Home of some of the friendliest people on earth (and where they filmed Xena the Warrier Princess), New Zealand is a lovely place where horse culture is a large part of life, for both work and play.
The Irish Draft horse is one of the most popular eventing mounts used in competition today. And although they are Ireland’s claim to fame on the show circuit, the tough native ponies and local draft breeds have earned the Irish a name in the horse industry as well.
Belgium is just as horse crazy as the rest of northwestern Europe, and home to both the Belgian Draft and the Belgian Warmblood horses.
The Belgian Draft is one of the strongest of all of the draft breeds and is almost always sorrel chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail.
Beyond the every day mythical horses like the unicorn and pegasus, I thought I’d take a look at some stranger and darker horses in mythology.
Tikbalang
Image from Keith Thompson Art
Also called Tigbalang, Tigbalan, or Tikbalan
Another country fond of working with warmblood show horse bloodlines and making them better, the Swiss warmblood is a popular olympic mount and the swiss horses have quite a view.
Still an integral part of existence in most parts of Italy, the horse is everything from transportation, to a tourist attraction to a relaxing past time.
The animals are lighter boned and have a thin coat to withstand work (and play) in hot temperatures in summer and milder winter weather.
Horse in Italian is cavallo
Home of the much loved Dutch Warmblood breed.
Whether they are eventing horses or draft work horses, the people of the Netherlands know their horseflesh. This region is known for their fine showhorses and their warmbloods are often used in olympic events.
Horse in Dutch is paard
We are all famaliar with the story of the Trojan Horse, which the clever Greek warriors rode into Troy. It was no accident that they choose the horse as the symbolic animal to carry them to battle.
Horse in Greek is
Image from Sean Wallis
