AGSC 334
Equine Science
Breeds of Horses
8894
TEKS: 119.66 (C)(2)(B)
Class Notes Key
The many uses of horses have brought about the great variety of types existent today. Large,
heavily muscled horses were bred to produce work horses. Refined, longer legged horses were
bred for speed, and various gaits were developed for ease of riding or pulling. All have
influenced the development of the present-day horse.
CLASSES, BREEDS, AND TYPES OF HORSES
A breed is 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. Certain
breeds are better adapted for specific purposes. There are many diverse and distinct types of
horse breeds. There are four types of horses. The first is the riding horse. It includes saddle,
walking, stock polo, hunters and jumpers, and ponies. Second is the race horse which includes
running horses such as Thoroughbreds and Quarter horses and harness horses such as trotters and
pacers. Driving horses include heavy and fine harness, roadsters, and ponies. Lastly, there is the
work horse which includes draft, wagon, and exhibition horses. Height is measured in hands. The
measurement is taken from the top of the withers to the ground. A hand measures four inches
Generally, depending on size, build, and use, horses may be classified as light horses, ponies,
warmbloods, or draft horses..
LIGHT HORSES
Light Horse Breeds include the following:

American Paint Horse

Pinto

American Saddlebred Horse

Quarter Horse

Appaloosa

Standardbred

Arabian

Tennessee Walking Horse

Morgan

Thoroughbred

Palomino
Light horses stand 14-2 to 17 hands, weigh 900-1400 pounds and are primarily used for riding,
driving, and racing.
American Paint Horse
The American Paint Horse originated in the United States and is 14-1 to 16-2 hands. Its primary
uses are for stock, pleasure, show, or racing. It can be white with any other color. There are three
distinct patterns. These are overo, tobiano, and tovero. Overo is when the pattern is
predominantly white or dark with no white crossing the back between the withers and the tail.
Usually, one or all of the legs are dark and the tail is one color. A paint with a tobiano pattern is
either predominantly white or dark with spots being distinct, round, or oval patterns which
extend down over the neck and chest. All four legs are generally white and the tail is usually two
colors. A tovero paint is one with dark pigmentation around the ears and mouth. The chest and
flank spots vary in size and one or both eyes are blue.
American Saddlebred Horse
The American Saddlebred Horse originated in Kentucky. It can be bay, brown, chestnut, gray,
black or golden in color and stand 15 to 16 hands. Three gaited horses show at the walk, trot, and
canter. Five gaited horses also show at the slow gait as well as the rack. They are used for three
and five gaited horses, pleasure, stock, and fine harness.
Appaloosa
The Appaloosa originated in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and is a descendent of horses
originated in Central Asia and was first bred in North America by the Nez Perce Indians. They
are a variation and combination of spots and colors. There are four distinguishable characteristics
used to identify Appaloosas. They include coat pattern, mottled skin (speckled and blotchy
pattern of pigmented and non-pigmented skin) white sclera (area of the eye which encircles the
iris) and striped hooves. They stand 14 to 15-2 hands and are generally used for stock, pleasure,
race, parade, hunting, and jumping.
Arabian
The Arabian originated in Saudi Arabia. They are mostly bay, gray, or chestnut, but some white
and black can be found. White marks on the head and legs are common. They stand 14-2 to 15-2
hands and have a dish face which is one of its most distinguishable characteristics. It is used for
saddle, show, stock, pleasure, racing, endurance racing, and competitive trail rides.
Morgan
Morgans originated in Vermont and are commonly bay, brown or chestnut; however, some
black, palomino, buckskin, or grays may be found. They stand 14-2 to 16 hands. They are noted
for their stamina, docility, beauty, courage, and longevity and are generally used as saddle, stock,
or harness horses.
Palomino
The Palomino originated in the United States and is from Spanish descent. They are golden in
color with a light colored mane and tail with no more than 15% dark or chestnut hair in either.
They stand 14-2 to 16 hands. The type of Palomino desired depends entirely on the intended use.
They are commonly used for parades, stock, pleasure, saddle, and fine harness.
Pinto
The Pinto originated in the United States and is the descendent of horses brought to North
America by Spanish conquistadors. They are white with any other color. The tobiano and overo
pattern are common. It is a color breed rather than a type breed. It is used for hunting, polo
mounts, racing, saddle, and stock.
Quarter Horse
Quarter horses originated in the United States, primarily in the southwestern states of Texas,
Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. They can be gray, black, bay, sorrel, chestnut,
brown, buckskin, palomino, dun, grullo, red dun, blue roan, or red roan. They stand 15 to 16
hands and are well muscled and powerfully built. They are considered to be one of the most
versatile breeds. They were one of the first breeds native to the United States and are commonly
used as stock horses, race horses, pleasure horses, or hunters and jumpers.
Standardbred
Standardbreds originated in the United States and are often bay, brown, or black, but some
chestnuts, grays, roans, and duns exist. They stand 15 to 16 hands and were developed primarily
for harness racing. It is important for standardbreds to have a pleasing conformation, an
abundance of style, and quality. They are still used for harness racing but additionally trotting,
pacing, and show.
Tennessee Walking Horse
The Tennessee Walking Horse originated in Tennessee. They can be sorrel, chestnut, roan, black,
white, golden, gray, bay, or brown. They stand 14-3 to 17 hands and have three easy riding gaits.
These include the flat-foot walk, the running walk, and the canter. All of these are natural,
inherited characteristics and are used as pleasure horses, plantation walking horses, and show
horses.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred originated in England and was developed as a running horse which stands 15
to 16-2 hands. They can be bay, brown, chestnut, sorrel, black, or gray and commonly have
white markings on the face and legs. Their conformation emphasizes factors contributing to
racing and sports. They are primarily used for racing horses, saddle horses, hunting, jumping,
and polo mounts.
PONIES
Breeds of ponies include:

Pony of the Americas

Shetland Pony

Miniature Horse

Welsh Pony
Ponies stand under 14-2 hands high and weigh less than 900 pounds.
Miniature Horse
The Miniature Horse originated in England and can be any color, have any marking pattern, and
have any eye color. They can be no more than 34 inches tall and are primarily used as pets or for
show. They were first used to pull ore carts in coalmines.
Pony of the Americas
The Pony of the Americas originated in Mason City, Iowa. They are very similar to the
Appaloosa making several colors and patterns acceptable. They stand 46 to 54 inches and have a
conformation between a Quarter Horse and an Arabian. They are commonly used by juniors who
have outgrown Shetland ponies but are not ready for a horse.
Shetland Pony
Shetland Ponies originated in the Shetland Isles and can be any color, solid, or mixed. There are
two height classes: under 43 inches and 43 to 46 inches. They develop long shaggy outer coats
during the winter months and have full manes and tails. Shetlands are one of the oldest breeds in
existence and are used mainly by children but also for harness, racing, and roadster.
Welsh Pony
The Welsh Pony originated in Wales and is usually gray, roan, black, brown, bay or chestnut.
Some creams, whites, and duns exist. There are two height divisions. “A” Division cannot
exceed 12-2 hands and weigh less than 500 pounds. “B” Division is over 12-2 hands but no more
than 14-2 hands. They weight between 500-900 pounds. They are commonly used by children,
but also for harness racing, trail riding, and parades.
WARMBLOODS
Breeds of Warmblood Horses include:

American Warmblood

Holsteiner

Hanoverian

Trakehner
Warm blood horse stand 15-1 to 17 hands and weigh 1200 to 1600 pounds. They are primarily
used for sporting competitions such as dressage, driving, hunting, jumping, or three-day
eventing. They are a combination of “hot blooded” horses such as Arabians or Thoroughbreds
crossed with “cold blooded” horses like draft horses. Most warmblood registries do not have
closed studbooks. Studbooks are the official record of the pedigree or ancestry or purebreds. No
outside blood is allowed to enter into the gene pool.
American Warmblood
The American Warmblood originated in the United States. They can be any color but should
preferably have few white markings. They range from 16 to 17 hands in height. American
Warmbloods can be used for dressage, driving, jumping, and three-day events.
Hanoverian
Hanoverians originated in Germany and are solid in color with bays, chestnuts, and grays being
common. Excessive amounts of white are not desired. They stand 16 to 17 hands and are
considered to be a noble horse with cooperative temperaments. They have elastic gaits and have
outstanding ability in international equestrian disciplines. Hanoverians are used for dressage,
driving, jumping, and three-day events.
Holsteiner
The Holsteiner originated in the province of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. They are
bay in color with a preference for no or few white markings and stand 16 to 17 hands. The
Holsteiner is known for its relaxed and willing temperament with good character and an
eagerness to work. It is also noted for carrying its head in a beautiful arch and for its excellent
jumping ability. Common uses include: dressage, driving, jumping, and three-day eventing.
Trakehner
The Trakehner originated in Trakehner, East Prussia. They are solid colors without excessive
white markings and stand 15-3 to 16-3 hands. They were originally developed for the Prussian
Army and are known for their “floating trot”, excellent balance, and excelling in dressage. They
were introduced to North America in 1957 and are commonly used for dressage, jumping,
hunting, and three-day events.
DRAFT HORSES
Breeds of Draft Horses include:

Belgian

Percheron

Clydesdale

Shire
Draft horses stand 14-2 to 19 hands and weigh more than 1400 pounds. They are primarily used
for heavy work and exhibition purposes.
Belgian
True to its name, the Belgian originated in Belgium. They are typically chestnut or sorrel but
there are some roans and bays. Belgians stand 15-2 to 17 hands and are known for their
draftiness. They are also the widest, deepest, most compact massive and lowest set of the draft
breeds. They are the most numerous of the draft breeds and are docile, quiet, and gentle.
Belgians are commonly used for exhibition, special attractions, and farm work.
Clydesdale
Clydesdales originated in Scotland and are usually bay, but some may be black, brown, chestnut,
or roan. They have four white socks and a well-defined blaze or bald face. They are a medium
draft breed standing 16-2 to 18 hands. Clydesdales have superior style and action and feature
heavy feathering of the feet. Feathering is the fringe of hair around the foot just above the hoof.
Common uses are for exhibition, special attractions, and farm work.
Percheron
Percherons originated in France and are most commonly black or gray. Some may be chestnut or
roan, however. They are an intermediate draft breed being between a Clydesdale and a Belgian
and stand 16-2 to 17-3 hands. They are extremely docile and have a clean-cut head. Percherons
are used for exhibition purposes, special attractions, and farm work. They are mated with
thoroughbreds in order to produce hunters and jumpers.
Shire – Draft
Shires originated in England and are typically brown, gray, or chestnut/sorrel in color. Excessive
white markings and any roan coloring are undesirable. They are large, are matched in weight
only by the Belgian and stand 16-2 to 17-1 hands. Shires were used as war horses in the 15th and
16th centuries but today are used for exhibition purposes, special attractions, and farm work.
SUMMARY
A breed is 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 can
be classified as light horses, ponies, warmblood horses, or draft horses. Knowing the breeds of
horses can help one choose a horse for an intended use.