Common Breeds of Horses
The horse’s role in the development of America should not be
underestimated. The horse pulled the wagons west, it
provided transportation, it was irreplaceable in the handling
of livestock, it carried the mail, and it built the railroads.
Racing and rodeos provided the main entertainment for most
settlers. However, the use of the horse as a work animal has
drastically declined since mechanization in the 1930’s.
1. GROWTH AND DECLINE OF THE U.S. HORSE
INDUSTRY
Prior to 1900, the automobile and tractor were relatively
unknown on the American scene. Horses and mules supplied
practically all of the farm power and were widely used for
transportation. The horse population in the United States
increased up to 1915, at which time there were 21,431,000
head recorded. By 1968, the horse population in the United
States had declined to 6,625,000 head.
In Texas, the 1930 census showed a peak population of
748,703 horses and 1,036,177 mules. By 1950 these numbers
had declined to 387,393 horses and 128,558 mules. There are
an estimated 750,000 horses in Texas today, with the vast
majority being found in and around urban areas where they
are used as pleasure horses.
Texas is the leading state in horse numbers and is the
headquarters of many national horse organizations. These
include the American Quarter Horse Association, Amarillo;
the National Cutting Horse Association and American Paint
Horse Association, Fort Worth; and the Palomino Horse
Breeders of America, Mineral Wells.
2. Breeds, Classes and Types of Horses
The horse was the last animal domesticated by humans.
Humans have had a tremendous influence on the horse’s
development since its domestication. The many uses of the
horse by humans have brought about the great variety of
types which are prevalent today. The selective mating of
large, heavily muscled horses to produce work animals; the
development of refined, longer legged horses for speed; and
the development of various gaits for ease in riding or pulling
have all been influences of humans on the development of the
present-day horse.
A breed of horses may be defined as a group of horses having
a common origin or possessing certain well-fixed, distinctive,
uniformly transmitted characteristics that are not common to
other horses. Horses are broken into three common
classifications according to size, build and use: Light horses,
Ponies and Draft horses.
Light horses stand 14-2 to 17 hands high, weigh 900 to
1,400 pounds and are used primarily for riding, driving and
racing. Light horses generally are rangier and are capable of
more action and greater speed than draft horses.
Hands – unit of measurement used to determine height in
horse and mules. One hand is equivalent to 4 inches.
Ponies stand under 14-2 hands high and weigh 500-900
pounds.
Draft horses stand 14-2 to 19 hands high, weigh 1,400
pounds or more and are used primarily for drawing loads and
for heavy work.
Common Light Horse Breeds
Paint Horse
Appaloosa
Arabian
Morgan
Palomino
Quarter Horse
Tennessee Walking Horse Thoroughbred
Common Breeds of Ponies
Shetland Pony
Welsh Pony
Common Breeds of Draft Horses
Belgian
Clydesdale
Percheron
A. Light Breeds of Horses
Paint Horse – Origin – United States
Color – white with any other color; must be a recognizable
paint. There are two distinct patterns: Overo and Tobiano.
Height – 14-2 to 16-2 hands Weight – 750-1300
Uses – stock horses, pleasure horses, show purposes and
racing.
Appaloosa – Origin – United States in Idaho, Oregon and
Washington from animals originating in central Asia.
Color – Variations and combinations of colors and spots, eye
encircled by white, mottled skin, hooves black and white
striped. Usually white over the loins and hips, with spots
intermingled.
Height – 14 – 151/2 hands
Weight – 900-1200
Uses – stock horses, pleasure horses, race horses and parade
and show horses.
Arabian – Origin – Arabia
Color – Bay, gray, and chestnut predominant; white marks on
the head and legs are common.
Height – 14 to 15-1 hands
Weight – 850-1100
The dished face of the Arabian is one of its most
distinguishing characteristics.
Uses – saddle horses, show horses, stock horses, pleasure
horses and racing.
Morgan – Origin – United States in the state of Vermont; it
was developed as a general purpose horse.
Color – Bay, brown, black, and chestnut are the preferred
colors; white markings are less common than in other breeds.
Height – 14-2 to 15-2 hands Weight – 1000 to 1200 lbs
Noted for their pleasing temperament and easy
manageability. They are also noted for remarkable endurance.
Uses – Saddle horses, stock horses, harness horses and
jumpers.
Palomino – Origin – United States from animals of Spanish
descent
Color – Golden and white, silver or ivory mane and tail; coat
color is its greatest asset.
Height – 14-2 to 16 hands
Weight – 900-1300 lbs
The type desired in the Palomino will depend entirely on the
use for which the horse is intended.
Uses – Parade horses, pleasure horses, stock horses, and
saddle horses.
Quarter Horse – Origin – United States, primarily in the
southwestern states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico,
Colorado, and Kansas.
Color – Chestnut, sorrel, bay, dun, palomino, black, brown
and roan.
Height – 14 to 16 hands
Weight – 1050 to 1,300lbs
Well muscled and powerfully built; considered the most
versatile of all the breeds.
Uses – stock horses, racing and pleasure horses.
Tennessee Walking Horse – Origin – Tennessee
Color – Sorrel, chestnut, roan, black, white, golden, gray, bay
and brown.
Height – 14-15 hands
Weight – 1000 to 1200 lbs
The running walk is distinctive to the breed.
Uses – pleasure horses, plantation walking horses and show
horses.
Thoroughbred – Origin – England, developed as a racing
horse.
Color – bay, brown, chestnut, sorrel, black and gray. White
markings on the face and legs are common.
Height – 15-17 hands
Weight – 900-1400 lbs
Uses – race horses, saddle horses, hunters and jumpers and
polo mounts.
B. Common Breeds of Ponies
Shetland Pony – Origin – Shetland Isles, north of Scotland.
Color – Black, dark brown, bay, chestnut, grulla and spotted
are most common.
Height – two class sizes are recognized by the breed registry;
43” and under and 43” to 46”
Weight – 300-500 lbs
Develops a long shaggy outer coat during the winter.
Uses – child’s mount, harness, racing and roadster.
Welsh Pony – Origin – Wales
Color – black, gray, bay, roan, cream or chestnut
Height – there two divisions in the Welsh Pony herd book:
“A” Division can not exceed 12-2 hands
“B” Division over 12-2 but not more than 14 hands.
Weight – usually less than 500 lbs on the “A” type and 500 to
900 for the “B” type.
Uses – child mount, harness racing, pleasure riding, parades
and hunting.
C. Common Breeds of Draft Horses
Belgian – Origin – Belgium
Color – Bay, chestnut, and roan are most common, but
browns, grays and blacks are occasionally seen.
Size – known for their deep, wide, compact, and low set
bodies.
Average mature weight – males – 1900 to 2200 lbs
Females – 1850 to 2100 lbs
Very docile and quiet.
Uses – exhibition purposes, special attractions and farm
work.
Clydesdale – Origin – Scotland, first imported into Canada in
1842.
Color – Bay and brown with white markings are most
common, but blacks, grays, chestnuts and roans are
occasionally seen.
Size – medium sized draft breed.
Average mature weight – males – 1700 to 1900 lbs
Females – 1500 to 1700 lbs
Height – 16 to 17 hands
They possess superior style and action for a large horse.
Heavy feathering on feet.
Uses – exhibition purposes, special attractions and farm
work.
Percheron - Origin – France, first imported in the 1840’s
Color – black or gray, occasionally bays, brown, chestnuts
and roans are seen.
Size – between Clydesdale and Belgian
Average mature weight – Male – 1800 to 2000 lbs
Female – 1700 to 1850 lbs
Height – 16-1 to 16-3 hands
They are extremely docile, very easily handled.
Uses – exhibition purposes, special attractions and farm
work.