin becomes completely creamy. As for the eyes, they remain blue. As mentioned earlier, blue eyes are the main feature of the Isabella horse color, although sometimes horses of this color are found with dark and even brown eyes.

Champagne horses owe their appearance to a completely different gene - CH (Champagne)

This gene was discovered quite recently, and therefore there is little information about it. It is the dominant clarifier gene and brightens both red and black pigments. It is designated Ch, its recessive allele, which does not affect the color of the animal, is designated accordingly ch. The Champagne gene has been documented in the Tennessee breed, Missouri Foxtrotters, Quarter Horses, American Riders, Kentucky Riders, Appaloosa, American Miniatures, and a few others.

the eyes are blue at birth, but after a while they become amber;
(the following two features are optional and are present in both Champagne and other breeds):
on the coat can be pronounced round spots of dark color, the so-called "apples on the contrary".
Photo of a classic variety of champagne horse

The champagne gene affects two colors: black and red. In this case, chocolate or olive is formed from black, and gold or yellow from red. The key role here is played by the original genotype, on the basis of which the variety was formed. There are the following types:

classic suit - an animal with a chocolate or olive sheen.
the amber color is characterized by a golden color with a clear manifestation of a pale gold tone. But, there are three parts: the mane, legs and tail can range in color from brown to black.

High-harness breeds

Such horses are of medium height, calm character, quick wit.

The breed is represented by the Hungarian half-blooded, Wielkopolska, Don, Frisian horses and the American Morgan. All show their properties excellently in small amateur races and have good working qualities.

Heavy trucks

As a breed, such horses appeared in the Middle Ages. A heavy knight in full uniform would not have been borne by light horses.

The weight of the war horse was about a ton, and such an accelerated carcass was an additional weapon in the battle. Of course, they could not jump or turn quickly, but they coped with the leisurely transition.

Later, such horses were adapted to the needs of ordinary people. The most famous breeds of heavy trucks are: Percheron, Shire, Brabancon, Vladimir, Russian, Soviet heavy trucks.

Russian horse breeds

In general, Russia has presented a lot of respectable breeds.

These are the already named heavy trucks, low, but very strong, capable of handling loads of up to 25 tons.
These are the famous Orlov trotters, created by Count Orlov-Chesmensky and taking all the best features from the Arab, Dutch and Danish breeds.
These are both Russian riding and Russian trotters, designed by the same count.
These are unpretentious Vyatka and Bashkir breeds, distinguished by their calm nature and survival in cold winters.
This is also the Don breed, distinguished by good health and obedience, perfectly adapted for service in the cavalry or mounted police.
This is a small Yakut horse, which not only becomes an excellent helper in the frozen Yakutia, but also supplies local residents with warm fur.
This is also an excellent high-harness Budyonnovskaya horse, which is now used as a sports breed, used both for walking and for competitions.

Horses have long and reliably served people, awakening the best qualities in them and facilitating hard work where there is no opportunity to use technology, delight with their grace and amaze with their endurance.

Oryol trotter

Oryol trotters were bred in Russia. They got their name from the name of the breeder A. Orlov. They have the blood of Arabian, Danish, Dutch and many other foreign breeds. Its popularity peaked in the 18th - 19th centuries.

Distinguishes the representative of this breed:

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