Light Weight Breeds FFB9E1 light text color
Akhal-Teke C3609A
Origins: Turkmenistan, to the north of Iran
Description: Wiry, bred to cope with extreme desert weather
Uses: Racing, Competitions, endurance riding, and general riding
Height: 15.1 to 15.2 hands high
Color: Bay, chestnut, gray, black
Andalucian
Origins: Spain
Description: Intelligent with an attractive movement, gentl nature, and strong, muscular body
Uses: All-around riding horse
Height: 15 to 15.2 hands high
Color: Mainly grey and bay
Appaloosa
Origins: United States
Description: Compact, powerful-looking horse
Uses: Western, endurance riding, show ring
Height: 14.2 to 15.2 hands high
Color: Distinctive white coat with black or brown spots, sparse mane and tail
Arabian
Origins: The world's oldest pure breed which has a great influence on other breeds
Description: Light, graceful way of moving, is fast with great stamina. Distinctive dish face
Uses: General riding and racing as well as endurance
Height: 14.2 to 15 hands high
Color: Usually bay or chestnut, but grey is common
Azteca
Origins: Mexico
Description: Versatile, good tempered, intelligent, agile, and elegant
Uses: General riding and competition
Height: 15.2 to 16 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Canadian Horse
Origins: Canada, from French stock
Description: Well proportioned, solidly built
Uses: Varied
Height: 14 to 16 hands high
Color: Black, but can range from bay to light chestnut
Colorado Ranger
Origins: United States
Description: compact, refined horses with powerful hindquarters
Uses: Good working horses
Height: 15.2 hands high
Color: Any
Criollo
Origins: Argentina
Description: Short, stocky head, and great stamina
Uses: Long distance and general riding
Height: 14 to 15 hands high
Color: Usually dun with dark points
Dutch Groningen
Origins: Netherlands
Description: A steady, saddle horse
Uses: Riding and driving
Height: 15.3 to 16.1 hands high
Color: Black, Bay, or Brown
Florida Cracker
Origins: United States
Description: Small saddle horses with unusual ground covering gaits
Uses: Historically an important part of Florida's cattle industry
Height: 13 to 15.2 hands high
Color: Any
Galiceno
Origins: Spin and Portugal
Description: Even-tempered, small, tough. Despite its size, the Galiceno is a horse with similar traits to others from the same geographical area. Has a distinctive running walk
Uses: General riding, competition
Height: 12 to 13.2 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Gelderlander
Origins: Netherlands
Description: Strong and active
Uses: General riding, driving, and competitions
Height: 16 hands high
Color: Chestnut, bay, or gray
Hanoverian
Origins: Germany
Description: Honest temperment, strong and athletic. Popular sport horses
Uses: Riding and driving, dressage, show-jumping
Height: 15.3 to 16.2 hands high
Color: All solid colors
Holstein
Origins: Germany
Description: Strong, intelligent, and bold
Uses: General riding and competitions
Height: 16 to 17 hands high
Color: Any
Irish Draught
Origins: Ireland
Description: Intellignet and kind temperment, natural balance
Uses: General riding, jumping
Height: Mares 15.2 hands high; Stallions 16.2 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Lipizzaner
Origins: Austria
Description: Intelligent and athletic. Famously used by the Spanish riding School
Uses: Classical riding, dressage
Height: 15.1 hands high
Color: Grey or bay
Maremmana
Origins: Italy
Description: Solid and steady, cheap to feed
Uses: Many from agriculture to police and army horses
Height: 15.3 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Missouri Foxtrotter
Origins: United States
Description: "Fox Trot" gait in which the horse walks with its forelegs and trots behind. Hind feet are slid rather than lifted to give a smooth ride
Uses: All modern leisure riding
Height: 14 to 16 hands high
Color: Any
Morab
Origins: United States, bred from Morgans and Arabians
Description: Powerful horses with grace and refinement
Uses: Riding, driving, competition, endurance
Height: 14.2 to 15.2 hands high
Color: Any
Morgan
Origins: United States
Description: Expressive head with large eyes
Uses: Riding and harness work
Height: 14.1 to 15.2 hands high
Color: Bay, chestnut, black, or brown
Oldenburg
Origins: Germany
Description: The heaviest of German riding horses
Uses: Riding, driving
Height: 16 to 17 hands high
Color: Black, brown bay
Paso Fino
Origins: Latin America
Description: A light horse of great grace and style. Noted for its unusual gait. Paso means step and Fino means fine
Uses: riding, show, cattle work
Height: Up to 15.2 hands high
Color: Any except spotted
Quarter Horse
Origins: United States. Bred as quarter-mile sprinters
Description: Stocky with powerful hindquarters
Uses: Ranch horse, racing, rodeo work, polo, and general riding
Height: 14.3 to 16 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Rocky Mountain
Origins: United States
Description: Gentle temperment with an easy four beat gait
Uses: General riding, endurance, competition
Height: 14.2 to 16 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Saddlebred
Origins: United States
Description: Good lookin and comfortable ride, high-stepping action
Uses: riding or driving
Height: Average 15.3 hands high
Color: Usually chestnut, bay, brown, black, or gray. May be spotted, palomino or roan
Salerno
Origins: Italy
Description: Large head, good shoulders, prominent withers
Uses: Aiding, showjumping
Height: 16 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Sardinian
Origins: Italy
Description: Tough with great stamina
Uses: Riding, competition, police work
Height: 15 to 15.2 hands high
Color: Brown, bay
Selle Francais
Origins: France
Description: Athletic, looks similar to a Thoroughbred. Good competition horse
Uses: Jumping, competition
Height: 16 hands high
Color: Mainly chestnut
Standardbred
Origins: United States
Description: A tough breed that can trot nearly as fast as a Thoroughbred can gallop. Strong hindquarters and long back
Uses: Harness racing
Height: 14 to 16 hands high
Color: Any solid color
Tennessee Walking Horse
Origins: United States
Description: Comfortable ride with high-stepping gaits and a fast, running walk
Uses: General riding, show
Height: 15.2 hands high
Color: Any
Thoroughbred
Origins: Developed in England in the 17th and 18th centuries from imported Oriental horses. Now the most valuable breed in the world
Description: Very fast and athletic
Uses: Excels in racing and competition riding. Has played a role in upgrading other breeds
Height: Variable, average 16 hands high
Color: Any solid color, grey, and roan
Trakehner
Origins: Germany
Description: similar in appearance to the thoroughbred
Uses: Competition and general riding
Height: 16.1 hands high
Color: Any solid color
