The Curious Compendium 2023 Tour Finale: Herding breeds!

Beautiful horses! I love the ones laying down

Thank you! I like the more unique poses too.

Next up is the Tennesse walking horse!
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The American breed was started with a black stud, named Black Allan, who was a Morgan X Hambletonian Trotter cross born in 1886. He was then crossed to a variety of other breeds such as thoroughbred, standardbred, and the American saddlebred. Over time this created a very unique gaited horse; it is the only breed that "overstrides", bobbing its head rhythmically, and has several unique gaits (types of movement/walking). The most famous of which is called the the "running walk"; an extremely smooth movement that reduces any jostling of the rider, and can reach speeds of up to 20mph in some animals. This breed often has uniquely shaped hindlegs (cow-hocked, sickle-hocked, or over angulated hocks) that aid the animal in obtaining these unique gaits; these gaits are not teachable to an animal that it does not come naturally to. This breed is widely known as being a very comfortable ride; originally created for transport or trekking people around comfortably, this trait has made them useful in modern day jobs such as for the mounted police who may be in the saddle for 14 hours a day. People also popularly use them for trail riding.

I feel that I must acknowledge the proverbial "elephant in the room": this breed is sadly associated with a variety of animal rights concerns in regards to its gaited walks and various shows they may perform in. Without spelling it all out right here, I think it goes without saying that these practices are highly shameful. These animals should be enjoyed for the unique and athletic breed that they are, and not showcased via barbaric training methods to achieve a goal that is nothing more than cosmetic. But the good news is that laws and animal rights have made headway in protecting this wonderful breed.

Thank you Andreas. :)

A group of 3 breeds- Quarter horse, Thoroughbred, and the American Paint
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The quarter horse is famous for its ability to outrun any other breed over a quarter of a mile. Developed from crossing arabians to mustang stock to create a sturdy and muscled animal. They traditionally are used for working cattle, racing, and trail riding; they are still used for these today. This is a breed widely known for its history with ranch work, and is commonly said to have an innate "cow sense".

Thoroughbreds are descended from crossing Darley arabians, Godolphin arabians, and Byerly Turk horses to create a muscled, lean racing animal. They are well known the world over for their tremendous speed and athleticism. Horse racing is a world wide sport, but today, the US is the largest producer of these horses. They come in nearly any solid color, but gray and white are the rarest. There are a number of true athletes that the world has known in the sport of horse racing, and as an enthusiast of the honest and ethical application of it, I have enjoyed the sport for many years now. Some notable names on US soil would be; Secretariat, Seabiscuit, Man O War, War Admiral, Ruffian, Seattle Slew, Zenyatta, Native Dancer, Whirlaway, Spectacular Bid, and Black Caviar are only a FEW of these incredible animals.

Lastly, the American Paint (NOT to be confused with pinto, which will be covered later). This is a *colored* horse with a special gene to code for *white* spot patterns. This is the largest horse registry in the world; over 1 MILLION animals! The breed is focused on the pattern and not so much the look; but generally these are stock type horses. Originating from Native American backgrounds, theu were valued for their special markings and held a unique place in their culture. They can be found in nearly all disciplines- their flashy coats often draw spectators, while their intelligence and durable conformation make them an excellent choice for learning new skills.

As usual, since it is about horses, I'm completely lost I like very much the spotted zebras

Haha, me too Christophe, me too. :)

Next group is Shetland.
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This miniature breed originates from the Shetland Isles during the Bronze age and may be the UK's oldest breed. They are amongst the smallest of all horse breeds, the UK standard says that they cannot be taller than 11 hh (hands high). But don't underestimate them, these guys pound for pound are stronger than your average horse! They come in nearly any pattern and color, and have a thick woolly coat to handle the extreme habitat of their native land. They are notoriously difficult to train since they have the combined traits of being intelligent and incredibly strong willed/stubborn. Despite their size, theu have been traditionally used as work ponies (i.e. during the industrial age they hauled goods like coal), as companion animals for children, and "farm pets". Some in the modern day, have been adapted for use as service animals (i.e. they are an alternative if someone is allergic to dogs) or as therapy animals (due to their small size they are more transportable for use in hospitals and nursing homes etc.).

Very nice collections of both breeds. I had no idea shire stallions were not allowed to be chestnut.

I used to work with a pair of haflingers, very good and reliable boys, but definitely a little sassy.

Thank you both!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], I know quite a bit about horses (from being a nerdy kid growing up, not from any practical familiarity really) but I have already learned lots of new things like Shire studs in the UK can't be chestnut! And haflingers are spunky for sure.

Andalusians!
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This is one of the few breeds developed in the Iberian peninsula, specifically the region of Spain they are named after; Andalusia. The breed dates back thousands of years (the Greek and Roman eras); and was one of the original all purpose animals that could be trained in royal escapades such as dressage style maneuvers, war and bullfighting, as well as all purpose farm work. There was a time where exporting one of these horses from Spain was punishable by death! These guys run a little larger at 15.2 hh average, and have a distinct look including a convex muzzle, lots of muscle, and compact proportions. These animals are used in nearly every discipline there is; they are often a favorite in movies as well (fantasy and historical based genres). Given their wide array of tractable traits, they have been used to develop a number of other breeds like Friesians, Lippizanner, American quarter horse, and the Azteca (Andalusians also contributed to the original American mustang stock that became feral). And something new that I learned; there is an ancient strain called the Carthusian line that inherited a number of preferred characters from its original stallion Esclavo, but this includes warts under their tail and calcified protuberances around the ears often referred to as "horns" (this in particular is thought to be an Asian equine trait... I have a lot of reading to do!).

Wow, I managed to completely miss this page with my last post, whoops!!

I had no idea there were so many TWH models. I love that almost all of yours are not racking, usually the only way this breed seems to be represented. I was raised in Tennessee (not that it's the only place these horses are found, haha, but they were in fact popular) and our property neighbor was a walking horse farm. The horses that lived in the field beside us changed frequently, but a few of them became good friends. "Coppy" is the one we remember best, a young chestnut filly (her name had something to do with Copper, and they called her Coppy for short). She used to run up and down the fence line when the dogs and come running over to see us when we came out. Unfortunately it was probably because she was in the field alone and looking for company, but it's a wonderful memory of the breed. Much better than the local shows at the county and state fairs where they were exhibited in the big lick style, since that was back in the 90s.  

That little shetland with one white leg, what an interesting marking. I guess that would be considered splash pinto?

Beautiful figures, especially love the Andalusians! They make such elegant models. The "horns" information is interesting, I've never heard of that myself . . . I'll have to read more about that.

Superb collection again .I remember reading about horns in horses and there is another American breed with this feature-the Moyle horse and the Datong horse of China.

My second favourite breed  I just love Andalusians, they are so elegant and beautiful creatures

You have some really nice models. Schleich's Andalusian foal from 2009 is my favourite foal. This model has so much personality.

And you have a very nice array of Sheties. Schleich's miniature Shetland pony family is just adorable. As I love horse coat colour genetics I kind of wanted to add that Shetlands can exhibit a coat colour called Mushroom. It looks somewhat similar to a palomino or a light silver black. And the Terra Shetland pony might be a rendition of it actually. It looks quite similar to me.

Thank you so much everyone!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], even if in adulthood you may realize some things, I hope that doesn't ruin your memories. Clydesdales are special to me for a similar reason; my grandfather kept his last pair of mares "because he liked keeping them around to remember the good ol' days" before tractors and equipment. Over time they really just became feral pasture ornaments; he took care of them sure, but they became very wild in temperament because they jusg weren't handled often enough.

@Taylor, thanks for the info! I guess we all will be reading up on these so called horns. I finally found some photos of them. Because they are calcific protuberances (Google's description not mine), they are covered in their skin and hair, and just sort of look like a cyst or similar.

@Katy Leven, and thank you also for the other fun fact! I didn't know that about the shetlands.

Ok, next up are lipizzans!
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This breed is known for its distinctive white coat; but foals are born bay or black and they "grey out" (develop more and more white hairs) until they look white in color. In horses, this will be discussed more later on, a true "white" horse has pink skin. where a white coat with gray or black skin is truly a gray that has changed color over time. This white color was preferred by royals, and was then focused on for breeding. Occassionally, you can you get a bay horse that will keep its color. Another ancient breed, their ancestors hail "from the Orient", and the earliest example was noted in Carthage 2,000 years ago; other breeds used for development include spanish breeds like the Andalusian, and Middle Eastern ones like the Barb. The breed was established in 1580 by Archduke Karl II of Austria and were developed in Lipizza (hence their name). This is a long lived breed, expected to last 30-35 years (most horses will expire in their mid 20s). The breed is most well knowm as performance animals; at the Spanish riding school Vienna, they are taught the levade, pesade, capriole, and courbette maneuvers. The performances are combination of military moves, dressage, and "equestrian ballet", and are the result of years of training. Even more unique, the performing horses at this school are all unaltered stallions. In a more relaxed setting, they are becoming more popular in the finer arts of things like dressage and driving.

Thanks Taylor. :)

Friesians!
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These are a "light" type of draft horse (a term to describe a generally smaller or less muscled horse that is equally adapted to riding and draft work). Named after their home, Friesland in the northern Netherlands, they originated in the Middle Ages. Their classic black coat is one of their defining features; rarely they can be born chestnut or appear to be a black bay (but this look could also be from environment such as sun bleaching) but both of these are not allowed to be in the studbook. They are known for their distinctive movements- being bred for active hock and leg action to achieve a high action and animated trot. The horse nearly went extinct around 1913, but enthusiasts acted to preserve them. Because of their intelligent and curious natures, historically and in modern times, they have been used for war, agricultural work, circus performances, and a variety of disciplines (dressage, driving, even western pleasure riding!).

Friesians

My favourite breed of all times  And you have some of my favourite models in your collection as well.

I'm so used to see them as a sort of heavy Warmbloods that I'm always a little bit confused when they are called light drafts. Just have to remind myself that draft horse is not supposed to be the synonym for Cold-blooded horses. Because they can pull for sure.

Love all the fun facts you include to every animal group. I've been learning so much new stuff about my beloved horses

Wow, what an awesome collection of Friesians! This is one of my favorite breed too!
The Lipizzans are very nice too! And the Andalusians of course! Such aristocratic animals!
And the Ponies are lovely too! They have so much character!

These were one of my favorite horse breeds! So beautiful. Love all the poses

Great selection again .Friesans are frequently used for funeral processions in the UK.Harrods also have a pair pulling their carriage.

Lipizzaners and Friesians are always interesting to see adapted to figures since they are generally all one color . . . it calls for diversity in the sculpts, which the Friesians certainly have. It's also nice to see that the Lipizzaner foals are portrayed dark, I remember Grand Champions I think gave their Lipizzaners a light foal and little Jill was miffed. I think it's a shame the chestnut Friesians can't be registered, since chestnut is a recessive gene and can be carried by a black horse. But no one asked me when they wrote the studbook, haha!

Without being STS chauvinist, I really like the Mojo Shetland pony and Lipizzaner mare made by Anna.

The Safari Ltd Friesian is really proud of himself.

Thank you everyone!

Appaloosas!
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These horses were developed my the Nez Perce Native American tribe in the US (their historical range was in Northern Idaho- my home state!). Previously called the palouse horse, the name was later adapted; this breed is famously known for their spotted and patterned coats. They can come in leopard, blanket, snowflake, and marble/varnish coloring (I highly reccomend googling these so you can see what they look like in real life!) and their skin will also show various kinds of spotting and freckling and even stripes in their hooves. Its a rather small and compact stock horse type of build- especially since they were developed from the feral wild spanish horses now known as mustangs. They have been developed to be intelligent, inquisitive, and calm; they make great mounts for first timers and children. Sadly, the breed does suffer from some maladies; they are 4 times more likely to go blind (this seems to.be correlated to the leopard complex gene but is not proven), it is also known that the breed has a sparse/thin mane and tail. Its known the Nez Perce bred for this to help the animal move through brush more easily without getting the mane and tail tangled; but this thinning may also be part of the leopard complex gene.

I'm a great fan of spotted horses!!!

An ever popular breed for models! Love all the variety here in expressions of the gene. Interesting that so many are bay. I think I like the running mare and foal with the larger blankets in the front line best.

Sorry to share another story, but I am reminded of so many horses I have known over time. One of the craziest horses I've worked with was an appaloosa named Ritz. He was a beautiful varnish roan on a black coat, and he was fun to ride, except he had learned to rear when he didn't want to do something, which is to me one of the scariest things a horse can do under saddle (bucking is so much less scary). And he was supposed to be a lesson horse for camp kids! Needless to say, he was a staff only horse. We did love him though, haha.