Another Breed Post

Melanie over at Horses, Kids and Homework has inspired both today's and yesterdays post! The topic of horse breeds always gets the conversational juices flowing. While I am a HUGE fan of the American Quarter Horse there are many other breeds that I love as well! Some for pure aesthetics, like a Friesian...

Andalusian or Lusitano

or a Rocky Mountain horse (for their unique coloring)

while other breeds I respect for their ability to excel in specific disciplines... like a Hanoverian, Oldenburg or Holsteiner (in show jumping and dressage.)

Actually, I used to board my little cutting bred quarter horse mare at a facility that imported and bred Hanoverians... I remember jogging around the arena on my little pony while these gloriously animated and enigmatic, gladiator size horses trotted by me with all the grace of a prima ballerina shashaying by a hobbit.

It gave Ellie and I bit of a complex.. but then we could spin or stop better than they could... so there! *sticks tongue out*

Some breeds like an Arabian...

Appaloosa, Morgan, Thoroughbred...

Standardbred, Welsh Ponies, Drafts and a cross of all of the above I've had enough personal experience with that the draw, while still there, never quite exceeds the interest I have in my favorite, the reining, cutting or RCH bred Quarter Horse.

There are even some other lines and types of Quarter Horses that I'd love to have, like a really nice Western Pleasure horse, a Hancock, running bred, and/or a big ol' Two Eyed Jack rope horse.

Also, their are some rare and unique breeds that I'd like to see in person, like a Criollo...

Azteca...

or Nokota...

And I'd love to ride a gaited Tennessee Walker and Saddlebred, Peruvian Paso...

or an Icelantic in my lifetime...

Actually, a picture of these amazing itty bitty little horses doesn't suffice...

Check this out!

I did ride a gaited horse (other than a Standardbred) when I was 13 or 14 but I don't remember anything but that it was "weird and like, totally cool!"

Of all the breeds, there are but a handful that I would like to own in my lifetime, (besides a Quarter Horse) because I like the ability, temperament, breeding history and the package those attributes come wrapped up in...

Those breeds would be the:

Austrailian Stock Horse- I've covered...click here for a link

Canadian Horse- I covered yesterday...click here for a link

And these horses, which I intend to do a write-up on this coming week...

The Mustang...

Haflinger...

And Fjord...

These horses often come pony sized but they have a heart as big as any horse and some really neat attributes.

Which horse of all of the above would you most like to ride?