Question: How many horse breeds are there?

List of horse breeds


This page is a list of horse and pony breeds, and also includes terms for types of horse that are not breeds but are commonly mistaken for breeds.  While there is no scientifically accepted definition of the term "breed",[1] a breed is defined generally as having distinct true-breeding characteristics over a number of generations. Its members may be called "purebred".  In most cases, bloodlines of horse breeds are recorded with a breed registry. The concept is somewhat flexible in horses, as open stud books are created for developing horse breeds that are not yet fully true-breeding.   
Registries also are considered the authority as to whether a given breed is listed as a "horse" or a "pony".  There are also a number of "color breed", sport horse, and gaited horse registries for horses with various phenotypes or other traits, which admit any animal fitting a given set of physical characteristics, even if there is little or no evidence of the trait being a true-breeding characteristic.  Other recording entities or specialty organizations may recognize horses from multiple breeds, thus, for the purposes of this article, such animals are classified as a "type" rather than a "breed". 
The breeds and types listed here are those that already have a Wikipedia article. For a more extensive list, see the List of all horse breeds in DAD-IS.
For additional information, see horse breed, horse breeding, and the individual articles listed below. Additional articles may be listed under Category:Horse breeds and Category:Types of horse.

Horse breeds





Horses are members of Equus ferus caballus that generally mature to be 14.2 hands (58 inches (150cm)) or taller, but many breed registries do accept animals under this height and classify them as "horses," as horse characteristics include factors other than height.  For the purposes of this page, if a breed registry or stud book classifies the breed as a horse, it is listed here as a horse, even if some representatives are pony-sized or have some pony characteristics.  Pony breeds are listed in the next section, below.
A–C

Abaco Barb, see Barb horse
Abtenauer
Abyssinian, see Ethiopian horses
Aegidienberger
Akhal-Teke
Albanian horse
Altai horse
Altèr Real, see Lusitano
American Albino
American Cream Draft
American Indian Horse
American Paint Horse
American Quarter Horse
American Saddlebred
American Warmblood
Andalusian horse
Andravida horse
Anglo-Arabian
Anglo-Arabo-Sardo, see Sardinian Anglo-Arab
Anglo-Kabarda
Appaloosa
Arabian horse
Ardennes horse
Arenberg-Nordkirchen
Argentine Criollo
Asturcón
Augeron
Asian wild horse, see Przewalski's horse
Assateague horse,see Chincoteague pony
Australian Brumby, see Brumby
Australian Draught Horse
Australian Stock Horse
Austrian Warmblood
Auvergne horse
Auxois
Azerbaijan horse
Azteca horse
Baise horse,
Bale, see Ethiopian horses
Balearic horse, see Mallorquín and Menorquín
Balikun horse
Baluchi horse
Banker horse
Barb horse
Bardigiano
Bashkir Curly, see Curly horse
Basque mountain horse
Bavarian Warmblood
Belgian horse
Belgian Warmblood (includes Belgian Half-blood)
Bhutia Horse, also Bhotia, Bhote ghoda, Bhutan, Bhutani, Bhutua
Black Forest Horse, also called Black Forest cold blood
Blazer horse
Boerperd
Borana, see Ethiopian horses
Bosnian Mountain Horse
Boulonnais horse
Brabant, see Belgian horse
Brandenburger
Brazilian Sport Horse (Brasileiro de Hipismo)
Breton horse, or Trait Breton
Brumby
Budyonny horse or Budenny
Burguete horse
Burmese Horse
Byelorussian Harness horse
Calabrese horse
Camargue horse
Camarillo White Horse
Campeiro
Campolina
Canadian horse
Canadian Pacer
Carolina Marsh Tacky
Carthusian horse, see Andalusian horse
Caspian horse
Castilian horse, see Andalusian horse
Castillonnais
Catria horse
Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale
Cerbat Mustang
Chickasaw Horse, see Florida Cracker Horse
Chilean horse also known as Chilean Corralero
Choctaw horse
Cleveland Bay
Clydesdale horse
Cob, see Types of Horse, below
Colonial Spanish Horse, see Types of Horse, below
Colorado Ranger
Coldblood trotter
Comtois horse
Corsican horse
Costa Rican Saddle Horse
Cretan horse, see Messara horse
Criollo horse, also spelled Crioulo
Croatian Coldblood
Cuban Criollo
Cumberland Island horse
Curly Horse
Czech Warmblood

D-K

Daliboz, see Azerbaijan horse
Danish Warmblood
Danube Delta horse
Dole Gudbrandsdal, also called Dole,
 or Dølahest
Don, see Russian Don
Dongola horse
Draft Trotter, also called Light Dole, Dole Trotter, see Coldblood trotter
Dutch harness horse
Dutch Heavy Draft
Dutch Warmblood
Dzungarian horse, see Przewalski's horse
East Bulgarian
East Friesian horse, see Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger
Estonian Draft
Estonian horse
Falabella
Faroese or Faroe horse, see Faroe pony in pony section
Finnhorse, or Finnish Horse
Fleuve
Fjord horse also called Norwegian Fjord Horse
Florida Cracker Horse
Foutanké or Fouta
Frederiksborg horse
Freiberger
French Trotter
Friesian cross (includes Friesian Sport Horses)
Friesian horse
Friesian Sporthorse (a type of Friesian cross)
Furioso-North Star
Galiceno or Galiceño
Galician Pony (Caballo de pura raza Gallega)
Gelderland horse
Georgian Grande Horse
German Warmblood or ZfDP, see Types section, below
Giara Horse
Gidran
Groningen Horse
Gypsy horse, sometimes called "Gypsy Vanner," "Vanner Horse," "Gypsy Cob," and "Coloured Cob"
Hackney horse
Haflinger
Hanoverian horse
Heck horse
Heihe horse
Henson horse
Hequ horse
Hirzai
Hispano-Bretón
Hispano-Árabe also known as Hispano or Spanish Anglo-Arab
Holsteiner horse
Horro, see Ethiopian horses
Hungarian Warmblood
Icelandic horse
Iomud
Irish Draught, also spelled Irish Draft
Irish Sport Horse sometimes called Irish Hunter
Italian Heavy Draft
Italian Trotter
Jaca Navarra
Jeju horse
Jutland horse
Kabarda horse, also known as Kabardian or Kabardin
Kafa, see Ethiopian horses
Kaimanawa horses
Kalmyk horse
Karabair
Karabakh horse also known as Azer At
Karossier see Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger
Karachai horse
Kathiawari
Kazakh Horse
Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse
Kiger Mustang
Kinsky horse
Kyrgyz Horse
Kisber Felver
Kiso Horse
Kladruber
Knabstrupper
Konik
Kundudo, see Ethiopian horses
Kustanair

L-R

Latvian horse
Lipizzan or Lipizzaner
Lithuanian Heavy Draught
Lokai
Losino horse
Lusitano
Lyngshest, see Nordlandshest/ Lyngshest
M'Bayar
M'Par
Malopolski
Mallorquín
Mangalarga
Mangalarga Marchador
Maremmano
Marismeño horse
Marsh Tacky, see Carolina Marsh Tacky
Marwari horse
Mecklenburger
Međimurje horse
Menorquín
Mérens horse
Messara horse
Mezőhegyesi sport-horse (sportló), or
 Mezőhegyes felver, see Hungarian Warmblood
Metis Trotter, see Russian Trotter
Miniature horse
Misaki horse
Missouri Fox Trotter
Monchina
Mongolian Horse
Mongolian Wild Horse, see Przewalski's horse
Monterufolino
Morab
Morgan horse
Mountain Pleasure Horse
Moyle horse
Muraközi, Murakoz, or Muraközi ló, see Međimurje horse
Murgese
Mustang horse
Namib Desert Horse
Nangchen horse
National Show Horse
Nez Perce Horse
Nivernais horse
Nokota horse
Noma, see Noma pony, in Pony section
Nonius horse
Nooitgedachter
Nordlandshest/ Lyngshest
Noriker horse, also called Pinzgauer
Norman Cob
Norsk Kaldblodstraver (Norwegian coldblood trotter), see Coldblood trotter
North American Single-Footer horse
North Swedish Horse
Norwegian Fjord, see Fjord horse
Novokirghiz
Oberlander Horse
Ogaden, see Ethiopian horses
Oldenburg horse, also spelled Oldenburgh, Oldenburger
Orlov trotter
Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger
Paint, see American Paint Horse
Pampa horse
Paso Fino
Pentro horse
Percheron
Persano horse
Peruvian Paso, sometimes called Peruvian Stepping Horse
Pintabian
Pleven horse
Poitevin horse also called Mulassier
Posavac horse
Pottok
Pryor Mountain Mustang
Przewalski's horse, a species, not a "breed"
Pura Raza Española or PRE, see Andalusian horse
Purosangue Orientale
Qatgani
Quarab
Quarter Horse, see American Quarter Horse
Racking horse
Retuerta horse
Rhenish German Coldblood also known as Rhineland Heavy Draft
Rhinelander horse
Riwoche horse
Rocky Mountain Horse
Romanian Sporthorse
Rottaler, see Heavy warmblood
Russian Don
Russian Heavy Draft
Russian Trotter

S-Z

Saddlebred, see American Saddlebred
Salerno horse
Samolaco horse
San Fratello horse
Santa Cruz Island horse
Sarcidano horse
Sardinian Anglo-Arab, also known as Sardinian Horse
Schleswig Coldblood
Schwarzwälder Kaltblut, see Black Forest Horse
Selale, see Ethiopian horses
Sella Italiano
Selle Français
Senner
Shagya Arabian
Shan Horse or Shan Myinn
Shire horse
Siciliano indigeno
Silesian horse
Sorraia
Sokolsky horse
South German Coldblood also known as Süddeutsches Kaltblut
Soviet Heavy Draft
Spanish Barb see Barb horse
Spanish Jennet Horse, modern, not to be confused with the historic Jennet or Spanish Jennet (see Archaic types, below)
Spanish Mustang
Spanish-Norman horse
Spanish Tarpan, see Sorraia
Spiti Horse
Spotted Saddle horse
Standardbred horse
Suffolk Punch
Svensk Kallblodstravare (Swedish coldblood trotter), see Coldblood trotter
Swedish Ardennes
Swedish Warmblood
Swiss Warmblood
Taishū horse
Takhi, see Przewalski's horse
Tawleed
Tchernomor, see Budyonny horse
Tennessee Walking Horse
Tersk horse
Thoroughbred
Tinker horse, see Gypsy horse
Tiger Horse
Tolfetano
Tori horse
Trait Du Nord
Trakehner
Tsushima, see Taishū horse
Tuigpaard, see Dutch harness horse
Ukrainian Riding Horse
Unmol Horse
Uzunyayla
Ventasso horse (Cavallo Del Ventasso)
Virginia highlander
Vlaamperd
Vladimir Heavy Draft
Vyatka, see pony section
Waler horse, also known as Waler or Australian
 Waler
Walkaloosa
Warmblood, see "Types of horse" below, or
 individual warmblood breed articles
Warlander
Welsh Cob (Section D), see Welsh pony
Westphalian horse
Wielkopolski
Württemberger or Württemberg
Xilingol horse
Yakutian horse
Yili horse
Yonaguni horse
Zaniskari
Zweibrücker
Žemaitukas, also known as Zemaituka, Zhumd,
 Zhemaichu, or Zhmudk, see Pony section.

Pony breeds




Ponies are typically classified as members of Equus caballus that mature at less than 14.2hands (58inches, 147cm).  However, some pony breeds may occasionally have individuals who mature over 14.2 but retain all other breed characteristics.  Also, some organizations use a different measurement cutoff to distinguish horses and ponies.  There are some breeds once classified as ponies that now frequently mature over 14.2 hands due to modern nutrition and management, yet retain the historic classification.  For the purposes of this list, if a breed registry classifies the breed as a "pony," it is listed here as such, even if some individuals have horse characteristics. Otherwise, where there is a dispute as to "horse" or "pony" status of a breed, "horse" is the default.
(Because of this designation by the preference of a given breed registry, most miniature horse breeds are listed as "horses," not ponies.)
A-K

American Shetland, see Shetland pony
American Walking Pony
Anadolu pony,  also called Anadolu Ati
Ariegeois Pony, see Mérens horse in horse section
Assateague Pony, see Chincoteague Pony
Asturian pony, see Asturcon in horse section
Australian Pony
Australian Riding Pony
Bali Pony
Bashkir Pony
Basque Pony, see Pottok
Basuto pony, also spelled Basotho pony
Batak Pony
Bhutia Pony, see Bhutia Horse and Indian Country Bred
Bosnian Pony
British Riding Pony, see Riding Pony in "types of horse" section
British Spotted Pony
Burmese Pony
Carpathian Pony, see Hucul Pony
Canadian rustic pony
Caspian pony, see Caspian horse
Chincoteague Pony
Chinese Guoxia
Coffin Bay Pony
Connemara pony
Czechoslovakian Small Riding Pony
Dales Pony
Danish Sport Pony
Dartmoor pony
Deli pony
Deutsches Reitpony, see German Riding Pony
Dülmen Pony
Eriskay pony
Esperia Pony
Exmoor pony
Falabella, see Falabella in horse section
Faroe pony
Fell Pony
Flores pony, see Timor Pony
French Saddle Pony
Galician Pony
Garrano
Gayoe
German Riding Pony, also called Deutsche Reitpony 
 or Weser-Ems Pony
German Classic Pony, see Shetland pony
Gotland Pony
Guizhou pony
Guangxi, see Baise horse
Gǔo-xìa pony, see Chinese Guoxia
Hackney pony
Highland Pony, see also Garron
Hokkaido Pony
Hucul Pony, also called Huţul Pony
Hunter Pony, see "types of horse" section
Icelandic pony, see Icelandic horse in horse section
Indian Country Bred
Java Pony
Kerry bog pony

L-Z

Landais Pony
Lijiang pony
Lundy Pony
Manipuri Pony
Merens Pony, see Ariegeois pony
Miniature horse, see horse section
Miyako Pony
Narym Pony
New Forest pony
Newfoundland pony
Noma pony
Northlands Pony, see Nordlandshest in the horse section
Ob pony also called Priob pony
Peneia Pony
Petiso Argentino
Pindos Pony
Poney Mousseye
Pony of the Americas
Quarter pony
Riding Pony, see "types of
 horses" section
Sable Island Pony
Sandalwood Pony
Sardinian Pony, see Sardinian horse
Shetland pony
Skogsruss, see Gotland Pony
Skyros Pony
Spiti Pony, see Spiti Horse
Sumba and Sumbawa Pony
Tibetan Pony
Timor Pony
Tokara Pony
Virginia highlander, see horse section
Vyatka horse
Welara
Welsh pony
Welsh mountain pony (Section A), see
 Welsh Pony
Welsh pony (Section B), see Welsh Pony
Welsh pony of cob type (Section C),
 see Welsh Pony
Western Sudan pony
Yakut Pony, see Yakutian horse
Yonaguni, see horse section
Zaniskari, see horse section
Žemaitukas, also known as Zemaituka,
 Zhumd, Zhemaichu, or Zhmudka

Color "breeds"

There are some registries that accept horses (and sometimes ponies and mules) of almost any breed or type for registration.  Color is either the only criterion for registration or the primary criterion.  These are called "color breeds," because unlike "true" horse breeds, there are few other physical requirements, nor is the stud book limited in any fashion.  As a general rule, the color also does not always breed on (in some cases due to genetic impossibility), and offspring without the stated color are usually not eligible for recording with the color breed registry.  There are breeds that have color that usually breeds "true" as well as distinctive physical characteristics and a limited stud book.  These horses are true breeds that have a preferred color, not color breeds, and include the Friesian horse, the Cleveland Bay, the Appaloosa, and the American Paint Horse.
The best-known "color breed" registries that accept horses from many different breeds are for the following colors:
Buckskin (horse), a color which cannot breed "true" due to the cream gene which creates it being an incomplete dominant
Palomino, a color which cannot breed "true" due to the cream gene which creates it being an incomplete dominant
Pinto horse
White (horse).  Some of these animals are registered in the United States with the American creme and white horse registry, which was once called an "Albino" registry until it was understood that true albino does not exist in horses.  (see White (horse) and Dominant white for details)
Types of horse

A "type" of horse is not a breed but is used here to categorize groups of horses or horse breeds that are similar in appearance (phenotype) or use.  A type usually has no breed registry, and often encompasses several breeds. However, in some nations, particularly in Europe, there is a recording method or means of studbook selection for certain types to allow them to be licensed for breeding. Horses of a given type may be registered as one of several different recognized breeds, or a grouping may include horses that are of no particular pedigree but meet a certain standard of appearance or use.  


Modern types

AQPS ("Autre Que Pur-Sang"), French designation for riding horses "other than Thoroughbred," usually referring to the Anglo-Arabian, Selle Français and other Thoroughbred crosses. There is a registry for AQPS horses in France.
Baroque horse, includes heavily muscled, powerful, yet agile Classical dressage breeds such as the Lipizzaner, Friesian, Andalusian, and Lusitano.
Canadian Cutting Horse - any cutting horse in Canada,  most of American Quarter Horse bloodlines
Cob (horse), a body type of small, sturdy, compact and powerful riding horse with a number of breeds and partbreds falling onto the classification
Colonial Spanish Horse, the original Jennet-type horse brought to North America, now with a number of modern descendants with various breed names.
Draft horse or Draught horse
Feral horse, a horse living in the wild, but descended from once-domesticated ancestors.  Most "wild" horses today are actually feral.  The only true wild (never domesticated) horse in the world today is the Przewalski's horse.
Gaited horse, includes a number of breeds with a hereditary intermediate speed four-beat ambling gait, including the Tennessee Walker, Paso Fino, and many others.
Galloway, a term used in Australia to collectively refer to show horses over 14 hands but under 15 hands.
German Warmblood or ZfDP, collective term for any of the various warmblood horses of Germany, of which some may be registered with the nationwide German Horse Breeding Society (ZfDP).
Grade horse, a horse of unknown or mixed breed parentage.
Hack, a basic riding horse, particularly in the UK, also includes Show hack horses used in competition.
Heavy warmblood, heavy carriage and riding horses, predecessors to the modern warmbloods, several old-style breeds still in existence today.
Hunter, a type of jumping horse, either a show hunter or a field hunter
Hunter pony, a show hunter or show jumping animal under 14.2 hands, may be actually of a horse or pony breed, height determines category of competition.
Iberian horse, encompassing horse and pony breeds developed in the Iberian peninsula, including the Andalusian, Lusitano and others.
Indian Half-bred, a half-blood type from India
Mountain and moorland pony breeds, abbreviated "M&M," a specific group of pony breeds native to the British Isles.
New Zealand Warmblood, a developing warmblood type based on Hanoverian and KWPF breeding.
Oriental horse, the "hot-blooded" breeds originating in the Middle East, such as the Arabian, Akhal-Teke, Barb, and Turkoman horse
Part-Arabian, a variety of breeds and crossbreeds with a significant amount of documentable Arabian blood, but not pure Arab.
Polo pony, a horse used in the sport of polo, not actually a pony, usually a full-sized horse, often a Thoroughbred.
Riding horse or saddle horse; interchangeable terms for a wide variety of horses bred primarily for suitability as riding animals as opposed to draft or harness work.
Riding Pony, a term of art used in the United Kingdom for specific types of show ponies.
Sport horse or Sporthorse, includes any breeds suitable for use in assorted international competitive disciplines governed by the FEI.
Stock horse, agile, heavily muscled riding horses of several different breeds, suitable for working cattle.  Not to be confused with the breed Australian Stock Horse.  Some representatives colloquially called "cow horse" or "cow pony" in the western United States.
Warmblood, a group of Sport horse breeds developed for modern Dressage and other Olympic disciplines, including the Dutch Warmblood, Hanoverian horse, Swedish Warmblood, Westphalian horse, etc.
Windsor Grey, the gray carriage horses of British Royalty.
ZfDP, see German Warmblood, above.

Archaic types


Prior to approximately the 13th century, few pedigrees were written down, and horses were classified by physical type or use.  Thus, many terms for Horses in the Middle Ages did not refer to breeds as we know them today, but rather described appearance or purpose.  These terms included:
Charger, see Courser (horse)
Courser (horse)
Destrier or "Great Horse"
Hobby, see Irish Hobby
Jennet, sometimes called Spanish Jennet
Palfrey
Rouncey
Steppe horse, refers to various domesticated horse and wild horse species, particularly those from Siberia and other parts of western Asia
Extinct subspecies and breeds
These members of equus ferus either were a recognized, distinct breed of horse that no longer exists as such, or subspecies that have become extinct at some point since domestication of the horse. This section does not include any species within evolution of the horse prior to modern Equus ferus caballus. 

Extinct subspecies
Tarpan
Early prototypes

Before the availability of DNA techniques to resolve the questions related to the domestication of the horse, various hypotheses were proposed. One classification was based on body types and conformation, suggesting the presence of four basic prototypes, labeled the "Tarpan", "Forest horse", Draft and "Oriental", each of which was hypothesized to have adapted to their environment prior to domestication.[2] However, more recent studies suggest that all domesticated horses originated from a single wild species and that the different body types of horses were entirely a result of selective breeding after domestication,[3] or possibly landrace adaptation.
Extinct breeds
These were human-developed breeds which no longer exist.

Anglo-Norman horse
Angevin horse
Berrichon horse
Bidet horse
Cape Horse, see Boerperd
Chapman horse, see Cleveland Bay, into which it developed
Charentais horse, or Vendéen
Charolais horse
Cheval du Morvan
Ferghana horse
Galloway pony
Karacabey horse
Irish Hobby
Jennet, or Spanish Jennet
Mazury horse
Narragansett Pacer
Navarrin horse
Neapolitan horse
Nisean horse
Norfolk Trotter, also called the Norfolk Roadster, Yorkshire Trotter or Yorkshire Roadster
Öland horse
Old English Black horse
Pozan
Tundra Horse, the probable ancestor of the Yakutian horse.
Turkoman Horse also known as Turkemene.  The  Akhal-Teke may be a direct descendant.
Yorkshire Coach Horse

See also
List of horse breeds in DAD-IS
Lists of domestic animal breeds




 of the FAO
"Breeds of Livestock:  Horse Breeds"  Alphabetized list of horse breed articles maintained by the Department of Animal Science at Oklahoma State University.  Accessed at: 
"Horse Breeds of the World," web site maintained by the International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park, accessed at: 
 (ger.)