It’s horse breed Thursday again and time to meet the next letter of the equine world. Be sure to go visit the breeds section where you can meet hundreds of amazing animals from around the globe.
If you haven’t met the rest of the alphabet, be sure to do so A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q. Today it’s about breeds that start with R, from the lightning fast Racking Horse developed prior to the Civil War in the US to the speed demon Russian Trotter only recently officially recognized.
The R’s are in many ways a category of northern breeds, most of them come from parts of Europe & Asia.
Big Daddy R’s
The cold weather R’s aren’t an incredibly diverse bunch, but there are plenty of notable members, some of them full of mystery and others just not very well known. There are, however some very old members of this group. The naturally gaited Rahvan which has been bred in Turkey for at least 800 years; the recently discovered (like 1995) Riwoche Pony that is native to an isolated region of Tibet; and the bulky Rottaler which has been bred by the Bavarian people since the turn of the 10th century AD.
Personal Favorite R’s
The R’s are a good bunch & I tend to like the more robust northern breeds. As always playing favorites is difficult, but I’ve made my picks. First the colorful Rocky Mountain Horse which often display silver dapple coloring; the Romanian Saddle Horse simply because I’d never heard of them; and the smaller Russian Heavy Draft for their crested necks and handsome profile.
The Whole List
Here it is, the full list of breeds that begin with R. If I’m missing something, let me know and I’ll add it to my list (don’t want to forget anybody).
Racking Horse
Rahvan | West Black Sea Rahvan Horse
Rangerbred horse
Rhineland Heavy draft | Rhenish Cold Blood
Riwoche Pony
Roadster
Rocky Mountain Horse
Romanian Saddle Horse
Romanian Trotter
Rottaler | Rottal | Rottaler Warmblut
Russ
Russian Don
Russian Heavy Draft
Russian Riding Horse
Russian Trotter
What’s Your Favorite R?
It’s never easy to pick a favorite, but this week I’m going for the Russian Heavy Draft, they are handsome animals. Be sure to leave your favorite R in the comments below then go visit more of the alphabet. A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q.