When I was younger, I read Jessie Haas’s book, Horse Crazy!. Throughout the book there were different breed profiles that I quickly read and referred back to. I always liked to learn more about horse breeds.
So welcome to part one of my article series of the most unusual, amazing, and spectacular horse breeds in the world.
1# Marwari
Height: 14 to 16 hands
Weight: 750-1000 lbs
About: Famous for its curled ear tips, Marwaris come from the Marwar region in Rajasthan, India. Trained as fierce battle horses and ridden by ancient Indian royalty, Marwaris were bred alongside their cousin breed, Kathiawaris, but they don’t share the Arabian traits of the Kathiawaris.
When Britain conquered India, they began to kill and castrate the Indian’s precious horses, until by 1950 the breed was on the age of extinction. It was only by the work of Maharaja Umaid Singhji that the horses were saved. Today they are used for dressage, polo, jumping, and a few are still used for military work in India. They can be any color, but gray is believed to be the most valuable, and white is not allowed.
For More Information: Marwari Horse Society
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2# Bashkir Curly
Height: 14-16 hands
Weight: 800-1250 lbs
About: The world’s only hypoallergenic horse, Curlies are known for their curly coats and manes. They came from Iberian horse stock in Nevada, and interbred with the mustang population– some of the herds still have Curlies running with them. Labeled “at-risk” by the Livestock Conservancy as of 2023, Curlies are used for dressage, trail riding, combined driving, show jumping, western riding, ranch work, and more. Their gentle disposition makes them spectacular family horses, and they can be any color– even spotted!
To Learn More: https://abcregistry.org/
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3# Caspian
Height: 11-12 hands
Weight: 700-1050 lbs
About: One of the last true Persian breeds, Caspians are small horses from Iran and are one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. It is even believed that King Darius the Great rode Caspians.
Their hooves are extremely strong, and many of the horses are barefoot. They are commonly bay, chestnut, black, gray, or dun. They have 5 skeletal differences from other horse breeds and often lack the horny growth on the inside of their leg called the chestnut. With less than 300 horses worldwide, it is believed to be the rarest horse in the world.
For More Info: https://www.caspian.horse/
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4# Kerry Bog Pony
Height: 10-12 hands
Weight: 700-1000 lbs
About: Living in the bogs and moors of Ireland, the few Kerry Bog Ponies left in the world are dearly beloved by their enthusiasts. Once a wild breed, Kerries have a, as the Kerry Bog Pony Registry puts it, “a storybook tale worthy of a land of mist and faerie magic.”
And truly, the Kerries are the ultimate comeback kid of any horse breed. Even though they were believed to be extinct, a stubborn and resilient Irishman named John Mulhivill decided to look for the last horses on earth. He eventually found the 20 horses that he brought back to his inn in Kerry Bog Village. Now the breed is thriving, and you can still visit the original breeding farm in Ireland.
Kerries can be any color except pinto and spotted, and they are often described as looking similar to a small Morgan horse. They are known for a special gait that allowed them to walk through the mires without sinking, called “tracking”.
To Learn More: https://kerrybogpony.org/
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5# Turkoman Horse
Height: 15-16 hands
Weight: 900-1200 lbs
About: The Turkoman is one of the most influential horse breeds in the world. Arabians, Akhal-Tekes, Andalusians, and Thoroughbreds all trace back to this incredible Iranian horse. The Godolphin Arabian, one of the founding sires of the Thoroughbred horse, was believed to be a Turk.
While this breed is extinct, it is unusual in how it was raised. Turks were raised nomadically in the Iranian and Turkmenian desert, raced at the age of two and known of their incredible endurance. They were fed diets of chicken, dates, and fruit and racers wore sheets to sweat off excess weight. Their speed and endurance were unmatched by any other horse breed. The closest horse breed genetically to the Turkoman is the Akhal-Teke, who shares the metallic sheen.
To Learn More: https://akhal-teke.org/
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And that closes the first part of my unusual horses article series. Do you have suggestions for unusual horse breeds to add? Let me know about them in the comments!
Wow… I’ve never heard of most of these. Super interesting!