Breeds and Types

There are many breeds of horses and ponies and a multitude of cross-breds. It is not necessary to know about all the breeds but you might come across a few common terms.

Thoroughbred

A horse whose ancestry can be traced back to horses entered in the General Stud Book first established in 1791 (a peerage of horses). All racehorses are Thoroughbreds, as are a lot of competition show jumping and eventing horses. The Thoroughbred was originally a cross between imported Eastern horses and the native British stock.

Warmblood

A riding horse, often used to describe a horse bred for competition.

Coldblood

A heavy horse used for draught work.

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