BreedsAs breeders selected and bred for desirable traits

after generations a breed of horses developed.A breed is defined as a group of horses with

common ancestry that breed to produce common characteristics.

World wide about 300 breeds of horses exist.Many breeds of horses started with a foundation

sire and for those breeds all registered foals must be able to trace their ancestry back to these stallions.

BreedsThree foundation stallions make up the

thoroughbredDarley ArabianByerly Turk Godolphin Arabian

Justin Morgan is the foundation sire for the Morgan breed.

Allen F-1 A Morgan Stallion was the foundation sire for the Tennessee walking horse.

Morgan Stallions also contributed to the development of the standard bred, quarter horse, American Albino, and Palomino breeds.

Horse BreedsThe five most popular horse breeds in the

World: 1. The American Quarter Horse 2. The American Paint Horse 3. The Arabian Horse 4. The Thoroughbred Horse 5. The Appaloosa Horse

BreedsCertain breeds were developed with color

requirements. And for some that is the only registry requirement is color.

Palomino was the first color breed. Others include…Appaloosas AlbinosPaintsPintosBuckskinsWhitesCremesSpotteds

ClassificationHorses are also classified according to size,

weight, build and useThe common measurement for horses is the

hand. A hand is equal to four inches.The height of the horse is measured from the

top of the withers to the ground.A horse that is 15 hands is 60 inches or 5 feet

at the withers.

Light Horses

Light horses are 14.2 to 17.2 hands high and weigh 900 to 1400 pounds.

They are used for riding , driving, showing, racing, or farm and ranch work.

Light horses are more agile and can travel at greater speed than draft horses.

Draft HorsesDraft horses are 14.2 to 17.2 hands high and

weigh 1400 pounds or more.They are used for heavy work and for pulling

loads.

PoniesPonies stand under

14.2 hands and weigh 500 to 900 pounds

Ponies are generally draft, heavy harness, or saddle type.

BreedsHorses are also classified based on there

origin of breeding and temperament.The three classifications are…

Cold bloodsHot bloodsWarm bloods

Cold BloodsIn the northern regions of the world, the

climate produced lush pastures. The horses that lived there became heavy, strong and slow moving. To help them survive the freezing weather conditions in winter, nature equipped these horses with long hair, a thick skin and a layer of fat underneath it.

Most of the work and heavy draught horses of today fall into the category of cold-bloods.

Cold blood horses generally have a very calm temperament.

Hot BloodsHot-bloods developed quite differently from their

northern relatives. In the south, where they lived, there was less extremes of climate. As a consequence, southern horse had thin coats to keep them cool and comfortable in the hottest of weather.

Food was in short supply, so the horses learned to sur-vive from poor grazing. This also made them lighter, although they were often few places for them to hide in times of trouble, so they became swift to escape their predators.

Hot bloods are light boned, fast and agile, and highly spirited.

Most horses with Arabian breeding fit this classification.

Thoroughbreds are another example.

Warm BloodsThe Warmbloods are a combination of hot and

cold blooded breeds Warmbloods are also lighter horses used for

riding, they may not have the fiery temperament and may have a little more size than the hot bloods.

The seven most common Warmbloods, Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg, Selle Francais, Swedish Warmblood, Trakehner, Dutch Warmblood.

Types and UsesRiding horses are generally thought of as the

gaited horses, stock horses, and horses used for equine sport.

Driving horses are horses that are used for heavy harness and fine harness horses and ponies.

All purpose horses are used for family enjoyment, showing and ranch work.

Miniature horses are used for driving and as pets. Registered miniature horses are no more than 34 inches at the withers.

DonkeysBreeds registered by the American Donkey

and Mule society include the followingThe Mammoth or American Standard JackThe Large Standard or Spanish DonkeyThe Standard Donkey or BurroThe Miniature Mediterranean DonkeyThe American Spotted Ass.

Mammoth DonkeysAre a blend of

several breeds imported to the U.S. in the 1800’s from Southern Europe.

They are the largest of the asses with the jacks being 56 inches or more high.

The foundation sire was a jack named Mammoth. His name was given to the breed.

Donkey’sThe Spanish donkeys stand

between 48 and 56 inches tall.Burro’s or the Standard donkey

stands between 36 and 48 inches tall.

The miniature Mediterranean donkey imported from Sicily and Sardinia must stand under 36 inches to qualify for registry.

Height restriction is the only requirements for registration by the American Donkey and Mule Society.

Donkey’s

Miniature donkeys are not only used as pets the are also used as companions to foals at weaning time to reduce foal stress.

Miniature donkeys are also used to calm nervous horses, or they are placed in stalls with horses who are recovering from surgery.

They do not take up much room or eat much but they have a great calming effect on horses.

Donkey’s One characteristic

unique to donkeys is the black cross found on all donkeys.

It consists of a dorsal stripe from the main to the tail and a cross stripe between the withers.

Both Donkeys and Mules lack the horses calluses or chestnuts on the hind legs.

MulesA mule is a cross between a Male Donkey (a

Jack) and a Female Horse (a Mare).A Hinny is a cross between a Female donkey

(a Jenny) and a Male Horse (A Stallion) A Hinny is similar to a mule but is smaller and more horse like with shorter ears and a longer head.

Mules

A mule has a shorter thicker head than a horse, long ears and the braying voice of the donkey.

The most noticeable points are its long ears, short thin mane, which may stand upright like a donkey's or be a little longer and flop over. The withers are low or non-existent, the back flat, the body flat-sided with weaker quarters than the horse, and also narrower and less deep-shouldered. The legs are, like the donkey's, straight, with small, hard, dense, upright, straight-sided hooves. The head is a little narrower than the donkey's, but otherwise very similar.

MulesHinnies are more difficult to get then mules.While mules may display normal sex drive

they are 98 or 99 % sterile.The reason they are sterile is because of a

unbalance in the chromosome make up of a mule.

Donkeys have 62 chromosomesHorses have 64 chromosomes

MulesWhen a Horse mates with a donkey

the stallion contributes ½ of his chromosomes (32) and the Jenney contributes ½ of her chromosomes (31).

Combined they produce a mule that has 63 chromosomes which is an odd number making it sterile.

MulesMules are classified as …DraftPack / WorkSaddleDrivingJumpingMiniature The type of mule produced depends on the breed

of horse and donkey used to produce the mule.

MulesA male mule is called a JohnA female Mule is called a MollyMules, having hybrid vigor, can grow taller than

both parents. Weight for weight they are stronger than horses, and are much longer-lived, although maturing slightly later. They rarely become ill or lame, Have better feet and can often go with out shoes where horses could not. Mules can withstand extremes of temperature, can live on frugal rations, have tremendous stamina and are exceptionally sure-footed.

Mules

Mules have a reputation for being obstinate and bad-tempered, but as with donkeys, the mule's legendary stubbornness is in fact a manifestation of its talent for self-preservation.

If a mule takes care of itself, then it follows that it is also taking great care of its cargo, human or otherwise. It is not for nothing that mules are chosen rather than horses to take tourists down the Grand Canyon!

MulesThe reputation for bad temper is, due to the

mule's untrusting nature. Until he has learnt to trust a person, he is worried that the person may do him harm, and will take defensive action by kicking them, should he feel the occasion merits it. And mules are splendid kickers - they kick fast and accurately and they rarely miss.

A mules temperament suggests that you cannot force him to do anything, but must persuade him, or organize his work so that he is only asked to do those things which he will want to do. Failure to appreciate this has led to many a battle between man and mule, and to the mule's bad reputation.