Horses and Pony Breeds
BY : KEAGAN AND TATUM
Beautiful Majestic Creatures.... Horses
Horses are amazing graceful creatures that have many uses. Their uses range from trick riding to pulling plows on a farm. In this project, you will be learning about a horse's physical feautures, horse and pony types, work and pleasure, the Arabian, mountian and Moorland ponies. You will also learn about the Cleveland Bay, the Shire, and the Appaloosa. I hope you learn a lot!!!!
Physical Feautures
A horse's physical feautures can range from extremely athletic to devastating. When a horses conformation is weak or fragile they can have many dyefunctions such as weak legs and bad hooves. There are two parts to a horses's skeleton. The axial which consists of the skull,backbone,sternum and important internal organs. The axial skeleton protects the brain. The second part of the skeleton is the appendicular. The appendicular skeleton supports the body, comprises the shoulders, forelegs, pelvic girdle, and hind legs. When you measure a horse, you measure them in hands ( 4 in.) and measure them from the withers to the ground. The eyes of a good tempered horse are large and bright. Sloped shoulders in a good conformationed horse make for good movement and riding. Lastly, a healthy horse should have hocks ( joints in the leg) correctly angled.
Horse and Pony Types
There are many different horse and pony types. Riding horses are normally 50% Thoroughbred. A Cob has a deep body, short legs and can carry great weights. Secondly the feathers of a Cob horse are usually clipped. A Hunter is a powerful horse and is able to jump well and has a fast gallop. A Polo Pony is a horse, but it is called a pony. Normally, horses that do polo are called ponies. A Thoroughbred is the fastest breed and gives quality to every breed. The only true wild horse breed is Przewalski's horse.
Work and Pleasure
Horses can be used in competitions or for your every day pleasure. One of the competitions is harness racing. These horses are normally American Standardbreds. Harness racing is when a horse pulls a sulky with a person in it. Police horses are very calm tempered horses that are used for work. These creatures must be trained to accept loud noises before they can perform field duties. Next, we talk about race horses. They are all business, being the most financially valuable horses in the world. War horses on the other hand carry men on their backs into battle so they can travel faster than on foot. Lastly, ceremonial horses. These types of horses are normally Clydesdales. They are trained to be calm, quite, and respectful. As you can now see, horses can be used for anything!
Moutain and Mooreland Ponies
The Smallest Pony in the World
This is Einstein! He is the smallest pony in the world and is a Shetland Pony Pinto crossbreed. A Shetland Pony is a classified under Mountain and Mooreland ponies. He is 35 cm tall and weighs 2.7 kg.
New Forest Pony
The Newforest pony is the mutt of the horse world. It is a mix between the Thoroughbred and the Welsh pony, and hardly classifies as a pony. This animal is very sure footed and will stick with you through thick and thin.
Fell and Dales pony
These ponies are two different breeds yet are almost exactly the same. The only difference between the two breeds is that the fell is slightly smaller and has lighter feathers on the feet (tufts of fur). Both of them are equally gorgeous and have the same uses.
The Shetland Pony
This pony is indigenous to the Britain area. The average height for this petite pony is about 40 inches. This is the only pony to not be measured in hands. The miniscule Shetland pony is a beautiful thing that will steal your heart from the moment you see it.
Welsh Section B
The Welsh Section B pony is well portioned and elegant. This stocky creature is mainly used for the fancy events of life and is quite beautiful.
Welsh Section D
This pony is an athletic British native animal that is loyal and true through the end. The gorgeous creature has a strong, steady trot and averages about 15 hands. Even though this hooved animal is classified as a pony it still rides smooth like a horse.
Connemara
This pony has a large variety of uses from western riding to jumping. Being so athletic it can do almost anything. If the creature can trust you, it will show its love for years to come.
Shetland Ponies Dressed in Sweaters
Appaloosa
The Appaloosa is a beautiful horse with a strong athletic confirmation. They usually are 15.2 hands. Their hooves have vertical black and white stripes. Their good hard hooves allow them to go unshod (without horseshoes). A feature of the Appaloosa is the Sclera (white ring around the eye.) They have a deep thorough girth and strong back. This is good for ranch work and rough terrain riding. The mane and tail are usually short and sparce. Appaloosas have long forearms that help with good movement. The main feature of the Appaloosa is the spots written across the body.
The Arabian
Arabians are beautiful, smart creatures that have many special features. This breed of horse has strong dense bones wich exceeds every other breed. It also has 17 ribs compared to 18 for other breeds making it short backed. The mane and tail is soft and silky. Colors range from light to dark, being; bay, black, chestnut, and grey. The muzzle of an Arabian is quite small and has flaring nostrils. Their legs are long and slender, but very strong. Arabians are a unique horse that have a lot of perseverance and stamina which makes them ideal for top level endurance riding and a good loyal companion.
The Cleveland Bay
The Cleveland Bay is the all-in-one animal in the horse world. It is a good jumper, hunting horse, and a superb carriage horse due to its smooth walk. The Cleveland bay is one of the longest living horses known to man, they live to about 30 years at least! This creature has a strong conformation especially in the neck and shoulders. Also, the Cleveland bay is always brown with black splotches. They average about 16.1 hands and have clean legs without feathers. Lastly, this horse is a very strong creature that will love you till the end.
The Shire
The Shire is a strong horse that it is the largest of the heavy horse breeds. Their legs have lots of strait and silky feathers. A pair of Shires can move a load weighing up to 50 tons! The most common color of the Shire is bay with white markings. Some can be grey, though. Their average height is 17 hands. The Shire can weigh up to one ton. Although tough and strong the Shire is a beautiful, graceful, loyal horse.