Name of breed: Rocky Mountain Horse Country of origin: United States of America. Breed origin: Despite its name, the Rocky Mountain Horse didn’t develop in the Rocky Mountains, but in the Appalachian Mountains in the state of Kentucky. According to legend, sometime around the late 19th or early 20th century, an anonymous traveller from the […]

Name of breed: Marwari, or Malani Country of origin: India, specifically the Marwar (or Jodhpur) region Breed origin: Although there is some controversy surrounding the origins of the Marwari breed, its ancestors are generally believed to have been native Indian war horses, Arabians and Turkomans (today’s Akhal-Tekes), possibly with some Mongol influence as well. The […]

Name of breed: Oldenburg (also known as Oldenburger) Country of origin: Germany Breed origin: The Oldenburg is a warmblood breed that can be traced back to the 17th century in the German provinces of Oldenburg and East Friesland. Count Johan XVI of Oldenburg took a keen interest in horse breeding, producing fine war horses to […]

Name of breed: Spotted Saddle Horse Country of origin: United States of America Breed origin: The Spotted Saddle Horse developed in Tennessee, when Tennessee Walking Horses and Missouri Fox Trotters were crossed with pinto ponies of Spanish ancestry. Eventually, these were crossed with larger American breeds such as the Standardbred and Morgan to increase their […]

It’s what Wimbledon is to tennis, and what Wembley is to football. I guess you could say Aachen is the equestrian sport’s World Cup. Apart from the Olympics, for the equestrian world, CHIO Aachen is what everyone works towards. Every year across ten days in July, the World Equestrian Festival is held in the beautiful […]

There is often a price paid for greatness, and those who were in racing filly Ruffian’s camp might understand that better than most. There are so many accounts throughout history of horses overcoming great odds to emerge victorious, but Ruffian’s tale is a little different. No other horse so perfectly encapsulates the triumph and […]