Breed origin: The Percheron is a breed of draught horse that originated in northern France, in the province of Le Perche, from which the breed takes its name. While the more ancient origins of the breed are subject to many differences of opinion, it is known that Arabian stallions were bred to local mares in the 8th century and again in the Middle Ages. Paintings of mounted French knights from this period always depict them astride grey horses, proving the immediate popularity of this primarily grey breed as a war horse.

Name of breed: Morgan Country of origin: United States of America. Breed origin: All Morgan horses trace back to a single foundation sire, a stallion named Figure, who was born in Massachusetts in 1789. As a three year old, Figure was given to a man named Justin Morgan as payment for a debt. A dark […]

Name of breed: Friesian Country of origin: The Netherlands Breed origin: The Friesian horse originated in the province of Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. Despite having the confirmation of a light draught horse, Friesians are graceful and athletic, with a natural elegance that gives them great presence whether under saddle or in harness. […]

Name of breed: Ardennes, or Ardennais. Country of origin: France, Belgium, Luxembourg Breed origin: One of the oldest documented draught horse breeds, the Ardennes horse originates from the Ardennes area (funny that!) which stretches between Belgium, Luxembourg and France. The rough terrain and harsh climates made for a very strong, hardy, low-maintenance breed. The Ardennes […]

Back in 2008, with just the local crowd and a handful of unwavering supporters to witness, twelve-year-old Angus Paradice proved his mettle in a race against the children of the Mongolian steppe. Angus and his family had visited Mongolia two years prior, their travels coinciding with a local Naadam festival. At these festivals, competitors test […]

We’ve all been there: several hours in the saddle and a few too many gulps of coffee and you find yourself silently praying that someone will shout the words ‘toilet break!’ before things get squirmy. It’s a tad awkward to discuss, but in this blog we’re going to cut the crap – so to speak […]

Name of breed: Camargue. Country of origin: The Camargue region in France.  Breed origin: The Camargue horse’s origins remain relatively unknown, although it is generally considered one of the oldest breeds of horse in the world. For centuries, possibly thousands of years, these small horses have lived wild in the harsh environment of the Camargue marshes and wetlands […]

Name of breed: Quarter Horse, or American Quarter Horse. Country of origin: United States of America. Breed origins: The foundations for the Quarter Horse’s bloodlines were laid when North American settlers’ Thoroughbreds met the horses brought to Central America by the Spanish, which had spread north and been developed into distinct ‘types’ by Native Americans […]

Name of breed: Tibetan pony Country of origin: Tibet Breed origin: The Tibetan pony is an ancient breed that possibly descended from the Mongolian Pony and various Chinese breeds. The remains of Tibetan Ponies dating back 4,000 years have been found in the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. There are several types of […]

Name of breed: Przewalski’s Horse. Also known as the Mongolian Wild Horse, Dzungarian Horse or takhi. Place of origin: Central Asia. Breed origin: Przewalski’s horses, or Equus ferus przewalskii, are the last surviving subspecies of wild horse. First described scientifically in the late 19th century by Russian explorer N. M. Przewalski, for whom they are named, they exist […]

Name of breed: Paso Fino Country of origin: Puerto Rico, Colombia and other Latin American countries. Breed origin: The ancestors of the Paso Fino travelled from Spain in 1493 on Christopher Columbus’ second voyage to the New World. Columbus brought a mixture of Barbs, Spanish Jennets and Andalusians and established new populations at Santa Domingo […]

Elyne Mitchell is best known as the author of the much-loved children’s book series, The Silver Brumby. I’m sure I am not the only globetrotter who can say that the silver brumby galloped through my childhood dreams! But there was far more to Elyne’s life than children’s books. Born in Melbourne in 1913, Elyne Mitchell […]

Golegã Horse Fair happens every November in the town of Golegã, known as the horse capital of Portugal. Overnight, the normally sleepy town is transformed into a buzzing hub of Portuguese horse enthusiasts converging to celebrate their much-loved native breed, the Lusitano. If you’re booked on one of our rides in Portugal in October or […]

Name of breed: Mustang Origin: United States of America Breed origin: America’s wild horse, the mustang, is not in fact native to America. When Spanish explorers brought the breed’s ancestors to the New World in the 16th century, horses had been extinct in North America for almost 10,000 years. These Spanish or Iberian horses that […]

Name of breed: Barb. Also called the Berber or Barbary horse. Country of origin: North Africa Breed origin: The Barb is a northern African horse known for its great hardiness and stamina. The exact origins of this breed are unknown, although it was written of in the second century BC and was certainly well-developed by […]

Name of breed: New Forest Pony Country of origin: England Breed origin: The ancestors of the New Forest pony roamed the woods and heath of the New Forest before the last Ice Age! The forest itself has been protected since William the Conqueror reserved it as his ‘new hunting forest’ in 1079, and the development […]

On the 31st of October, 1917, the Fourth Australian Light Horse Brigade charged the city of Beersheba in what was then Ottoman Palestine, storming through the Turkish defences. This is widely remembered as the last great cavalry charge. It resulted in the capture of Beersheba and, ultimately, victory for the British Empire’s allied forces in […]

Name of breed: Icelandic horse Country of origin: Iceland Breed origin: The ancestors of the Icelandic horse were probably brought to Iceland by Norse settlers between 860 and 935 AD. Only the best horses were chosen to undertake the voyage and those that survived became indispensable to the settlers as they eked out a living […]

Name of breed: Peruvian Paso Country of origin: Peru Breed origin: The Peruvian Paso is a light saddle horse known for its natural four-beat, lateral gait, the paso llano. Peruvian Paso foals can be seen gaiting alongside their dams within a few hours of birth. The breed has been protected by the Peruvian government since 1992 and […]

Name of breed: Mongol, or Mongolian horse Country of origin: Mongolia Breed origin: The origins of the Mongol horse are hard to determine. Of all horse breeds, Mongol horses have the largest genetic variety, indicating that the breed is very archaic with little human-induced selection. Some believe that Mongol horses were the first true breed […]

Name of breed: Kladruber, or Oldkladruby Country of origin: Czech Republic Breed origin: The Kladruber is not only the oldest Czech horse breed, but also considered one of the oldest breeds in the world. The Kladruber’s history dates back to 1579, when the Habsburg emperor Rudolf II founded the Narodni hrebcin, or national stud, in […]