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Andalusian Horse History Named after the Spanish region of Andalusia, the Andalusian shares a bloodline with Iberian horses, which appear in cave paintings as old as 20,000 to 30,000 BCE. Throughout the years, the Andalusian and other Iberian breeds heavily influenced the native Spanish and other cultures inhabiting the region including the Romans and Celts. It is thought by some that the Andalusian was the first “warmblood” developed in Europe, which combines the mild temperament of heavy work horses such as the Clydesdale with the refinement of saddle horses such asthe Arabian. Although the Andalusian has ancient bloodlines, the current breed is the work of a select few breeders during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, most Andalusians (about 66 percent) exist in Spain, with only 8,500 registered in the United States. The spanish horse, the horse of Andalusia. the star of the spectacle “Como bailan los caballos andaluces” (How the Andalusian Horses Dance), registered in the Stud Book of the Breed as Purebred Spanish Horse,

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE HEIGHT: 14.2–17 hands ORIGIN OF AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE  : North America; originated along the eastern seaboard and solidified into a breed on the ranches of the American West SPECIAL QUALITIES: Exceptional athleticism and versatility; extreme speed for short distances; most highly developed “cow sense” of any breed BEST SUITED FOR: Ranch work; short-distance racing, cutting, reining, and other competition The American Quarter Horse is truly an American creation. It may be the first horse “type” to have been deliberately produced on this continent. Its history can be traced back even before the earliest days of the American colonies, all the way to the official royal breeding farms established on this continent by the very early Spanish in what is now the southeastern section of the United States, an area then known as Spanish Guale. The Quarter Horse’s pedigree includes Spanish Barbs, Colonial mid-Atlantic Quarter-Pathers, Rhode Island racing stock, English Thoroughbreds, Andalusians, Mustangs, and the small but excellent horses of the Chickasaw Indians,

BRABANT HORSE HEIGHT: 15.2–17 hands PLACE OF ORIGIN: Belgium SPECIAL QUALITIES: Massively built; can weigh as much as 3,000 pounds BEST SUITED FOR: Farmwork Brabant Horse The word “Brabant” signifies an area in what is now Belgium, once the duchy of Brabant. It also identifies a particular draft horse that originated in this region. In Europe, “Belgian” is a generic term applied to several slightly different breeds of heavy horse. To confuse Americans further, the Brabant itself goes by various names, depending on the area or country of origin. In southern Belgium it is called the Cheval de Trait Belge. In northern Belgium it is called the Belgisch Trekpaard. In France it is the Cheval Trait du Nord, and in Holland it is the Nederland Trekpaard. Brabants have been imported into the United States since the mid-1800s. They were crossed with local stock to develop the American Belgian, which continued to look very much like the stocky European version until the interruption of horse imports from Europe during the First and Second World Wars.

ARABIAN HORSE HEIGHT: 14–15.3 hands ORIGIN OF ARABIN HORSE: Middle East, especially Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Jordan SPECIAL QUALITIES: Great beauty, tremendous endurance, high tail carriage, and unflagging spirit BEST SUITED FOR: Endurance, pleasure, and showing Among the most beautiful of all horses, the Arabian is also one of the oldest pure breeds in the world. It is the most widespread breed on earth and the most influential, having been used to improve almost every other breed at some time in history. There are Arabian breed associations in nearly every country, and Arabians can be found working, competing, and participating in just about any type of horse-related activity. They are the breed of choice for endurance competitions. But vehement arguments and misunderstandings arise over the details of the breed’s history. In the International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds, Bonnie Hendricks reports that every book she consulted claims the breed originated in Saudi Arabia. When she consulted Arabian Horse experts in Saudi Arabia,