Welcome back. In this lesson,
we'll take a few minutes to look at some of the major breeds of horses.
By the end of the lesson,
you should be able to recognize the categories of
horses and some of the major breeds and their uses.
Well, all horses have basic needs,
there are subtle differences in the care and handling of different breeds.
It is important to understand the characteristics of the different breeds to
properly assess the health of the horse and ensure that they are used appropriately.
Knowing the breed of a horse will help you provide
appropriate husbandry and care in meeting the health needs of the horse.
A breed may be defined as a group of horses
sharing common origins and distinctive characteristics.
Some breeds are purposely crossed to achieve certain traits for a particular use.
It's estimated that there are over 350 breeds of horses and ponies in the world today.
These breeds fall roughly into four categories including light horses,
ponies, heavy or draft horses, and feral horses.
Horse and Pony breeds are characterized by size, build, and use.
Size is measured from the ground to the withers
in hands which are equivalent to four inches.
The use of the hand as a measurement dates back to ancient Egypt and
became standardized in 1541 by King Henry VIII.
Hands remain the standard for measuring horses and ponies in English speaking countries,
while international competition now measures height in centimeters.
Light horse breeds include horses that measure 14.2 to
17 hands high and are used primarily for riding, driving, or racing.
These breeds are capable of higher speed than
Draft breeds and are generally leaner in build.
Some light horses however,
can be heavily muscled,
most weigh under 1500 pounds.
Within the light horse breeds there are significant variations.
Arabian's for instance are known for their high energy and endurance,
while quarter horses have a reputation for
being great family horses and good on the trail.
Morgan horses are an early American breed
and are multi-purpose riding and driving horses.
Thoroughbreds are used primarily for racing and sport horse competition.
Light breed horses differ widely in their nutritional needs because of the varied uses.
Again, it is important to understand
the breed in order to provide the best possible care.
On one end of the spectrum,
the heavy or draft horse breeds stand 14.2 to over 17 hands tall,
it can weigh 1,500 pounds or more.
They were bred primarily for farm work especially,
to pull heavy loads and plow fields.
Today, they are cross-bred with light horse breeds which
has produced the popular warmblood crosses used for riding in competition.
Belgians are perhaps the most common of
the draft horses and they are still used in farm work.
Clydesdales are showy carriage horses with long white hair or feathers on their legs,
and are the iconic horses of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company.
Percherons have their origin as warhorses but are now quite versatile.
Mature draft horses generally do better on
high fiber low energy feeds if they are not being worked intensely.
On the opposite side of the spectrum,
ponies by definition stand under 14.2 hands tall.
Pony breeds come in many shapes and temperaments.
Due to these wide variations,
ponies are used in many different activities,
and some pony breeds such as the Robust Norwegian Fjord are considered draft breeds.
Shetland ponies are refined and used for riding and driving,
and are often a first horse for children.
Connemaras are sturdy, versatile,
large ponies often used in competition by both children and adults.
Ponies generally are easy keepers,
meaning they will easily become overweight if
their dietary needs are not kept in balance with their exercise load.
They are also known to be very clever in successfully seeking extra food.
Later in the course,
we'll discuss the special situation of the feral horse group.
Next however, we'll turn our discussion to Basic Equine Physiology.
Claudia Sonder, DVMEmeriti Director of Equine Outreach
