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Breeds of Horses

© Marta Towne

Horses are beautiful creatures, each with his or her own likes and dislikes, personalities and quirks, whether they are Arabians, Quarter horses, Paint horses, Paso Finos or any of the other multitude of breeds available in the world today. Breeds differ by many things - type of work, gaits, conformation, color, etc. And each breed has its own characteristic and standards. Palominos, for example, must be a golden color with a flaxen mane and tail. An Arabian has one less vertebra in their back. A Quarter horse is bred to work with cattle and are built with large muscular hindquarters for added quickness.

There are two basic types of horse breeds. There are breeds that have developed for a certain type of work, such as Quarter horse, Arabian, Shire, and so forth. Then there are the color breeds such as Palomino, Paint, and Buckskin, to name a few.

One of the most notable breeds in the world is the Arabian horse. It's accepted by many as the foundation horse of many of the modern breeds, including the Thoroughbred, Morgan and the Quarter horse. For centuries, these noble animals were bred by Nomads of the Middle Eastern deserts. The Arabian breed was jealously guarded by their owners and often shared their master's tent. These compact animals are able to carry a large amount of weight over great distances with very little food or water. They are fleet of foot, and very fast. An Arabian is capable of doing a great many things, and do them all well. They also have an incredible ability to bond with there riders.

Another breed is the American Quarter horse. If you have ever seen a rodeo or watched a horse work cows or do ranch work, you have probably seen a Quarter horse. These horses are the original horse of the continent that has become America. They evolved from the colonists' desire for a horse that was incredibly fast over a short distance and strong enough to work the land. These horses are compact and well muscled, and extremely tough.

The first horse that can be classed as completely American in the Morgan horse. The Morgan horse can be recognized quite easily by their proud head carriage, compact body, strong quarters, distinctive head and deep, intelligent brown eyes. These horses exhibit a zest for life and good common sense. The originator of the breed, Justin Morgan, is said to have been able to work a full day in the fields tilling the land, hauling trees, etc, and then race in the evenings and usually win. These are great all around horses, they can do anything from working cattle to professional showing.

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