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1 Nature of Horse Breeds

The horse captures our imagination because of its beauty, power and, most of all, its personality. Today, we encounter a wide array of horse breeds, developed for diverse purposes. Much of this diversity did not exist at the time of domestication of the horse, 5500 years ago (Chapter 2). Modern breeds were developed through genetic selection and based on the variety of uses of horses during the advance of civilization.

Domestication of the horse revolutionized civilization. A rider could go farther and faster than people had ever gone before. Horses provided power to till more land and move heavier loads. Any sort of horse could provide these benefits, as long as it could be domesticated. However, over time people became more discerning about the characteristics of their horses. The intuitive and genetic principle that “like begat like” led people to choose the best horses as breeding stock. At the same time, people in different parts of the world used different criteria when selecting horses. The horses were raised in different climates, fed different rations, exposed to different infectious diseases, and asked to do different types of work. Genetic differences could and did have a large impact on these traits. Over time, selection led to the creation of diverse types of horse around the world.

We use a variety of terms to describe the genetic diversity among groups of animals, both to distinguish horses from other animals and examine differences among the different types of horses. Those terms include genus, species, population, landrace, and breed. The domestic horse belongs to the genus “Equus,” a taxonomic category that includes Przewalski horses, donkeys, zebras, and Asiatic asses (Chapter 3). The species designation “caballus” is the taxonomic term used to delineate horses within the genus Equus and signifies that the members of this species have a common, recent evolutionary origin and are fully fertile when bred to other members of the species. All modern domestic horses, from tiny ponies to large draft horses, belong to the species, Equus caballus. Population is a term typically used to describe a group of animals that has been interbreeding for some time and shares hereditary characteristics. The people who domesticated horses probably encountered a single population of horses that lived nearby and had interbred for generations. In this way, the members of a population of horses share many genes. Before domestication, many populations probably existed, each with distinctive characteristics derived from which of their ancestors produced most offspring. Once humans began capturing and breeding horses, they certainly made choices about which individuals were most interesting to keep in their breeding herd. Over time, the characteristics of domestic horses will have diverged from the original genetic prototype and populations will have distinct characteristics.

Horse populations were initially constrained by geography and named for their region of origin. For example, Arabian, Shire, Exmoor, Norwegian Fjord, Andalusian, Sorraia, Hanoverian, and Ahkal-Teke are all names of modern horse breeds that originated in and were identified with specific regions of the world. Populations developed and selected in concert with regional influences are called “landraces.” Landraces can be quite distinctive and even form the basis for subsequent designation as a breed. The designation of breed is really a social one, and begins when pedigrees are recorded, quality standards identified, and breeders formally cooperate to develop the population. In the present day we value record-keeping, therefore “breed societies” are formed to administer breeding programs, promote the breed, and ensure the integrity of the breeding stock. The breed may have a distinctive geographical origin and the name of the breed may reflect that. Alternatively, the name may reflect distinctive phenotypic characteristics, as in the cases for Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Quarter horse, Appaloosa, Paint, and Warmblood horses. The major advantages of breed formation for horse owners is confidence in the unique characteristics of each breed. When you obtain a horse registered to a particular breed, you can have a pretty good idea about the temperament, personality, and abilities of that horse.

The differences between and within populations, landraces, and breeds are largely genetic. Parentage testing (Chapter 14) works for horses because of the extensive genetic variation found among horses belonging to the same population or breed. At the same time, horses within a population or breed will be more similar to each other than they will be to horses in other populations. Some of the genes determine coat colors, athletic abilities, conformation, and health. For example, Lipizzan are well known for having white coats, caused by a high prevalence of the gene for loss of hair pigmentation (gray) (Chapter 10). Arabian horses are well known for athletic endurance, so it is no surprise that a gene for endurance has a very high prevalence among them but a low prevalence among a breed renowned for sprinting ability, namely Quarter horses (Chapter 18). As a result, the lessons of horse genetics are often most clearly demonstrated with reference to well-established horse breeds. It falls outside the context of this book to fully describe all breeds; therefore, we encourage you to read literature that fanciers of each breed have produced, fully describing the history, breeding, and characteristics of their breed that endear them to their owners. You may also find a short description of most of the known horse breeds at the Oklahoma State University, Animal Science Department website on “Breeds of Livestock” (See Website section for URL). However, we conclude this chapter and begin the book with a brief description of a few of the breeds that we will mention in subsequent chapters.

Thoroughbred breed. This breed originated in England during the late 1600s and was used throughout the last three centuries for racing. English breeders imported horses from the Mediterranean and crossed them with local horses to produce horses for the sport of racing. Races historically included distances of several miles, multiple heats in a day, and short sprints. Today, races are less than two miles with most sprints of less than a mile. We no longer use multiple heats. Thoroughbred horses were subsequently exported all over the world for the sport of racing as well as to serve as a source of transportation and power. The original studbook, Weatherby’s, recorded the pedigrees of Thoroughbred horses beginning in 1791 and became the primary resource and authority for the registry known as The Jockey Club. Popular history holds that all modern Thoroughbred horses are descended from just three stallions and a few hundred native mares that served as the foundation stock for the breed. Thoroughbred horses are prized for their athleticism and have contributed foundation stock for many modern breeds of horse including Standardbreds, Sports horses, Morgan horses, American Saddlebreds and Tennessee Walking horses.

Standardbred breed. Standardbred is a name given to harness horses that race in Europe, the Americas, and Australia/New Zealand. In Europe, Standardbreds only race at the trot, while in other countries they race as trotters or pacers. The origin of the breed in the Americas included fast harness horses from Europe, Thoroughbreds and other, now extinct, breeds of harness horses such as the Narragansett Pacers. The name comes from the manner of racing; historically, these horses raced a standard distance of a mile. At one time, a horse that could trot a mile in three minutes could be registered as a Standardbred, without regard to pedigree. The time to qualify for registration steadily dropped until the breed improved so much that no horses without pedigrees could qualify. At this point, breeders closed the registry to outside horses. Today, all registered Standardbreds must have parents that are registered. Horses are readily traded between these continents and they have a common genetic profile. That being said, there is a significant genetic difference between trotting-bred and pacing-bred horses, despite having a common foundation stock. In effect, they appear to be two separate, genetic populations under the name of one breed registry!

Arab breed. The Arabian horse is one of the most ancient horse breeds and originated more than 2000 years ago in the Middle East, especially parts of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt. The Arabian horse plays a major role in the culture and mythology of the Middle East. The Bedouin people who developed the breed were nomads who travelled between ancient Persia and Egypt with these horses. Undoubtedly, the Arabian horse shares ancestry with modern breeds identified as Ahkal-Teke, Turkoman horses, Persian Arabians, and the Barb or Berber of North Africa. These horses were prized for their athletic qualities and can be found in the ancestry of many modern horse breeds. Today the Arabian horse is prized for beauty and endurance in long distance races.

Warmblood breeds. The term “Warmblood” is used to refer to a type of horse developed in Europe since the 17th century for use in jumping competitions and dressage. Warmblood breeds include Hanoverian, Oldenburg, Trakehner, Holstein, Selle-Franҫais, Swiss Warmblood, Swedish Warmblood, and many other breeds. These are typically tall, athletic horses descended from crosses of local breeds and landraces of heavy horses, Arabian horses, Thoroughbred horses and Warmblood horses from other regions.

American Quarter horse breed. The American Quarter horse is known as the iconic horse of the American cowboy and descended, in part, from wild mustangs. Their name is derived from their immense sprinting ability; the founders of this breed were selected because of their speed when racing a quarter of a mile. Wild caught mustangs certainly formed part of the breed, but significant contributions were made by other horses, especially the Thoroughbred. Indeed, even today, there are rules allowing Thoroughbred-Quarter horse crossbred horses into the registry. Quarter horses are used for several different purposes including pleasure-riding, working cattle, racing, halter shows, and competitions such as cutting cattle and reining. Indeed, by some measures the Quarter horse breed appears to comprise several genetically distinct subpopulations based on selective breeding for different purposes.

Shetland pony breed. Shetland ponies are diminutive horses identified with the subarctic islands north of Scotland. Their small size is probably the selective consequence of the harsh living conditions and scarce foodstuffs on the islands, favoring small, hardy horses. Shetland ponies have been known on the islands since the Bronze Age and probably originated with crosses of Norse ponies and Celtic ponies. They are known as hardy, long-lived horses with docile personalities and are suitable for children to ride. Shetland ponies have been used extensively in crosses to develop the modern Miniature horse breed.

Icelandic horse breed. This breed originated with horses brought to Iceland in the 9th Century by Norwegians and probably crossed with other pony breeds. In 982, the Icelandic parliament passed laws prohibiting the importation of horses to Iceland, so the population has been closed to crossbreeding for more than 1000 years. The breed is well known for pacing and for performance of an ambling gait called the tölt.

Draft horse breeds. Draft horse breeds were developed in many areas of Europe and include breeds such as the Percheron, Suffolk Punch, Frisian, Belgian, Clydesdale, and Shire. These animals were very important for pulling, ploughing, and work associated with farming and early industry. Most of them began as landraces before their distinctive characteristics were appreciated and registries formed to preserve their special qualities and prevent their extinction following the advent of the combustion engine and their replacement on farms by tractors. Draft breeds include many of the largest animals within the species and breeders can be found all over the world.

Of course, there are many other fine horse breeds, not included in these descriptions. They are no less interesting and no less important than the breeds listed above. Aficionados of the other breeds can take some comfort in being spared the cursory treatments accorded here. As noted earlier, the point of highlighting these few breeds is to provide a reference for our discussions of genetics and to illustrate the varied histories and origins characteristic of horses. There are as many interesting stories as there are populations of horses and people who love them.