Rare Horses of the World K - O
The third installment of rare equine breeds, this addition is dedicated to the Kaimanawa Wild Horse all the way to the Orlov Trotter.
Breeds You Don’t See Everyday
Kaimanawa Wild Horse
Build - Medium sized, well muscled horse with well set ears and a short, deep neck and a deep girth.
Nature - Intelligent, adaptable, tough and surefooted.
Colors - Found in all colors and patterns
Origin - Genes from various gene pools.
More information - Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust, Inc.
Kiger Mustang
Build - A small mustang with fine, pointed ears, a broad flat forehead, a deep chest and a short, broad back.
Nature - Like any wild horse, high energy, tough and well suited to live on low quality diets.
Colors - Kigers carry a dominant dun gene, so their colors always display dun attributes.
Origin - Discovered in 1977 and their ancestry contains Spanish mustang blood.
More information - Kiger Mesteno Association
Konik Horse
Build - A short horse with a stocky build, a straight profile, deep chest and thick mane.
Nature - Strong, surefooted and willing to please.
Colors - Usually mouse grey dun.
Origin - In 1936 an attempt was made to bring the extinct tarpan breed back. The result of these attempts are what began the semi-wild herds that are the Konik horse of today.
More information - Wikipedia
Lipizzaner Horse
Build - A powerful horse with a long muscular back, a thick neck, well-set head, deep girth, short, stocky legs and good feet.
Nature - Kind, intelligent and slow to mature.
Colors - Mainly grey, usually born dark and grey over age. However, they can also be found in brown or black (but they are rare).
Origin - Ancestry traces back over 2,000 years and their bloodlines contain Arab and Barbary strains, the result of this is the famed Spanish Andalusian.
More information - Equiworld
Marwari Horse
Build - Most commonly identified by their drastically inward pointed ears. The Marwari horse displays a straight profiled head, high set neck, short back, high set tail and long, smooth legs.
Nature - Gaited horses, they are high spirited and intelligent. Built for covering long, hot distances at a high-energy gait.
Colors - Found in all colors, piebalds and skewbalds traditionally favored.
Origin - Origins are unknown, but bloodline documentation dates back to 1212 AD and was originally bred as a war horse.
More information - Marwarihorse.com
Nooitgedacht Horse
Build - Compact and sturdy medium sized pony, with a short back and sloping shoulders.
Nature - Friendly, athletic, intelligent and easy to train.
Colors - Bay, blue or red roan.
Origin - South African ponies which developed during the 18th and 19th centuries under the extreme conditions of the Basutoland highlands.
More information - Nooitgedacht Horse Breeders’ Society
Norwegian Fjord Horse
Build - Small and sturdy horse with a unique confirmation. Fjord horses have a thick, arched neck, compact body, thick mane which is traditionally kept short enough to stand straight up.
Nature - Strong and willing, with a mild temperament, built for a mix of heavy farm work and general riding.
Colors - All Fjord horses are dun in color, dorsal stripe into the mane and tail giving them a two toned look. Most common is brow dun, (bay dun); red dun; grey dun (not a real grey, grulla or blue dun); white dun (bay dun with a dilution gene); yellow dun (red dun with a dilution gene).
Origin - Ancestors are believed to have migrated to Norway over 3,000 years ago. Proximity makes their bloodlines very pure and they have been bred selectively for over 2,000 years.
More information - OK State
Orlov Trotter
Build - Tall, straight and lean, large head, bright eyes, an arched, high set neck. Body is strong and legs are long and lean with prominent joints.
Nature - Bred for a high stepping gait, they are tough animals with high energy. They are smart, adaptable and willing to work.
Colors - Grey, black, bay and chestnut
Origin - Developed in Russia late in the 18th century and their bloodlines are a result of breeding various European stock with arabian stallions. American trotters developed and created the need to introduce some American stock into the lineage which almost sent the breed into extinction.
More information - Wikipedia
Be sure to check out Rare Horses of the World A-D and Rare Horses of the World F-I, and stay tuned for the final installment which will cover P-W.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
you are right that the origins of the Marwari are unknown, but it is not correct that bloodline records go back to 1212AD. I would be interested to know where you got that date from?
June 16th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Thanks for the feedback Rupert.
That was a Wikipedia find: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marwari_horse.
If you have better information about the Marwari, I’d love to read it, they are magnificent animals and I’d love to learn more about them (and correct my information if it’s wrong).
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Lipizzaner is original from slovenia
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
You are absolutely right Tjasa, not just Slovenia, but Austria too.