Horses can add a lot of fun and excitement to your life.It can be difficult to narrow down your choices.You can make the process simpler by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each breed.
Step 1: If you are a beginner, choose a calm, intelligent breed.
If you are just starting out, you want a horse that is friendly and relaxed.The breed you pick should be patient and intelligent, meaning it won't get frustrated if you make a mistake.You may want a breed of horse that is easy to ride.No matter what breed you pick, get a horse that has at least one year of professional training.The American Quarter Horse is a good beginner breed.
Step 2: If you are young or short, you should get a pony.
You may have trouble controlling an adult horse if you are under the age of 13 and less than 170 cm tall.If this is the case for you, get a pony.Ponies are just as fun as regular horses, but they are small enough to fit smaller riders.The Pony of the Americas is a great pony breed.Ponies are full of personality and can be stubborn.It's important to find a pony with a personality that matches yours.
Step 3: A balanced breed is ideal for trail riding.
You need an all-around breed that has a firm build as well as decent endurance, speed, and strength if you plan on riding your horse through long or inconsistent trails.Your horse's body should be proportional so that it can keep its balance while moving.The American Quarter Horse, Morgan, Missouri Fox Trotter, and Kentucky Mountain Horse are trail breeds.
Step 4: Farm work and general labor can be done with a draft horse.
Draft horses are bred to plow fields, haul carts, and perform other types of labor.If you need a horse that can work, draft horses are your best bet.The Belgian Draft is one of the popular draft breeds.
Step 5: If you want a calm animal, pick a cold-blooded breed.
Horses are not cold-blooded.The term refers to not-very-excitable breeds.The giants of the equine world are gentle.The low energy horses from this breed are friendly but also lazy.Cold-blooded steeds are large, with many standing over 66 in (170 cm) tall, and heavy, often weighing more than 1,500 lbs (680,000 g).Some of the great cold-blooded breeds include the Clydesdale, Coldblooded Trotter, Icelandic Horse, and Rocky Mountain Horse.
Step 6: If you want a versatile horse, choose a warmblooded breed.
Horses were created by breeding hotblooded and coldblooded horses.Smaller than most cold-blooded horses, these steeds can perform more physical stunts and are easier to approach and train.The American Quarter Horse is one of the most popular warm-blooded breeds.
Step 7: If you want an energetic horse, get a hot-blooded breed.
Hot-blooded horses have a lot of personality and are perfect for people who want to ride fast.These horses are difficult to control and are likely to bite inexperienced riders.They require experienced owners to do that.Small and slender horses are hot-blooded.Good hot-blooded breeds include the Arabian, Marwari, and Morgan.
Step 8: Each horse has its own temperament.
Like all animals, horses vary wildly from specimen to specimen.Some steeds have different temperaments than other members of their breed.Pick your horse based on its individual temperament, not the temperament you think it has.Ask to meet and ride a horse before buying it.If it has the temperament you want, this will help you figure it out.
Step 9: For Western riding, pick a traditional cowboy breed.
Western riding refers to ranching styles created or popularized by American cowboys.Though you can teach this riding style to any warmblooded or hot-blooded horse, most people prefer to use breeds associated with wild west mythology.Western riding events, including reining, barrel racing, cutting, penning, and roping, use standard cowboy breeds.The American Quarter Horse is one of the common cowboy breeds.
Step 10: The horse can be used for general English riding.
English riding events have a mixture of elegance and physical ability.A breed of horse that has good balance, poise, and control but doesn't lack strength or agility is what you'll want.There are many great English riding horses.
Step 11: For pleasure riding, choose a saddle breed.
Pleasure riding is a way to show off a horse.The slender, well-defined bodies of saddle horses and similar breeds make them perfect for this riding discipline.The American Saddlebred is one of the common English pleasure riding breeds.For Western pleasure riding, stick with the tried-and-true saddle breeds like the American Saddlebred or American Quarter Horse.
Step 12: Pick a breed that is confident.
English riding is similar to interpretive dance in that it is very demanding.You will need to choose a breed that has a lot of confidence and a high capacity for learning because this style requires an incredible amount of memorization and performance ability.The Andalusian, Danes Warmblood, Lusitano, Oldenburg, and Westphalian are some of the popular dressage breeds.
Step 13: If you want to race, get a fast breed.
If you want to participate in traditional horse races, you need to pick a breed that can build up a lot of speed quickly and maintain that for an extended period of time.The American Quarter Horse is one of the most common racing breeds.Western riding requires a breed used for barrel racing.
Step 14: For endurance riding, pick a high-stamina breed.
You can ride anywhere from 25 to 100 miles (40 to 161 km) in a single day.You need a breed of horse that can go long distances without tiring out for this type of riding.The Arabian, Criollo, and Marwari are popular endurance riding breeds.
Step 15: A sport horse is a good choice for show jumping.
Show jumping is a popular riding discipline in which horses jump over obstacles.Horses that participate in jumping events need a lot of strength and control to propel themselves into the air.The Belgian Warmblood is one of the great show jumping breeds.
Step 16: For vaulting, choose a large, highly trainable breed.
Acrobats perform their stunts on top of a horse in equestrian vaulting.This discipline requires a lot of space and coordination, so you will need a breed that is large enough to support your gymnastic actions and smart to learn full routines.If you want to vault, go with horse breeds like the Belgian Draft.