The Cleveland Bay horse is one of the oldest breeds of horse which are native to the United Kingdom and originated in northeast England. The Cleveland area of Northern Yorkshire, to be exact. This breed was around in medieval times when it was used as a packhorse, primarily by the Church. The Cleveland Bay ferried goods to and from convents and monasteries all over Europe. Though traditionally a draft horse, the Cleveland Bay was used as a coach horse when the first roads were laid down across the Continent.
Today, the Cleveland Bay is one of the rarest and most endangered horse breeds in the world, even with the efforts to preserve the breed. The Royal Family in England has been breeding them for about one hundred years, but they still remain rare. Despite this, they can be seen in general riding and driving events around the world, if you look carefully enough.
Standing 16 to 16.2 hands high, the Cleveland Bay is almost always bay in color with a black mane, tail, and legs. Occasionally, however, you will see a chestnut horse, though this is not desirable. Even though they've been used as a coach horse, they're really draft horses, so they're aren't as high stepping as you might think. Their motion varies from long, flowing movements to short strides, but they rarely move with the fluidity of most coach horses.
The Cleveland Bay is now promoted by several societies around the world, including the Cleveland Bay Horse Society and the Cleveland Bay Horse Society of North America. This breed has a grace and style not often seen in the more ancient breeds and has gained respect on the world stage at many points in the last century.
The Chincoteague pony, sometimes referred to as the Assateague, live on the barrier island of Assateague between Virginia and Maryland. The popular theory is that these horses are descents of those steeds who swam to the island after Spanish shipwrecks, probably in the 1600s, but we really have no way of really knowing how these horses got to Assateague.
This small island is not known for its comfort, so the horses had to adapt to their new environment. Facing a hard life and having to feed on marsh grass and whatever they could find on the beach, they changed and adapted, eventually becoming the Chincoteague we know today.
Today, the Chincoteague ponies are divided into two groups. Those on the Maryland side are owned by the Maryland Park Service and are generally left alone. Those on the Virginian side are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Each year, these horses are swum across the channel into Virginia. The foals are auctioned off and the stallions and mares are returned to the island to continue their lives.
Made famous by Marguerite Henry’s book Misty of Chincoteague, the Chincoteague ponies are generally not found in sporting events. They are, however, ridden by many horse lovers around the world. They can be found sporting either English or western tack and are considered a joy to own.
The Chincoteague is a result of its harsh island environment. They have thick manes and tails for warmth and light fetlock feathering. A sturdy little horse, their hooves are exceptionally strong and ideal for clamboring around on the rocky island. They can be found in almost any color, though bright pintos are the most common. Strawberry roan on white and palimino on white are the most desireable, but all colors suit this little pony. A fully grown Chincoteague stands from 12 to 14.2 hands high.
Sometimes, a breed that was thought to be lost is preserved by nature itself. Such is the case with Caspian horses. The Caspian is a rather small horse that was thought to have gone extinct 1300 years ago. But in 1965, an American living in Iran discovered a Arabian-like horse in the Elborz Mountains. The American (a woman named Louise Firouz) named the small horse Caspian.
Eventually, though various bone, blood, and DNA tests, archeo-zoologists were able to prove that Caspian, the tiny horse from the mountains, was actually a descendant of the small Mesopotamian horse of antiquity. It turns out that these little horses had found sanctuary between the mountains and the Caspian Sea. There they'd survived, untouched by humans and forgotten by most of the world.
Because they lacked any outside interference from either man or other types of horses, the Caspian horse has several unique characteristics. The scapula, for example, is wider at the base than at the top and there's an extra molar in the top jaw. They look a little like Arabians, but they're smaller with almond-shaped eyes and tiny but graceful tipped-in ears. They come in any color and stand a mere 10 to 12 hands high. Because of their small size, they are sometimes called Caspian ponies, but they're horses.
Today, Caspians are found in any sport that needs both sturdiness and speed. These sports include carriage driving, specifically scurry driving, and occasionally in barrel races. The Caspian Horse Society of the Americas is currently one of the few bodies devoted to preserving the blood line and integrity of this unique and sweet breed.
Most regions of the world have their own breed of horse, and Canada is no exception. The Canadian Horse, sometimes called the Cheval Canadien, has its origins in France. In the late 1600s, King Louis XIV sent two specific breeds of horses to the area of North America that would eventually be known as Canada. These breeds were the Norman and the Breton. Though it is impossible to be certain, these two breeds are believed to be the foundation for the Canadian Horse. If you look closely at the Canadian, you will see several traits in common with both the Norman and the Breton, giving credence to this belief.
These breeds came to Canada (or what would become Canada) and bred freely for two hundred years. No one controlled their spread or attempted any type of breeding program. as a result, they produced offspring uniquely suited to the climate. The extremes climates of the Canadian wilderness, coupled with the scarcity of food, created a horse that was sturdy, strong, and hardy. Today, these are the defining traits of the Canadian Horse. This horse is so strong it is sometimes referred to as The Little Iron Horse.
By the end of the 1800s, this breed could be found throughout Canada and the United States. The hardiness of the Canadian Horse meant that it was a perfect outcross for many breeds needing stronger blood. The Canadian was used to enhance the strength of the Morgan, Tennessee Walking Horse, Standardbred, and American Saddlebred, among others.
The spread of the Canadian Horse continued through the 19th century. Canadian Horses were shipped overseas to serve in the Boer War and also served closer to home in the American Civil War. They were even used on plantations as far away as the West Indies. But exporting the horse came with a price. Fewer were bred and the breed very nearly went extinct.
By the 1880s, concerned enthusiasts had realized that the prized Canadian Horse would soon be no more and made an effort at conservation. in 1886 the first studbook for the Canadian was created and the Canadian Horse Breeders Association formed in 1895. Despite the efforts of the past century, however, the American Livestock Conservancy still lists this breed as critical, meaning it is still hovering on the brink of extinction.
The Canadian Horse is a study in beauty and power. From its arched neck to its flowing mane and tail, this breed is picture perfect as it races across the plains. The head is refined with a short forelock. The chest is deep while the back is short but strong. The elegant shoulders lead into muscular legs with clean joints. This compact horse stands between 14 and 16 hands high and is commonly black in color, though Canadians may also be bay, brown, or chestnut.
Today, the Canadian Horse, when its seen at all, can be found in jumping, eventing, driving, and dressage. The rarity of this breed, however, makes seeing them in competition unlikely.
Many of the horse breeds still around today are the result of breeding programs. The Camargue is not one of those. The Camargue horse is an ancient breed that has been running around the south of France, specifically the marshy plains of the Rhone delta, since prehistoric times. This is a breed of horse that has developed quite naturally. However, once in a while soldiers passing through would breed their own mounts to the existing Camargue of the area, strengthening the breed and preventing it from dying out altogether.
The Camargue has been ridden, at least traditionally, by the cowboys who look after the feral bulls in the area. These horses still run while across the marshes they call home. They are overseen by the Biological Research Station of la Tour du Valat. The Camargue Regional Park is responsible for caring for and protecting the horses. Each year the horses are rounded up and several stallions are gelded.
The Camargue is a very consistent breed. One horse looks very much like the rest, with a little difference in size and build depending on the gender of the horse you're looking at. They are stocky horses, standing only 13 to 14 hands high, with stout haunches, legs, and hooves. Their heads are large and square and the eyes are flush to the skull. The mane and tail are heavy and give the horse a primitive look. All of these horses are born dark and fade to a light grey as they grow to maturity.
Used today for endurance racing and English sports such as dressage, the Camargue is one of the most evocative and primitive of horses.
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