Different Horse Breeds - A Tutorial

Are you new to the world of horses and horse riding, and are interested in finding out more information on these fascinating creatures? Are you hoping to do a bit of horse riding and you’ve noticed that there are different kinds of horses? For the layperson out there, did you know that there are hundreds of different horse breeds, and that the different breeds are used historically for different tasks? Did you know that the different breeds not only affect a horses physiology but also their temperament and nature? Guess what!?! We’re here to clarify a few things for you, helping you to learn a couple of horse-breed related trivialities, so that you know a thing-or-two the next time you go horse riding. Here’s our crash-course tutorial on different horse breeds.

Kinds of Horse Breeds

So, before you learn about a specific horse breed, you need to first learn about the different categories into which specific breeds fall. Let us use dog breeds as an example: a cocker spaniel is a specific breed of dog that falls under the category of “spaniel” - a breed designed to run or swim and fetch an animal that a hunter/shooter has shot. In the same way, there are breed categories of horses either bred for a specific activity or have developed certain characteristics based on geographical differences.

Hotbloods, Warmbloods and Coldbloods

To the trained horse enthusiast, simply condensing the horse breeds into these three categories seems like over-simplifying, however it can ease the process in learning about a specific breed. The ‘bloodedness’ of the horse is a reference to the horse’s temperament as well as physiology. A hotblooded horse is generally considered a ‘new-world’ breed: a horse from Asia and North Africa. These breeds, like the Arabian, are generally very small and wiry, with explosive energy and speed and a difficult temperament.

Typical Hotblood Horse

Alternatively, a coldblood horse is traditionally found in Europe, and is most often a larger horse, with incredible amounts of power. They are, however, a lot slower and ponderous, and were mostly found on farms and factories. They are utilised for their power and can pull ploughs and turn gears. Sometimes a coldblood horse was trained to be mounted in battle and used to rush infantry and crush men beneath their hooves, such as the famous (and now almost extinct) destrier.

A MASSIVE Coldblooded Draft Horse

Lastly, a warmblood is a combined breed of both hotbloods and coldbloods, in an effort to blend both the athleticism of the Asian breeds and the timidity of the European breeds. The English thoroughbred is a great example of a warmblood, as it is fast and lithe but big enough to bear the weight of heavier Europeans. This is why the English thoroughbred is considered a modern favourite.

A Belgian Warmblood

Other Breeds

There are some breeds of horses that do not fall within the above-mentioned categories. For instance, the diminutive yet strong pony has been used for hundreds of years as a pack horse and companion. Alternatively, grade horses are those mixed breeds that don’t fall into any particular category. For example, the warmbloods and hotbloods brought to South Africa often bred with local ponies. This, in turn, created the Boerperd which is now a registered breed and no longer considered a grade horse.

South African boerperd

It is also important to mention some of the American breeds as ‘other’ breeds. American horses such as the American paint horse and the Appaloosa are irregular because of the differences in physiology that have developed over thousands of years of being separated from its Asian cousins. They are also called light horses or gaited horses. Some other regional-based horses fall into this category.

An American paint horse

Famous Specific Breeds

There are a few particular breeds that have become favoured and famous for their roles in specific sports and tasks. Let’s take a look at a few of them. Firstly, as mentioned above, the famous thoroughbred is one of the most popular breeds for being both strong and fast, with amiable personality traits. You’ll often find thoroughbreds in showjumping and running events, as well as owned as companions and trail riding horses.

A classic thoroughbred

The Arabian, also described above, is one of the most expensive horse breeds. Known to be one of the fastest and lithe horse breeds, they have difficult temperaments, but are highly-valued. They have been specifically bred by Arab and Bedouin peoples for use in the Arabian and North African deserts.

A well-bred and incredibly expensive Arabian

German and European warmbloods are also very popular, and host a number of breeds. These horses are, in our opinion, some of the most beautiful. They are very big and powerful, and are famous due to their showjumping and dressage repertoire. They also make great companions.

The powerful German warmblood

Frisians are, like German warmbloods, also big and strong, but less athletic. They have been used for riding and draft purposes, and are very well-known for their long and flowing locks of black hair.

The black-beauty Frisian

Shire horses are a much loved draft horse in England. Very friendly, they love a bit of hard work on the farms or pulling carriages. There are many breeds of draft horse that in fact enjoy the work that their owners commit them toward, and it is by no way a form of animal cruelty.

A typical Shire draft

These are just a few of the horse breeds among the hundreds that are registered by horse associations across the globe. Take a look at the wikipedia horse breeds page to get a better idea of all the horse breeds that there are. Now, hopefully, you know a little bit more information regarding horse breeds. The next time you go on a horse trail or horse ride in South Africa, maybe you can mention some of these horse breed facts to family and friends! They’ll be really impressed by your horsey knowledge - guaranteed!

If you’re looking for horse trails in Gauteng or horse trails in Pretoria and Johannesburg, then make sure that you book with Hollybrooke Adventure Farm. We offer a number of horse trails in Johannesburg for riders with varying levels of horse riding experience. Visit our horse trails page for more information.