Name of breed: Irish Sport Horse (also known as the Irish Hunter) Country of origin: Ireland Breed origin: The Irish Sport Horse is the result of a cross between an Irish Draught and – typically – a Thoroughbred, although European warmblood infusions are increasingly common. Now recognised as a separate breed rather than a crossbreed, […]

Name of breed: Sorraia Country of origin: Portugal Breed origin: Thought to be the last remnant population of the indigenous wild horses that once roamed southern Iberia, there are many different theories as to the origins of the Sorraia horse. It is known that the breed (or subspecies, some claim) developed in the southern part […]

Name of breed: Shagya Arabian, or Shagya-Araber. Country of origin: Hungary, and the wider Austro-Hungarian Empire. Breed origin: In 1789, Emperor Joseph II, ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, established the Babolna Imperial Stud in Hungary with the aim of developing a superior cavalry horse that could also be used to improve other breeds. Hungary was […]

Saratoga WarHorse is a non-profit organisation in New York state, which helps military veterans heal from the devastating emotional effects of Post Traumatic Stress. The emotional healing that begins with the nonverbal, nonjudgmental acceptance of a horse enables veterans to feel safe enough to be themselves, and this is essentially the first step in their […]

Name of breed: Gidran, or Hungarian Anglo-Arab Country of origin: Hungary Breed origin: The Gidran was developed in south-east Hungary at the Hungarian State Stud, where the Nonius and Furioso-North Star breeds were also founded. The Gidran breed was established by a desert bred chestnut Arabian called Siglavy Gidran. From 1816 onwards, he was bred […]

Name of breed: Trakehner Country of origin: East Prussia (now Germany) Breed origin: The Trakehner breed was originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen, from which the breed takes its name. The state stud was established in 1731, and between 1817 and 1837, Arabian, Thoroughbred and Turkoman (today’s […]

Name of breed: Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (pura raza española) Country of origin: Spain Breed origin: The Andalusian originated on the Iberian Peninsula in Spain, where its ancestors, Iberian horses, were present as far back as 20-30,000 BC. These horses had many influences as civilisations came and went from […]

Name of breed: Hackney Country of origin: England Breed origin: Although the Hackney originated in Norfolk, England, the name comes from a French word, ‘haquenee’, which was used to describe a riding horse with an exceptionally comfortable trot or amble. From its development in the 14th century, this type of horse became very popular as […]

Name of breed: Standardbred, or American Standardbred. Country of origin: United States of America. Breed origin: The world’s fastest harness racing horse, the Standardbred was developed in America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries after a Thoroughbred stallion called Messenger was imported from England. Messenger was a ‘flat racer’, not a trotter, but […]

Name of breed: Orlov Trotter, or Orloff Trotter. Country of origin: Russia Breed origin: The Orlov Trotter is Russia’s oldest and most famous ‘stud’ breed, renowned for its speed, stamina and fast-paced trot. The breed was developed in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Orlov, hence the name. Count Orlov set out to develop a light […]

Name of breed: Gotland or Russ; sometimes Gotland Russ. Country of origin: Sweden. Breed origin: The Gotland pony, also known as the Russ, is the most common breed of pony in Sweden. The breed’s origins are subject to much speculation: there is evidence of horses living on the island of Gotland, on the south-eastern coast […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]