Name of breed: Irish Draught Country of origin: Ireland Breed origin: The history of the Irish Draught dates back many hundreds of years to a time when Ireland and Spain were regular traders, swapping goods such as wool, butter, wine, and horses. In the 16th century, the Spanish brought horses with Iberian (today’s Andalusian and…
They’re the four-legged ambassadors for an international brewery giant and have been carting beer along the streets of the Danish capital of Copenhagen every day for the past one hundred and sixty-six years. I’m talking about the beautiful and rare Jutland horses who are essentially, Carlsberg beer’s most faithful business partner. At a time when…
Name of breed: Rocky Mountain Horse Country of origin: United States of America. Breed origin: Despite its name, the Rocky Mountain Horse didn’t develop in the Rocky Mountains, but in the Appalachian Mountains in the state of Kentucky. According to legend, sometime around the late 19th or early 20th century, an anonymous traveller from the…
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…
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
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
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
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
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…
