When most people think of horses, the first thing they usually think of is the classic cowboy-horse they've seen in movies, but did you know that just like cats and dogs, horses have different breeds too? It's true! Horses are categorized into different breeds depending on their appearance and work ethic. When you watch old western movies, the horses are generally tall, proud, and very loyal to their rider, these horses are a breed called a Quarter horse. Quarter horses are the most common breed of horse, and are basically the horse equivalent of a Golden Retriever. Other breeds are used for other reasons, like the Standardbred, most commonly recognized as the race horse. India is a breed of horse called Draft X. Draft horses are usually the horses you see pulling carriages or, in the olden days, pulling farm equipment. The name 'Draft' comes from the old English dragen meaning to haul, which describes exactly the original purpose of this breed. The 'X' means cross. Just like cross breeds in dogs, horses have cross breeds as well. India's mother was a Draft, and her father was a Standardbred (race horse), making her a mix of both. Because Draft is the more dominant gene, India looks like a breed of Draft called a Percheron. Because of her Draft X breed, when she is old enough to start training, she can be trained to pull a wagon, pull farm equipment, or for a person to ride. Drafts have a stocky build, and are usually around 6 feet and can live up to 35 years.
Wednesday 2 October 2013
Rough Draft
When most people think of horses, the first thing they usually think of is the classic cowboy-horse they've seen in movies, but did you know that just like cats and dogs, horses have different breeds too? It's true! Horses are categorized into different breeds depending on their appearance and work ethic. When you watch old western movies, the horses are generally tall, proud, and very loyal to their rider, these horses are a breed called a Quarter horse. Quarter horses are the most common breed of horse, and are basically the horse equivalent of a Golden Retriever. Other breeds are used for other reasons, like the Standardbred, most commonly recognized as the race horse. India is a breed of horse called Draft X. Draft horses are usually the horses you see pulling carriages or, in the olden days, pulling farm equipment. The name 'Draft' comes from the old English dragen meaning to haul, which describes exactly the original purpose of this breed. The 'X' means cross. Just like cross breeds in dogs, horses have cross breeds as well. India's mother was a Draft, and her father was a Standardbred (race horse), making her a mix of both. Because Draft is the more dominant gene, India looks like a breed of Draft called a Percheron. Because of her Draft X breed, when she is old enough to start training, she can be trained to pull a wagon, pull farm equipment, or for a person to ride. Drafts have a stocky build, and are usually around 6 feet and can live up to 35 years.
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I did not know that about horses! Are different breeds more expensive than other breeds?
ReplyDeleteYes! Race breeds are more expensive because of their blood lines. If a horse has ancestors that have won races, or become famous, that horse will lost a lot more money that a regular horse. For example, ancestors of the famous horse, "Secretariat", are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, just because they share "winning blood".
ReplyDeleteThat's actually really interesting! I never knew that about horses. What would you say is your favourite breed of horse? Like, if you were to buy another horse and you could pick any horse then which one would you like to get and why would you like to get that one over the others?
ReplyDeleteIs it unsafe to breed certain types of horses together? Or does it not matter?
ReplyDelete