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Name of breed: Oldenburg (also known as Oldenburger) Country of origin: Germany Breed origin: The Oldenburg is a warmblood breed that can be traced back to the 17th century in the German provinces of Oldenburg and East Friesland. Count Johan XVI of Oldenburg took a keen interest in horse breeding, producing fine war horses to…

Name of breed: Dales Pony, or simply Dales Country of origin: United Kingdom Breed origin: A native mountain and moorland pony from the Yorkshire Dales of England, this breed was originally developed as a pack pony for the lead industry, which flourished in the region from Roman times until the mid-19th century. Teams of nine…

Name of breed: Welsh Pony and Cob Country of origin: Wales Breed origin: The Welsh Pony and Cob is technically four closely related breeds, all of which developed in Wales. There is evidence to suggest that a Welsh-type pony existed before 1600 BC, and these ponies were certainly well-established by the time the Romans reached…

Name of breed: Fell Pony Country of origin: England Breed origin: The Fell Pony originally lived in the fells of northwest England, specifically Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland (Cumbria). The name ‘fell’ comes from the Norse word for hills, and these ponies’ ancestors lived in the area long before the Romans came to England in the…

Once again before we start there needs to be a disclaimer here: for the majority of our riding holidays you will be riding in English style or endurance saddles which are quite comfortable and probably don’t need much extra padding. But if you are at all concerned about how your backside will cope with multiple hours…

Name of breed: Mangalarga Marchador Country of origin: Brazil Breed origin: The Mangalarga Marchador is the national horse breed of Brazil, where it numbers over half a million! It descends largely from Iberian stock brought to Brazil by the Portuguese royal court, which fled from Napoleon’s armies in the early 19th century. With them came…

Name of breed: Carolina Marsh Tacky (also known as Marsh Tacky) Country of origin: USA Breed origin: The Carolina Marsh Tack, or Marsh Tacky as it is also known, is a rare breed of horse, native to South Carolina. They developed from Spanish horses brought to the South Carolina coast by Spanish explorers, settlers and…

Name of breed: Clydesdale Country of origin: Scotland Breed origin: The Clydesdale was developed by Scottish farmers in a region known as Lanarkshire, which was previously called Clydesdale. To produce a versatile draught horse for farm work, coal mining and heavy haulage, Flemish stallions were imported and bred with local mares. The first recorded use…

Let’s face it, we all use our smartphones to take photographs these days. In fact, a lot of the built-in cameras in the smartphones on the market are better than the majority of the cameras within our price range. So there’s nothing worse than coming across the most magnificent sight on your ride, taking out…

Name of breed: Giara Country of origin: Island of Sardinia, Italy Breed origin: The origins of the Giara horse are uncertain, with one theory suggesting it may have been brought into the island of Sardinia by the Phoenicians or the Greeks in the 4th or 5th century BC. It has characteristics of oriental horse types,…

Name of breed: Curly, also known as the Bashkir Curly or the American Curly Country of origin: North America Breed origin: The origins of the Curly horse are a mystery, with many theories but no clear answers. When the Curly started to gain recognition as a breed in the 20th century, it was called the…

Name of breed: Trakehner Country of origin: Prussia Breed origin: The Trakehner breed was originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the twon 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 horses were crossed with…