Can you imagine a world without horses? Horses have been our companions for centuries. They’ve been there for us through thick and thin, helping us work, fight, and play. But do you know all the different types of horses out there?
There are hundreds of different horse types in the world today. Each horse breed has unique characteristics, formed through natural selection and breeding. Let’s explore the diverse world with RaxinHorse and learn about different horse breeds right after this!
How Many Types of Horses?
First, let’s find out how many types of horses there are in the world. Horse categorization is based on a variety of traits, including:
- Physical characteristics: such as size, coat color, or body structure
- Purpose: horses can also be classified based on their purpose of use, such as working, entertaining, or competing.
- Temperament: horses also have different temperaments, from active, and enthusiastic to calm, and docile.
- Gait: some are also classified by gait, for example, the Quarter Horse usually runs at a gallop while the Tennessee Horse has a leisurely four-beat gait.
- Origin: some breeds will be classified according to their origin.
- Historical significance: In addition, you can also classify horses based on historical significance, such as war horses or draft horses.
Depending on the classification, there can be many different types of horses. For instance, horses can be categorized as either hot-blooded or cold-blooded based on their personalities. Hot-blooded horses are going to be competitive, energetic, and full of energy. Cold-blooded horses will be calmer and more docile.
However, horses are usually divided into 5 main types: light horses, heavy horses (draft horses), gaited horses, warm-blood, and ponies. This is a classification based on physical characteristics and is the most basic classification.
Different Types of Horses: A Beginner’s Overview
We shall next examine each horse breed’s distinctive qualities in more detail.
Light Horse Breeds
Light horses are the fastest and most agile horses in the horse world. Horses of this breed are very diverse in color, height, weight, and physique. Light horses are characterized by their endurance and speed. They are often bred to possess the agility and flexibility needed for competition.
Light horses typically stand 14 – 15 hands (56 – 60 inches) or more tall at the shoulder and weigh between 900 and 1,100 pounds. How long do horses live? Light horses typically live to be 25 – 30 years old, depending on how well they are cared for.
Light horses are often used for equestrian activities and competitions such as dressage, racing, jumping, or eventing. These types of horses are often active and lively. Some light horse breeds that you may know are:
- American Quarter
- Thoroughbred
- Friesian
- Paso Fino
- Lusitano
Heavy (Draft) Horse Breeds
As the name suggests, this breed of horse is “heavier” in every way. Heavy horses are tall, strong, and heavy. They can weigh over 1,600 pounds and stand 17 hands (64 inches) tall, which is much larger than light horses. Another distinguishing feature of heavy horses is the hair on their legs. Heavy horses often have more hair on their legs.
Heavy horses are used for a variety of jobs, from farming to carrying soldiers in battle. This is also why they are also called Draft – Draught horses. How much weight can a horse pull? You might be surprised to learn that large horses are capable of pulling twice as much weight. Therefore, they are mainly used for pulling and carrying heavy loads.
These types of horses are usually calm, docile, and are considered cold-blooded. Some famous heavy horse breeds are:
- Clydesdale
- Shire
- Breton
- Boulonnais
- Percheron
- Belgian Draught Horse
Gaited Horse Breeds
Gaited horses are horses that are bred specifically for riding. Horses of this breed can also be classified as light horses. A more “graceful” stride is the goal of breeding for gaited horses, nevertheless. They move in a unique “gear” style – meaning that one foot always touches the ground. Each foot touches the ground in a specific order, creating a strange dance of the right hind leg, right foreleg, left hind leg and left foreleg.
Gaited horses have famous gaits such as the walking gait, the 4-step gait, the foxtrot, and many other styles. Therefore, they are considered “smoother” than any other horse breed. Gaited horses are often used as riding horses for nobles such as princes, princesses, officers, generals, or the rich. That is also the reason why gaited horses are often the most expensive horse breeds.
Some famous gaited horses you can refer to are:
- Icelandic horse
- Tennesse Walking horse
- Campiero
- Campolina
Warm-blood Horse Breeds
This is a special breed of horse, a cross between hot-blooded and cold-blooded. Warmblood horses are bred to possess the excellent characteristics of the two breeds above. Therefore, they are active and enthusiastic like hot-blooded but still have the calmness and docility of cold-blooded.
Warmblood equines are renowned for their exceptional health, long legs, and massive height. They are a medium-sized horse breed, created for competitive purposes that require speed and endurance such as racing, jumping, or eventing. You can simply understand that warmblood horses are like a combination of a strong wrestler and an agile sprinter.
Some warmblood champions in the arena that you may know are:
- Arabian
- Hanoverian
- Oldenburg
- Dutch Warmblood
- Trakehner
Ponies
There is a “smaller” breed of horse in addition to the enormous horses mentioned above. Ponies are a breed of horse that many children love. They have a more “modest” appearance than other types of horses, only about 5 feet tall with short legs. They are also referred to as “cob horses” on occasion.
If you want to find out which one is a heavy horse, you need to look at which one is the tallest. So the opposite is true for ponies. You just need to bend down and look at which one is the smallest, and that is the ponies. Ponies are somewhat small in size but have a strong bone structure, thick necks, and shorter heads. They also have strong hooves, thick manes, and tail hair.
Despite their smaller body, ponies are surprisingly a breed of working horses. There are more than 100 breeds of ponies used to pull and carry objects. Ponies are small but have strength and endurance. They were originally raised for work, but later they were used for more purposes such as riding or entertainment.
Ponies are very popular with children when learning to ride horses because of their mini size. Some Pony breeds that you can ride are:
- American Miniature
- Shetland
- Hacknet
- Gypsy
- Welsh Pony
Popular horse breeds also depend on the region. The top ten most popular horse breeds in the United States according to USDA statistics are:
– American Quarter Horse (42.1%)
– Thoroughbred (7.1%)
– American Paint Horse (6.8%)
– Miniature Horse (5.1%)
– Draft Horses (4.7%)
– Tennessee Walking Horse (4.5%)
– Grade Horse (4.1%)
– Arabian (3.9%)
– Standardbred (3.7%)
– Warmbloods (3.2%)
Currently, due to some conservation reasons, there are some rare horse breeds such as the Canadian Horse, Akhal-Teke Horse, Dales Pony, Suffolk Punch Horse, Cleveland Bay Horse, Newfoundland Pony, American Cream Horse, Eriskay Pony, Caspian Horse, Hackney Horse,…
Horses can also be divided into three main categories: light horses, heavy (draft-draught) horses, and ponies. This is also a basic and popular classification similar to the five types above.
Bottom Line
Our investigation into the fascinating world of horses and various types of horses has now come to a close. From purebred racehorses to powerful carriage horses, each breed of horse brings us interesting surprises. Hopefully, the interesting information that RaxinHorse brought today has helped you gain more knowledge about your precious “four-legged friend”. Don’t hesitate to comment so that RaxinHorse can answer!
