Horse Breeds | Horse Stall

Horse Breeds

Profiles of 60 horse and pony breeds — where each came from, what it was bred to do, and what it's like to work with.

Looking for a specific breed?

Browse the full A–Z horse breed glossary.

View the A–Z list →

One of the oldest surviving horse breeds, the Akhal-Teke was developed in the deserts of Turkmenistan over thousands of years, bred by nomadic tribes

American Bashkir Curly

First documented in wild herds in the mountains of Nevada in the early 1900s, the American Bashkir Curly's exact origins remain uncertain, though it

American Paint Horse

Descended from Spanish horses brought to the Americas, Paint Horses combine Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred stock-type conformation with a colorful

American Quarter Horse

Named for its ability to outrun other breeds in quarter-mile races, the Quarter Horse developed in colonial America from crosses of English and…

American Saddlebred

Developed in Kentucky during the 1800s from Narragansett Pacer and Thoroughbred stock, the American Saddlebred was originally bred as a comfortable,

American Warmblood

Unlike the tightly closed European warmblood studbooks, the American Warmblood registry evaluates individual horses on quality and performance rather

Andalusian Horse

Also known as the Pura Raza Española (PRE), the Andalusian developed on the Iberian Peninsula over centuries, prized by European nobility for its

Appaloosa Horse

The Appaloosa's spotted coat pattern was developed and refined by the Nez Perce people of the Pacific Northwest, who bred selectively for the trait

One of the oldest and most influential horse breeds in the world, the Arabian was developed on the Arabian Peninsula thousands of years ago by Bedouin

Native to the mountainous Asturias region of northern Spain, the Asturcón is an ancient pony breed thought to descend from horses that roamed the

Developed in Mexico starting in the 1970s, the Azteca was deliberately created by crossing the Andalusian, American Quarter Horse, and Mexican Criollo

Bavarian Warmblood

Bred in the Bavaria region of southern Germany, this warmblood descends from the historic Rottaler breed, refined over the 20th century with

Belgian Draft Horse

Descended from the heavy medieval "Great Horses" of Flanders, the Belgian Draft is one of the strongest and most popular draft breeds in the world.

Descended from horses sent by King Louis XIV to New France in the 1600s, the Canadian Horse developed in relative isolation, becoming remarkably hardy

Named for the Cleveland district of Yorkshire, England, this breed dates back several centuries as a pack and coach horse for the region's merchants

Clydesdale Horse

Named for the River Clyde valley in Scotland, the Clydesdale was developed in the 1700s as a powerful farm and haulage horse, later exported…

Colorado Ranger

Descended from two stallions gifted to President Ulysses S.

Ireland's only native pony breed, the Connemara developed in the rocky, windswept Connemara region along Ireland's west coast, likely shaped by native

Native to the moorlands of Devon, England, the Dartmoor Pony has roamed the region for centuries, historically used by tin miners and farmers.

Dutch Warmblood

Developed by the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands (KWPN), the Dutch Warmblood was systematically bred from native Gelderlander and…

One of the smallest horse breeds in the world, the Falabella was developed in Argentina in the late 1800s by the Falabella family, who selectively…

Missouri Fox Trotter

Developed by settlers in the rocky Ozark hills of Missouri in the early 1800s, the Fox Trotter was bred to cover rough terrain comfortably over long

The Friesian originated in the Friesland province of the Netherlands, where its ancestors were bred for centuries as a working and carriage horse.

Gypsy Vanner Horse

Bred by Romani ("Gypsy") families in the British Isles after World War II to pull ornate vardo caravans, the breed combines Shire, Clydesdale,

Developed in England in the 1700s and 1800s, the Hackney was bred as a fast, stylish trotting carriage horse, prized in the era before automobiles for

Haflinger Horse

Named for the village of Hafling in the Tyrolean Alps (now part of Italy), the Haflinger was bred as a sure-footed mountain pack and farm horse, with

Hanoverian Horse

Originating in the Hanover region of Germany in the 1700s, the Hanoverian began as a coach and cavalry horse before being systematically refined…

Holsteiner Horse

One of the oldest warmblood breeds in the world, the Holsteiner traces back over 700 years to the marshlands of Schleswig-Holstein in northern…

Icelandic Horse

Brought to Iceland by Norse settlers over a thousand years ago, the Icelandic Horse has been bred in near-total isolation ever since — Icelandic law

Irish Draught Horse

Developed on small Irish farms as an all-purpose horse capable of plowing fields, pulling carts, and being ridden to hounds, the Irish Draught nearly

Irish Sport Horse

Created by crossing the Irish Draught with the Thoroughbred (and sometimes other warmbloods), the Irish Sport Horse combines the substance and…

Kentucky Mountain Horse

Closely related to the Rocky Mountain Horse, the Kentucky Mountain Horse developed in the same Appalachian region, bred by mountain families for a

Bred by the noble Kinský family in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) since the 1700s, this rare breed was developed as a fast, elegant hunting and

Knabstrup Horse

Named for the Knabstrup estate in Denmark, this spotted breed traces back to a single spotted mare, "Flaebehoppen," acquired in 1808.

Developed for the Habsburg royal court starting in 1580 at the Lipica stud in what is now Slovenia, the Lipizzan is inseparable from Vienna's Spanish

A close cousin of the Andalusian, the Lusitano developed in Portugal over thousands of years and shares much of the same ancient Iberian ancestry.

Miniature Horse

Bred down in size over centuries in Europe, originally as pets for nobility and later as pit ponies to haul coal carts underground, the Miniature…

As its name suggests, the Morab is a deliberate cross between the Morgan and the Arabian, combining traits of both foundation breeds.

Widely considered America's first horse breed, the Morgan traces back to a single influential stallion, Figure, owned by Vermont schoolteacher Justin

Descended from horses brought by Spanish colonizers in the 1500s, Mustangs went feral and spread across the American West, becoming a living symbol of

National Show Horse

Developed in the United States in the 1980s, the National Show Horse was deliberately created by crossing the Arabian and the American Saddlebred,

Oldenburg Horse

Named for the German region of Oldenburg, this breed began in the 1600s as a heavier carriage horse before being refined through Thoroughbred crosses

Paso Fino Horse

Descended from Spanish horses brought to the Caribbean and Latin America starting in the 1500s, the Paso Fino ("fine step") was refined over centuries

Percheron Horse

Originating in the Perche region of France, the Percheron traces back to medieval war horses, later refined with Arabian blood for greater elegance.

Peruvian Paso Horse

Bred in near-total isolation in Peru since Spanish colonial times, the Peruvian Paso developed its own distinct gait and characteristics separately

Pintabian Horse

Developed in the United States, the Pintabian combines Arabian bloodlines with a pinto coat pattern, requiring a very high percentage of Arabian blood

Unlike the Paint (which requires stock-breed ancestry), Pinto is a color registry open to almost any breed with a qualifying spotted pattern — Spanish

Pony of the Americas

Created in Iowa in 1954 from a single foal — a cross between an Appaloosa mare and a Shetland pony stallion — the Pony of the Americas (POA) was

Rocky Mountain Horse

Despite its name, the Rocky Mountain Horse was developed in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky, not the Rockies.

Native to the Shetland Islands north of Scotland, this ancient pony breed developed small and hardy to survive the harsh island climate and sparse

Shire Draft Horse

Descended from England's medieval "Great Horses" bred to carry armored knights, the Shire developed into the tallest and one of the strongest draft

Spotted Saddle Horse

Developed in the American South from gaited breeds like the Tennessee Walking Horse crossed with Pinto bloodlines, the Spotted Saddle Horse combines a

Standardbred Horse

Developed in the United States in the 1800s specifically for harness racing, the breed takes its name from the "standard" time requirement early

The Suffolk Punch takes its name from the English county of Suffolk, where it has been bred as a farm and draft horse since at least the 16th century.

Tennessee Walking Horse

Developed in the American South, particularly middle Tennessee, in the late 1800s, the breed was bred by plantation owners who needed a comfortable,

Thoroughbred Horse

Developed in England in the late 1600s and 1700s by crossing native mares with imported Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman stallions, the Thoroughbred was

Trakehner Warmblood

Founded at the East Prussian royal stud in 1732, the Trakehner is the oldest of the German warmblood registries.

Walkaloosa Horse

Created by crossing Appaloosa bloodlines with gaited breeds like the Tennessee Walking Horse and Missouri Fox Trotter, the Walkaloosa combines a…

Welsh Ponies & Cobs

Native to the mountains of Wales for centuries, the breed is divided into four sections (A through D) ranging from the small Welsh Mountain Pony…

Westphalian Horse

Bred in the Westphalia region of Germany since the 1800s, this warmblood was developed with heavy Hanoverian influence into one of Germany's most

Horse Gifts

{{ product.title }}