Horse Breeds and Foundation Sires Quiz

Foundation Sire

• Worldwide about 300 breeds of horses exist
• Many breeds of horses started with a foundation sire and for those breeds all registered foals must be able to trace their ancestry back to these stallions
  • 3 foundation stallions make up the thoroughbred
    • Darley Arabian
    • Byerly Turk
    • Godolphin Arabian
• Justin Morgan is the foundation sire for the Morgan breed
• Allen F-1 A Morgan Stallion is the foundation sire for the Tennessee walking horse
  • Morgan stallions also contributed to the development of the standard bred, quarter horse, American Albino, and Palomino

Colored Breeds

• Certain breeds were developed with color requirements
• For some breeds the only registry requirement is color
• These are some examples:
  • Palomino - first color breed
  • Appaloosas
  • Albinos
  • Paints
  • Pintos
  • Buckskins
  • Whites
  • Cremes
  • Spotteds

Bay

• Is any reddish, brown or dark brown color with black points
• A very dark bay can be confused with black
• Look for red undertones in the body and black points

Black

• Has a black coat and black points
• Most black horses have white skin
• A black with black skin is called a true black
• Sometimes the sun will burn reddish highlights into a black coat

Brown

• A brown horse is brown with no black points
• Color is more like chocolate, not reddish
• Can be very dark, sometimes mistaking them for a black

Chestnut

• Color is basically red
• Can vary from light to dark
• No black points
• Liver chestnut is a very dark chestnut
• Liver chestnut could be confused for a brown, if not for the reddish mane and tail

Sorrel

• A light reddish/yellow color
• Mane and tail can be blonde or same as the body
  • Europe: light chestnut
  • America: sorrel

Palomino

• Golden color with a white mane and tail
• Considered a color breed, meaning they can be registered with the Palomino breed association if they meet all requirements

Buckskin or Dun

• Terms often used interchangeably
• Buckskin is a yellowish gray with dark points
• Dun tends to have more red in the coat
• Dun vs.Bay?Duns have a dorsal stripe sometimes accompanied by a shoulder stripe or zebra stripes on the legs

Cream

• Comes from the 'cream' gene
• Cream gene dilutes the base colors chestnut, bay and black
• When it dilutes palomino or buckskin it gets even lighter

Gray

• A truly white horse is very rare
• Most white horses are really a light gray
• Gray horses are often darker at birth and become lighter and lighter with age
• Gray coat is made up of white hairs and hairs with color in them
• Gray can be light or dark

Dapple Gray

• Gray with distinct white marks splattered throughout the coat
• When a dapple gray has black points it can be called a blue roan as well

Grullo

• Color comes from a Dun overlay on a black
• Hairs are mousy colored
• Have dark points
• Can have a dorsal stripe, zebra stripes (bars) on legs or a mask (dark face)

Blue Roan

• Dark base color with white hairs mixed in
• Has dark points and black undertones

Red Roan

• Has a chestnut base color with white hairs mixed in and red or dark red/brown points
• Can have red or blonde mane and tail

Appaloosa

• A spotted or speckled horse often with roaning
• Both a color and a breed of horse
  • Have spotted coats, mottled skin, white sclera and striped hooves

Paint vs.Pinto

• Terms both refer to large spotted patterns on a horse.The difference is breed.
• Paint horse can only be Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred lineage
• Pinto is used to describe a spotted horse of any breed

Roan and Dapples

• Roan or roaning on a horse is sometimes called varnish
• Occurs when white hairs are mixed in with the base coat color
• Dapples are lighter colored round spots on the coat
• Some dapples are seasonal, appearing only on a summer coat

Tabiano vs.Overo

• Refer to the spot patterns of Paint horses
• Tabiano has white spots that cross over the top line
  • With the Overo pattern, the white markings never cross over the top of the back, neck or rump
• Overo is used for Paints that are not clearly Tabiano or Overo.

Appaloosa Pattern

• Blanket Appaloosa has a distinct white marking spread across the rump
  • May or may not contain spots
• Leopard Appaloosa has distinct leopard like spots over a white coat

Hands

• Horses are also classified according to size, weight, build and use
• Common measurement for horses
  • Hand - is equal to four inches
• Height of the horse is measured from the top of the withers to the ground
  • E.g., a horse that is 15 hands is 60 inches or 5 feet at the withers

Light Horses

• 14.2 to 17.2 hands high and weigh 900 to 1400 lbs
• Used for riding, driving, showing, racing, or farm and ranch work.
• More agile and can travel at greater speed than draft horses

Draft Horses

• 14.2 to 17.2 hands high and weigh 1400 lbs or more
• Used for heavy work and for pulling loads

Ponnies

• Ponies stand under 14.2 hands and weigh 500 to 900 pounds
• Generally draft, heavy harness, or saddle type

Appaloosa

• Well-known for speed
• Used by the Nez Perce Indians as war horses
  • Originated from Spanish horses left behind by explorers

Arabian

• Originated from Bedouin desert
• Known for strength and stamina
• Small muzzle
• High tail setting
• Short back

Lipizzan

• Developed in Spain
• Born brown or black in color
• Changes to white or gray at about 6-10 years of age
• Famous as dressage performers
  • Dressage - the art of riding and training a horse in a manner that develops obedience, flexibility, and balance

Morgan

• Developed in the United States
• America's first breed of light horse
• Descended from one horse, Justin Morgan

Mustang

• Feral horses of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish
• Sure-footed with good endurance
  • Ability to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely

American Quarter Horses

• Developed in the US as a race horse
• Named for their fast times in the 1/4 mile
• Known for speed, strength & intelligence
• Most popular horse breed in the world

Saddlebred

• Developed in the US
• Ave. 15 to 16 hands (60 to 64 in)
• Weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 lbs (450 and 540 kg)
• Well-shaped heads with a straight profile, long, slim, arched necks, well-defined withers, sloping shoulders, correct leg conformation, and strong level backs with well-sprung ribs
• Croup is level with a high-carried tail.

Test your knowledge on horse breeds and their foundation sires. This quiz covers various breeds that trace their lineage to specific stallions and explores breeds developed with color requirements. Understand the significance of foundation sires in the equine world and name some colored breeds.