{"id":112,"date":"2020-08-26T16:59:36","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T16:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/?p=112"},"modified":"2021-09-18T13:52:42","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T13:52:42","slug":"oldest-horse-breeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/oldest-horse-breeds\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Oldest Horse Breeds in the World?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Horses have lived alongside humans since the early days of civilization, and I think it’s fair to say that they played a key role in helping us get to where we are today. While some horse breeds are relatively young and were introduced into the world by us through selective breeding, others are incredibly old and can trace their heritage back thousands of years.<\/p>\n
That’s what I wanted to talk about today: the oldest horse breeds in the world<\/strong>. The ones that walked the earth in the Bronze Age and Iron Age. The horses that were around when the wheel was invented.<\/p>\n People like to crossbreed these animals in order to obtain new types of horses that are almost “designed” to excel at certain jobs. You could say that humans took control of the horse’s evolution throughout the millennia, at least on a certain level.<\/p>\n We know today that people domesticated horses for the first time around 6,000 years ago in the Eurasian Steppe, where modern-day Ukraine is now.<\/strong> Over the next thousands of years, we put horses to work and tried to create strong and fast breeds that suited our own requirements. A recent study conducted by Barbara Wallner, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, suggests that most modern horses come from just two ancient lineages: the Arabian and the now-extinct Turkoman.<\/p>\n The following horse breeds have survived the ages and are still around to this day. They honed their main traits over the years and are now perfectly adapted to pull heavy loads, run extremely fast, or jump over high obstacles.<\/p>\n Let’s have a look at some of the oldest horse breeds in the world.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you were looking for the absolute oldest horse breed in the world, this one has to be it. While relatively small, the Icelandic Horse is also the world’s oldest horse breed, as we can trace its lineage back in time for more than 10,000 years<\/strong>. To put things in perspective with a modern example, this horse breed was around when the Vikings were in their prime, and long before.<\/strong> They worked the fields, pulled heavy loads, and took part in important horse racing events.<\/p>\n Actually, the first official Icelandic horse race was held at Akureyri in 1874. Nowadays, similar horse races are still being held throughout the year from April until June. It’s important to note that the Icelandic horse has two extra gaits when compared to most horses, bringing its total number of gaits to six. The Icelandic is a hardy horse built for winter. It is very resilient to the cold<\/a>, which is part of the reason why it has survived for so many years.<\/p>\n Farmers still use this horse to round up sheep in the highlands. As you can see, this is the most important horse in the country of Iceland, and also the best-preserved breed in the region, as crossbreeding is unlawful over there. Furthermore, Icelandic horses that leave the country are never allowed to return.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Caspian Horse has an interesting history and an incredibly rich lineage. It is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world by a good measure, as records indicate its presence as far back as 3,000 BC. This breed has been frequently associated with royal figures, and it has been mythologized over the centuries<\/strong>. Even though it’s not a large horse, it impresses with its intelligence<\/a>, bravery, and agility.<\/p>\n The Caspian was thought to be extinct in modern history up until 1965 when it was rediscovered by a horse breeder named Louise Firouz.<\/strong> Thanks to Louise’s efforts, the breed’s numbers have increased quite a bit for a while, especially until her death in 2008. However, shortly after the unfortunate event, the breed’s future has become uncertain. On a positive note, I have faith that this breed will still be around for many years to come, especially given its incredible jumping ability and general hardiness. These horses are very tough, and they are able to adapt to unfavorable conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Caspian horse usually measures between 9 hands and 12 hands in height, but it will never be considered a pony. This is thought to be the founding breed of the Arabian, which is also an incredibly old type of horse. The Caspian is originally from Iran, and it comes in a variety of solid colors.<\/p>\n One other thing that makes the Caspian stand out from other horse breeds is that it often has an extra tooth on each side of the upper molar. This is where most horses have a so-called wolf tooth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Arabian is perhaps one of the most prestigious horse breeds in the world, but did you know that it’s also one of the oldest as well? The Arab horse is widely considered an ancient horse breed, as evidence of its existence dates back 4,500 years.<\/strong> As its name implies, the Arabian horse was developed in the Arabian peninsula.<\/p>\n It is an incredibly agile horse, albeit a relatively small one with average heights between 14.1 and 15.1 hands. It comes in bay, black, chestnut, or gray colors, and very rarely in a dominant white sabino colorway.<\/p>\nThe Icelandic Horse.<\/h2>\n
The Caspian Horse (Khazar Horse).<\/h2>\n
The Arabian Horse.<\/h2>\n