It’s that time again, horse breed Thursday and today we have a great variety to share, although sadly one of them is facing extinction.
Pleased to Introduce
The breeds for this week are an interesting & distinct bunch, from the Aralusian who embodies the blood of two ancient breeds (Arabian & Andalusian), the strong & handsome Ardennes and the highly endangered Arenberg-Nordkirchener
Part of the reason I work so hard on the breeds section is to share information & hopefully help circumvent the loss of any more horse breeds to extinction.
Aralusian
This cross seems like a no-brainer, the Aralusian contains two of the mot popular & oldest bloodlines on the planet & it’s surprising that a registry hasn’t been formally created before.
The idea is to combine the best elements of both breeds and keep the bloodlines as close to 50/50 as possible. Thus creating more of a marriage between the two breeds.
A Logical Combination
Both breeds are known for their majestic beauty and strength of character & the two bloodlines have almost certainly been crossed before, just not officially. The resulting animal possesses the fiery spirit, fine confirmation & athletic ability of the Arabian and the bold presence, high action and strong character of the Andalusian.
Ardennes
This is a true cold-blooded breed, and the Ardennes bloodlines have helped to create many of the draft breeds we know today.
Descendant of the Solutrain horse that lived during the Paleolithic period, this breed has remained relatively unchanged since the last ice age.
Shaped by War
As with all breeds, their characteristics were largely shaped by habitat and climate, however their stout nature made them popular as war horses which also had a hand in shaping what the breed has become today. Because their blood is so old, there are a number of stud books who carry Ardennes type lines in different European countries. However the animals are similar from country to country and there is a great deal of cross over.
Arenberg-Nordkirchener
The Arenberg-Nordkirchener breed was created during the 20th century in Germany and today their numbers are ridiculously small (by ridiculous I mean under 50 left on the planet).
The goal in breeding this animal was to use local feral animals crossed with Welsh type ponies to create a durable riding pony that is well equipped with a friendly character, tenacious attitude & ground-covering gaits.
Not Many Left
Sadly due to fragmented breeding the small numbers of this breed means they are likely to become extinct in the 21st century.
They were thought to have become extinct in the 1980’s, but a decade later a few animals were found. Since then the race is on to protect the ever-decreasing breed.
More to Come
Next week we’ll take a look at three different Argentinean breeds, the relatively recent Argentine Anglo, the sturdy native Argentine Criollo & the unofficial Argentine Polo Pony.