The Arabian is one of the most beautiful and oldest breeds in the world. The first documented breeders of these horses were the nomadic Bedouin tribes of northern Arabia. The Arabians and their Bedouin keepers were constant companions. The Bedouin, due to both the harsh climate and religious beliefs, shared food, water, and shelter with their horses. These factors probably contributed to the Arabian's social nature and helped them thirve in what might have been a dangerous climate.
Religious wars eventually erupted throughout what we now call the Middle East. The Arabian began to make its way to Europe and other areas of the world. The European crusaders who first encountered the Arabian crossed this lighter horse with their own heavier mounts. These crosses have influenced almost every breed that exists today. Most breeds can trace their lineage to the Middle Ages and the crosses the knights of the Crusades chose.
Arabians didn't come to North America until approximately 1725. They were imported into Virginia by Nathan Harrison, but it wasn't until 1908 that an official registry was created specifically for the Arabian Horse. There are more Arabians living in the United States than any country in the world. It might be said that Americans have a fetish for these striking horses. They are found in most equestrian events today, though they are most popular in the long-distance sport of endurance due to their stamina.
There is no mistaking the look of the Arabian. Their distinctive profile and giant wide-set eyes set them apart from other breeds. They have a broad forehead, large nostrils, and small ears with a slight curve to them. Their backs are rather short but their necks are beautifully arched. The Arabian is a light breed with a delicate structure and an easy gait. They typically stand from 14 to 15.3 hands high and are found in several colors. These colors are limited to chestnut, bay, gray, black and roan.
If you're looking for a breed that blends the best qualities of the American Quarter Horse with the Thoroughbred, the Appendix Quarter Horse just might be the horse for you. This breed has its origins in the 1940s when the American Quarter Horse Association was formed. During this time, there was much confusion and debate over what, exactly, a Quarter Horse was and how they should be standardized.
One of the many proposed solutions was to grade each horse, labeling them as A, B, C, or D. This never actually happened, but the American Appendix Quarter Horse Association was born from this idea. The horse that would have been a "C" became the Appendix Quarter Horse. Essentially, this is a horse with one Quarter Horse parent and one Thoroughbred parent.
The addition of Thoroughbred blood into Quarter Horse lines enhanced the refinement of the Quarter Horse, giving it the look it has today. But many Quarter Horse enthuasists maintain that Thoroughbred blood is still required to maintain the beauty and elegance of the Quarter Horse. This is where the Appendix Quarter Horse comes in.
Today, you will find the Appendix Quarter Horse in racing as well as in a variety of English and western disciplines. This horse comes in a variety of colors (sorrel, bay, black, brown, buckskin, chestnut, dun, red dun, gray, grullo, palomino, red roan, blue roan, bay roan, perlino and cremello) and stands from 15 to 17 hands high.
The Spanish first brought spotted horses to what we now call Mexico in the early 1500s, but there are cave paintings in Europe, Asia, and norther Africa depicting spotted horses that are thousands of years old. But even though these horses existed, it wasn't until the 1700s, when the strange spotted horse first arrived in Northwest America, that the spotted horse gained any kind of recognition. This was mostly due to the Nez Perce tribe of aborginal people. They were originally a fishing people, but the spotted horse gave them mobility. Suddenly they were renowned for their hunting and craftsmanship as they rode astride their spotted horses. Nearby settlers began referring to these horses by names that were associated with the River Palouse: "a Polouse Horse," "Palousey," and "Appalousey" were all common names. Eventually, the name Appaloosa stuck.
During the Nez Perce war of 1877, the herds of Appaloosa were scattered and may have been lost if they hadn't been striking enough to attract the attention of the public. They were popular enough with the settlers of the west that they eventually spread out east as well. The Appaloosa Horse Club was created in 1938 to preserve, protect, and improve these magnificent beasts. In 1975, the Appaloosa was named the official state horse of Idaho. This breed is popular at gaming events, horse shows, and as a trail horse.
You can't talk about the Appaloosa without addressing their most unique physical charactersists. The coat is attractive and can be found in a variety of colors. Base colors include bay, brown, buckskin, black, dun, grulla, palaoino, cremello, chestnut, bay roan, blue roan, and red roan. The pattern on the coat varies among five popular patterns: frost, leopard, snowflake, blanket, and marbelized. And let's not forget the trademark white sclera and striped hooves. The typical Appaloosa stands from 14.2 to 16 hands high and is a beauty to behold.
Thought to be from the Iberian Peninsula, the Andalusian (also called Pura Raza Espanola or Pure Spanish Race) is named for the Province of Andalucia. The Andalusian is truly an ancient breed. Cave paintings thought to be 20,000 years old show a horse remarkably similar to this stunning breed and even Homer mentions them in the Illiad (which was written in approximately 1100 BCE). In 711 CE (Common Era or AD), during the Moorish invasion, the Andalusian was bred to the Spanish Barb.
The Andalusian is the foundation for many of the most graceful breeds around the world, including the well-known Lipizzaner and the Peruvian Paso. Their natural grace, elegance, and beauty make them perfect for dressage and traditional Spanish equestrian sports. They are also heavily utilized for bull fights and ranching.
With a strange and, in all honesty, creepy ability to bring his haunches far underneath his body to elevate the forehand, the Andalusian can perform many of the complex movements of dressage such as airs-above-the-ground, passage, and piaffe with relative ease. This breed moves with a distinctive trot and canter full of upright steps and elegance. Most Andalusians are grey in color (they are NOT white even if they appear so), though you can also find black, dun, bay, and palamino. The typical Andalusian stands 15 to 16.2 hands high.
