34-524: The Knabstrupper or Knabstrup is a Danish breed of warmblood horse. It is principally a riding horse , but is also used as a harness horse and as a circus animal . It is broadly similar to the Frederiksborger , but often has a spotted coat. In the past, injudicious breeding for this characteristic alone compromised its constitution and conformation. In the years after the Second World War
68-424: A circus horse , and is well suited to driving and equestrian vaulting . It is also used in dressage , show-jumping and eventing . Horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses , often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry . However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within
102-424: A mare . A related hybrid, the hinny , is a cross between a stallion and a jenny (female donkey). Most other hybrids involve the zebra (see Zebroid ). With rare exceptions, most equine hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce. A notable exception is hybrid crosses between horses and Equus ferus przewalskii , commonly known as Przewalski's horse . Equine conformation Equine conformation evaluates
136-423: A show jumper could have excellent conformation for a cutting horse or draft horse . Every horse has good and bad points of conformation and many horses excel even with conformation faults. The standard of the ideal head varies dramatically from breed to breed based on a mixture of the role the horse is bred for and what breeders, owners and enthusiasts find appealing. Breed standards frequently cite large eyes,
170-448: A breed registry. An early example of people who practiced selective horse breeding were the Bedouin , who had a reputation for careful breeding practices, keeping extensive pedigrees of their Arabian horses and placing great value upon pure bloodlines. Though these pedigrees were originally transmitted by an oral tradition , written pedigrees of Arabian horses can be found that date to
204-419: A broad forehead and a dry head-to-neck connection as important to correctness about the head. Traditionally, the length of head as measured from poll to upper lip should be two-thirds the length of the neck topline (measured from poll to withers). Presumably, the construction of the horse's head influences its breathing, though there are few studies to support this. Historically, a width of 4 fingers or 7.2 cm
238-457: A deep red ( German : Zobelfuchs ) with a white tail and mane, and white flecks or "snowflakes" over her whole body and brown spots on her back. She was called Flaebehoppen, 'Flaebe's horse', because she was reportedly bought by a butcher named Flaebe from an officer of the Spanish army. He sold her to Willars Knudsen Lunn [ da ] , who took her to his estate at Knabstrup Hovedgård in
272-424: A horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several faults with universal disadvantages, a horse's conformation is usually judged according to its intended use. Thus "form to function" is one of the first set of traits considered in judging conformation. A horse with poor form for
306-419: A horse's face when viewed from the side will usually be straight from the forehead to the nostrils. A Roman nose is a facial profile that is convex, and is often associated with draft horses . A dished face is a concave profile with a dip in the face between the eyes and nostrils, usually associated with Arabians. The muzzle is the lower end of the head, and includes the nostrils, upper and lower lips, and
340-843: A limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected . Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies , suitable for slow, heavy work; and " warmbloods ," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe . Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation , color, performance ability, or disposition. These inherited traits are usually
374-488: A registered Thoroughbred be a product of a natural mating, so-called "live cover". A foal born of two Thoroughbred parents, but by means of artificial insemination or embryo transfer , cannot be registered in the Thoroughbred studbook. However, since the advent of DNA testing to verify parentage, most breed registries now allow artificial insemination, embryo transfer, or both. The high value of stallions has helped with
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#1732851835300408-431: A rigorously defined standard phenotype, or for breeds that register animals that conform to an ideal via the process of passing a studbook selection process. Most of the warmblood breeds used in sport horse disciplines have open stud books to varying degrees. While pedigree is considered, outside bloodlines are admitted to the registry if the horses meet the set standard for the registry. These registries usually require
442-518: A selection process involving judging of an individual animal's quality, performance, and conformation before registration is finalized. A few "registries," particularly some color breed registries, are very open and will allow membership of all horses that meet limited criteria, such as coat color and species, regardless of pedigree or conformation. Breed registries also differ as to their acceptance or rejection of breeding technology. For example, all Jockey Club Thoroughbred registries require that
476-419: A significant role in his level of endurance and stamina. A horse that will do work requiring speed, power, or endurance needs as much room as possible for maximum lung expansion. The horse's ribs form the outer surface of the chest and define the appearance of the horse's midsection, or barrel, the area between the front legs and hindquarters. The thorax of the horse is flatter from side to side, as compared to
510-461: The kommune of Holbæk in northern Zealand . There, in 1808, after a month of testing of her working capabilities, he bred her to a Frederiksborger stallion. The stallion Mikkel, a grandson of this pair foaled in 1818, was a noted harness-racer and a foundation stallion of the Knabstrupper breed. In 1971, three Appaloosa stallions were imported to Denmark in the hope of adding new blood to
544-777: The Clydesdale and the Shire developed out of a need to perform demanding farm work and pull heavy wagons. Ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments. However, by the 20th century, many pony breeds had Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding. Other horse breeds developed specifically for light agricultural work, heavy and light carriage and road work, various equestrian disciplines, or simply as pets. Horses have been selectively bred since their domestication . However,
578-455: The mechanisation of agriculture led to a sharp fall in numbers, and by the 1960s no more than 100 of the horses remained. In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed , with a world-wide population estimated at little over 2000 . The Knabstrupper descends from a single mare believed to have originated in Spain who showed qualities of endurance and speed, and was of an unusual colouration:
612-556: The 14th century. In the same period of the early Renaissance , the Carthusian monks of southern Spain bred horses and kept meticulous pedigrees of the best bloodstock; the lineage survives to this day in the Andalusian horse . One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for Thoroughbreds, which began in 1791 and traced back to the Arabian stallions imported to England from
646-408: The Knabstrupper breed; only two of them were used, and many breeders preferred to cross-breed with Danish Warmblood , Holsteiner or Trakehner stock. The horses usually stand between 154 and 162 cm at the withers ; small or pony-sized ones have also been bred. The coat may be of any color except piebald or palomino , but is most often spotted . The Knabstrupper has long been used as
680-481: The Middle East that became the foundation stallions for the breed. Some breed registries have a closed stud book , where registration is based on pedigree, and no outside animals can gain admittance. For example, a registered Thoroughbred or Arabian must have two registered parents of the same breed. Other breeds have a partially closed stud book, but still allow certain infusions from other breeds. For example,
714-463: The United States, sometime based on state law and sometimes based on antitrust laws. Horses can crossbreed with other equine species to produce hybrids . These hybrid types are not breeds, but they resemble breeds in that crosses between certain horse breeds and other equine species produce characteristic offspring. The most common hybrid is the mule , a cross between a "jack" (male donkey) and
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#1732851835300748-404: The acceptance of these techniques because they allow a stallion to breed more mares with each "collection" and greatly reduce the risk of injury during mating. Cloning of horses is highly controversial, and at the present time most mainstream breed registries will not accept cloned horses, though several cloned horses and mules have been produced. Such restrictions have led to legal challenges in
782-534: The back [5] Archived July 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine [6] Archived November 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Roached back [8] Long or weak loins/weak coupling [9] Short coupling Rough coupling/widow's peak The croup is from the lumbosacral joint to the tail. The "hip" refers to the line running from the ilium (point of the hip) to the ischium (point of the buttock)of
816-425: The concept of purebred bloodstock and a controlled, written breed registry only became of significant importance in modern times. Today, the standards for defining and registration of different breeds vary. Sometimes, purebred horses are called "Thoroughbreds", which is incorrect; " Thoroughbred " is a specific breed of horse, while a "purebred" is a horse (or any other animal) with a defined pedigree recognized by
850-553: The front teeth. Straight, upright, or vertical shoulder Laid-back or sloping shoulder The humerus (a.k.a. the arm bone) The arm bone is from the point of shoulder to the elbow, it is covered in heavy muscle and serves as a leverage point for the muscle of the front leg attached near the elbow. "Ideal" Conformation of the Ideal Humerus (all measurements are while the horse is standing squarely) Faults "Too long humerus" note "standing under" simply means that
884-435: The head often plays a role in temperature regulation. Many ungulates have a specialized network of blood vessels called the carotid rete , which keeps the brain cool while the body temperature rises during exercise. Horses lack a carotid rete and instead use their sinuses to cool blood around the brain. These factors suggest that the conformation of a horse's head influences its ability to regulate temperature. The front of
918-411: The horses legs are too far under his body and his chest sticks out. "Short humerus" note: that is the shoulder is too angled (less than 45 degrees) then the horse's front legs will be stilted and stiff. The Elbow Conformation Possible faults "Turned-in/tied-in elbow" "Out-turned elbow" Conformation Long forearm Short forearm The conformation of the horse's chest plays
952-424: The human thorax, which is flatter from back to front. The horse's thorax is also deeper from the breastbone to the spine. This gives the horse a greater lung capacity, and thus greater endurance. Conformation Chest shape When viewing the chest from the front, the chest should be wider at the bottom than at the top. The shoulder blades should be much closer together at their tops, toward their withers, than at
986-541: The modern Appaloosa must have at least one Appaloosa parent, but may also have a Quarter Horse , Thoroughbred, or Arabian parent, so long as the offspring exhibits appropriate color characteristics. The Quarter Horse normally requires both parents to be registered Quarter Horses, but allows "Appendix" registration of horses with one Thoroughbred parent, and the horse may earn its way to full registration by completing certain performance requirements. Open stud books exist for horse breeds that either have not yet developed
1020-481: The pelvis. After the point that is made by the sacrum and lumbar vertebrae, the line following is referred to as the croup. While the two are linked in terms of length and musculature, the angle of the hip and croup do not necessarily correlate. But it is desirable for a horse to have a square to slightly pear shaped rump. A horse can have a relatively flat croup and a well-angled hip. Racehorses do well with hip angles of 20–30 degrees, trotting horses with 35 degrees. Once
1054-473: The points of shoulders where the front legs attach. Well-sprung ribs Slab-sided ribs Barrel chest and deep chest Chest faults Narrow chest Too-wide chest [All information is derived from "The horse Conformation Handbook" written by Heather Smith Thomas] Narrow breast Pigeon-breasted Mutton withers Hollow behind withers High withers [2] Long back [3] Short back [4] Saddle-, hollow-, low-, sway-backed/ down in
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1088-540: The result of a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods aimed at producing horses for specific tasks. Certain breeds are known for certain talents. For example, Standardbreds are known for their speed in harness racing . Some breeds have been developed through centuries of crossings with other breeds, while others, such as the Morgan horse , originated from a single sire from which all current breed members descend. More than 300 horse breeds exist in
1122-512: The world today. Modern horse breeds developed in response to a need for "form to function", the necessity to develop certain physical characteristics to perform a certain type of work. Thus, powerful but refined breeds such as the Andalusian or the Lusitano developed in the Iberian Peninsula as riding horses that also had a great aptitude for dressage , while heavy draft horses such as
1156-409: Was associated with an unrestricted airflow and greater endurance. However, a study in 2000 which compared the intermandibular width-to-size ratio of Thoroughbreds with their racing success showed this to be untrue. The relationship between head conformation and performance are not well understood, and an appealing head may be more a matter of marketability than performance. Among mammals, morphology of
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