Their bodies are dun or grulla in color, with a smoky gray body and a dark head and legs. The mane and tail are dark in the center, with lighter colors on the outer edges, and are semi-erect. Tarpans have large head with large jaws and a thick neck. Their back is short, strong, and has low withers. Tarpans due not need shoes due to their extremely tough hooves.
Tarpans are wild horses dating back to prehistoric times.
Some scientists believe they are the ancestors of the Arabian horses. The last wild Tarpan died while attempting to avoid being captured, in 1879. The last captive Tarpan died in a Munich zoo, in 1887. However, brothers Heinz and Lutz Heck managed to breed a Tarpan using the genetic information of living horses who showed similar characteristics to the Tarpan. Today there are roughly 100 Tarpan living in the world.