Western riding is a diverse category of equestrian sports with roots in ranch work and cattle handling. Horses were essential partners for working on the range in the American West. Managing livestock required athleticism, stamina, and reliability. These skills eventually...
Centuries of selective breeding shaped the modern horse breeds we know and love. Today, the unique history and characteristics of each breed are maintained by organizations that establish rules defining which horses are eligible for official registration with the breed's...
The Peruvian Paso is an elegant breed celebrated for its exceptionally smooth gait, refined appearance, and rich cultural heritage. With their distinctive paso llano gait, the Peruvian Paso offers a riding experience that is both effortless and visually striking. Known...
The Brabant horse, also known as the Belgian Heavy Draft, is a powerful draft breed from Belgium. Renowned for their strength, calm temperament, and distinctive muscular build, Brabants have played a vital role in agriculture and transportation for centuries. And...
The Auxois horse is a rare draft breed native to the Burgundy region of France. Developed for strength, stamina, and a calm temperament, the Auxois has long served as a reliable partner in agriculture, forestry, and transportation. Today, the breed...
The Belgian Warmblood is a sport horse breed with an impressive record of success in international competition. Bred primarily for show jumping, the Belgian Warmblood also excels in dressage and eventing, making these horses a popular choice among competitive riders....
The New Forest Pony is one of several native pony breeds from the British Isles. These ponies get their name from the New Forest of Southern England, where the breed originated. While herds of ponies still graze on the pastures...
The Gelderlander, or Gelder Horse, is a distinctive and elegant warmblood breed developed in the Gelderland province of the Netherlands. Known for their flashy movement, uphill conformation, and willing temperament, this versatile horse was initially bred for both light agricultural...
The German Riding Pony, also known as the Deutsche Reitpony, is a pony breed with conformation and movement that resembles a small warmblood horse. These ponies originated in Germany but do not descend directly from German warmbloods, despite their similarities...
The Pony of the Americas, or POA, is a pony breed from the heartland of the United States. These ponies are known for their unique spotted coloring and versatility. While initially developed as the perfect children's mount, the POA is...
The Irish Sport Horse, or Irish Hunter, is a performance horse breed from Ireland. The breed descends from crosses between Irish Draughts and Thoroughbreds. This cross produced athletic horses with the courage and power to compete at the top levels of...
American Warmbloods are sport horses produced by American breeding programs. The term refers to any horse registered with one of the recognized American Warmblood breed organizations. American Warmbloods can descend from any breed if they meet standards for performance and...
The Kabarda, or Kabardin, horse is a rare breed from the Caucasus mountains. These horses are known for their unique adaptability to mountainous landscapes. The hardiness and bravery that once allowed these horses to carry riders safely through the Caucasus...
The National Show Horse is a relatively new breed that combines the best traits of Arabians and American Saddlebreds to create the ultimate modern-day show horse. National Show Horses excel as competitive riding and driving horses due to their striking...
The Danish Warmblood is one of the newest sport horse breeds in Europe, and consistently rank among the most successful sport horse registries in the world. Rigorous performance tests and top bloodlines from other studbooks have helped contribute to the...
The Westphalian is a warmblood horse from North Rhine-Westphalia, modern Germany's most populous state. This breed is also known as the Westfalen. Westphalians are popular sport horses and belong to the second largest warmblood studbook in Germany. Several Westphalian horses...
The Trakehner is a light warmblood breed originally from East Prussia. They excel in the Olympic disciplines of show jumping, eventing, and dressage thanks to their elegance and athleticism. Several Trakehners have represented their countries and won gold medals at recent...
Known as the sport of kings, horse racing is one of the oldest pastimes in the world. This popular equestrian activity showcases the speed and endurance of equine athletes. Some horse breeds, such as the Thoroughbred, are bred specifically for...
Fox hunting is a traditional countryside activity that has become a popular equestrian pastime. While initially developed to hunt foxes, most modern hunts are held purely for sport and rarely involve kills. The sport has a history of controversy. Some...
Cutting is a Western equestrian sport that demonstrates a horse and rider's ability to work cattle. Skilled cutting horses face off with cattle in this competitive event that celebrates the cowboy heritage of the American West. What was once a...
Barrel racing is a female-dominated rodeo event. This deceptively simple sport challenges the horse's athleticism and the rider's horsemanship through their ability to carefully run a set pattern around barrels as fast as possible. The speed of barrel racing makes...
Reining is a Western discipline that showcases the skills and abilities traditionally needed by working ranch horses. Sometimes compared to the English discipline of dressage, reining competition involves riders piloting horses through precise patterns in a competition arena. The explosive...
Eventing is one of three Olympic equestrian sports in the Paris 2024 Games. Eventers are the triathletes of the equestrian world. At Paris 2024, the world's best horses and riders will complete three phases of competition on the palace grounds...
Eventing is the triathlon of equestrian sport. Also known as horse trials or three-day eventing, this discipline requires horses and riders to master three phases of competition: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Initially developed to test cavalry horses, the sport...
Jumping is one of three equestrian sports featured in the Olympic Games. The speed and precision of show jumping make this sport a spectator favourite. Equestrian jumping events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will test the ability of the...
Dressage is an equestrian discipline that combines technical execution and artistic expression. Most riders associate dressage with advanced horse and rider combinations performing intricate movements, but riders of all levels can participate in dressage competitions. Cross-training in dressage can also...
Show jumping is one of the most popular and recognizable equestrian sports in the world. Jumping appears alongside eventing and dressage in the equestrian events at the Olympic Games. While well-known for attracting celebrities at the international level, show jumping...
Dressage is one of three equestrian sports featured at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Known as the highest expression of horse training, dressage is an equestrian discipline that develops the horse's strength, balance, and rideability. In competition, dressage athletes perform movements...
The Breton horse is a French draft breed from Bretagne, or Brittany, a province in northwest France. There are three types of Breton horses: the Postier Breton, the Central Mountain Breton, and the Heavy Draft Breton. This breed profile will...
The Appendix horse is a mixed breed produced by crossing an American Quarter Horse with a Thoroughbred. The cross is also known as an Appendix Quarter Horse. Appendix horses can become eligible for permanent registration with the American Quarter Horse...