The most important thing to remember is that all breeds today are the one species known as Equus ferus caballus. The diversity of the more than 350 breeds is, we think, due to a number of factors over millions of years…
4,000,000 years ago:
The original splitting of Equus Stenonis into two groups (light types and heavy types)
630,000 years ago:
The continuing diversification of Equus ferus due to geographical isolation and natural selection
100,000 years ago:
Migration of herds due to climate change during and after the last ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago
6,500 years ago:
Possible domestication of horses and trade between people from different regions
5,500 years ago:
Using horses as a work animal, pulling carts and sledges
4,000 years ago:
Horses first used as a military animal, pulling the new improved chariots
3,500 years ago:
The use of horses had exploded all over Europe, as a military animal to pull chariots:
3,000 years ago:
Riding horses as a means of transport and warfare by the Eurasian Nomads. (The Eurasian Nomads may have been riding horses for far longer.)
In the picture below of a scythian horseman, note there is no saddle or stirrups, the long, loose pants rather than a tunic, and soft, flat-soled shoes rather than sandals.
Note: These dates are approximations and rely on archaeological evidence and interpretation and may change as new evidence becomes available.
For as long as we have found horses useful for either work, travel or warfare we have been selectively capturing and breeding them. The types of horses that have developed would have been originally based on the available wild herds of those regions, however trade and warfare would have seen horses move out from their original homelands. Different types of horses would have developed due to their use as well as their suitability to the terrain and the climate of that area.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId9f69f74b52
It wasn’t until the 1700s that people established Stud Books and started to breed for purity of particular blood lines. So the idea of ‘Breeds’ has only been around, in western society, for about 300 years.
Horse breeds
A horse is defined as a horse, rather than a pony, if it is over 14.2 hands. Horse breeds, just like Pony breeds, have specific physical traits, these include lighter bones, narrower barrels, longer and finer necks, finer and longer heads and longer legs in proportion to their height.
This issue, of whether a horse is a pony or a horse, can be quite controversial. For example, most of the registries for the Icelandic breed call it a horse even though it rarely exceeds 14.2 hands.
Recent DNA testing of the Icelandic breed has established that the Vikings, as well as later settlers from Scotland, developed the Icelandic from some pony breeds. Its genotype is found in the Exmoor, Fjord and Highland ponies. The same mitochondrial DNA (mother, sisters and female ancestors) is found in the Icelandic, Fjord and Shetland ponies.
When we look at the Icelandic’s phenotype (physical conformation) it is easy to see pony characteristics. For this reason we have left both the Icelandic and Fjord in the horse section, but we have also included them in pony breeds.
Horse Breeds:
Akhal-Teke
American Quarter Horse
American Saddlebred
Andalusian (see Iberian breeds)
Anglo-Arabian
Appaloosa
Arabian
Ardennes
Australian Brumby
Australian Stock Horse
Barb
Black Forest
Breton
Camargue
Caspian (also in Pony Section)
Cleveland Bay
Clydesdale (Draught or Heavy)
Criollo
Curly
Don
Fjord (also in Pony section)
Fresian
Hackney
Haflinger
Hanoverian
Heck
Holsteiner
Icelandic (also in Pony section)
Irish Draught
Irish Sport Horse
Konik
Lipizzaner
Lusitano (see Iberian breeds)
Miniature
Missouri Fox Trotter
Mongolian Horse
Morgan
Mustang
Noriker
Oldenburg (Draught or Heavy)
Paso
Fino
Percheron (Draught or Heavy)
Przewalski
Quarter Horse (see American Quarter Horse)
Racking
Rocky Mountain
Saddlebred (see American Saddlebred)
Selle Franais
Shire (Draught or Heavy)
Sorraia (see Iberian breeds)
Spotted Saddle Horse
Standardbred
Suffolk Punch (Draught or Heavy)
Tennessee Walking Horse
Thoroughbred
Trakehner
Ukrainian Riding Horse
Welsh Cob
Westphalian
Pony Breeds
Although most people use size as the main difference between a horse and a pony, the most important difference lies in the pony’s conformation.
Ponies generally have thicker manes and tails, a longer, coarser coat, shorter legs (in proportion to their body), a wide barrel, heavier bones, thicker necks and shorter heads with broader foreheads.
All ponies are very strong for their size and all are good ‘doers’. This means that they require less food to meet their needs and can withstand more severe climates. This is very important to understand, as many pony breeds cannot digest and utilise high starch diets. Rich food (and too much of it) can lead to illness and possibly death. The ancestors of the ponies we know today would have developed these physical traits by evolving and adapting to very harsh conditions over many thousands of years.
A pony should not exceed 14.2 hands, however in Australia the pony classification only goes up to 14.0 hands and horses between 14.0 and 15.0 hands are called Galloways.
Pony Breeds:
Australian Pony
Australian Riding Pony
Caspian
Connemara
Dales
Dartmoor
Exmoor
Fell
Fjord
Hackney
Highland
Icelandic
New Forest
Newfoundland
Shetland
Welsh (Section A, B and C)
Welsh Mountain Pony
Colour breeds
‘Colour Breeds’ are not breeds that are based on purity and type but rather a colour or range of colours.
The colour registries usually accept any breed of horse or pony as long as it the right colour.
Dun (all of these colours are classified as 'dun'):
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId1b387904f6
Buckskin
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdb051b6d7dc
Palomino
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdd2d1502b2c
Pinto
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId007efc0788
White
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId96fc19e317
Types
When we refer to a type of horse we usually mean horses with a similar physical appearance or a similar use.
A ‘type’ of horse can include several breeds as well as horses that have no registration or pedigree.
Baroque:
This includes Lipizzaner, Fresian, Andalusian and Lusitano as all these breeds are heavily muscled, powerful and used in Classical Dressage.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId377c72e355
Draught (also spelt Draft):
Heavy working horses used to pull heavy loads.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId627cac51ca
Feral:
Any once domesticated horse or pony that now lives in the wild.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId94cdb40392
Gaited:
This includes Tennessee Walker, Paso Feno, Icelandic and many others that have an extra four-beat ambling gait.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId21daa0443c
Hack:
Any horse that is used for riding.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId5fc64cb06e
Hunter:
A type of jumping horse that usually has some Draught in its breeding. It should be heavier boned than a hack, and have a higher knee action to travel safely across uneven terrain and jump cross country obstacles.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId9ac68c145d
Iberian:
Includes all horse and pony breeds that were developed in the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId1e8b25d83f
Oriental:
A large number of ‘hot-blooded’ breeds all descended from the original horses of the middle east and Asia. They include Arabian, Ahkele-Teke, Jaboud, Turkoman to name just a few.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdb13b46d320
Sport Horse:
Includes all breeds suitable for use in international competitions run by the FEI.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId6a2c1a3ba9
Stock Horse:
Includes any breed capable of working cattle. The Australian Stock Horse is a specific breed as well as a type.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId943f976d88
More types
Warmblood:
A group of Sport horse breeds developed for Dressage and other Olympic disciplines. They were originally developed by crossing ‘cold-blood’ Draught types with ‘hot-blood' Oriental types, thus the term Warmblood.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdde417882bd
Coldblood:
This term relates to any of the Draught blood lines that evolved in the cold climates of northern Europe. These horses were thick skinned with heavy coats, strong bone, great strength and a calmer temperament.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdf7750a99cf
Hotblood:
The Oriental breeds are called hot-bloods because they evolved in the hot regions of the Middle East and Asia. They have thinner skins, fine coats, lighter but strong bones, speed, stamina and a more fiery temperament.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdcd1508883c
Gelding:
A male horse that has been castrated (gelded). Castration is an operation that surgically removes the testicles. This can be done before a colt reaches sexual maturity or any time after. The most important thing is that both testicles need to have descended into the outside sac.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdf8cefc35a3
Stallion:
This is a male horse, four years or older, that has not been castrated (gelded).
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId8120199957
Colt:
A male horse under four years that has not been gelded
Ridgling (Rig):
A male horse where only one testicle has descended and the other remains in the internal cavity. It may also refer to a poorly castrated horse that still behaves like a stallion.
Mare:
A female horse that is four years of age or older.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId3a99147bbb
Filly:
A female horse under four years of age.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId81cba4ae58
Foal:
A male or female that is less than one year old.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProId819c4eef5c
Yearling:
A male or female that is one to two years of age.
https://www.itsmypony.com/horse-facts/about-breeds-and-types#sigProIdbe1c4bdfe0
Breed Videos: