DRESSAGE AND PARA DRESSAGE Common breeds: Hanoverians, Royal Dutch warmbloods, Danish warmbloods (pictured at right), Swedish warm- bloods, Westfalens. Almost all top-level dressage horses are “warmbloods,” a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds devel- oped for equestrian sport. Most originated in Europe. Such breeds feature powerfu l necks, shoulders and hind quarters that are important to perform dressage’s technical elements. Hanoverians and the Royal Dutch warmblood (also known as WKPN) are regarded among the most popular and versatile breeds for equestrian disciplines. Another highly successful warmblood is the athletic Westfalen, a German breed that traces back to roaming herds of wild horses in the marshy Westphalia region. In addition to bloodlines, horses must pass approval tests to be registered as a Westfalen. DRIVING Common breeds: European warmbloods such as Royal Dutch warmblood and Hanoverian, Morgans (pictured at left), French trotters. Large, strong shoulders are essential for driving, allowing the horse to push its weight forward and pull carriages. Morgans — the first true American breed based on bloodlines, which dates to the stallion Justin Morgan in 17 89 — are one of the premier carriage horses in the world, noted for their stamina and vigor. Their sloping shoulder fits well into a collar, while their short back provides strength. The breed is known for being stylish and spirited but with a good disposition. Their agility and big trot make the horses ideal for combined driving’s marathon stage, while their obedience and suppleness is well-suited to the cones course. The Dutch warmblood breed has a lot of “hot” blood infused in it over the generations to give it stamina and agility, critical in combined driving when teams of horses must be able to turn their shoulders and bodies freely to navigate very narrow obstacles on the course. ENDURANCE Common breeds: Arabian (pictured at left), as well as half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian Arabians are the oldest breed of riding horses, developed centuries ago as war mounts used over the Middle East’s harsh deserts. Their small size, light frame, huge lung capacity and incredible endurance are well-suited to the WEG’s 100-mile race. The Arabian is notable for its distinctive dish profile, large wide-set eyes on a broad forehead and large, flaring nostrils to take in maximum oxygen. To protect it from the desert sun, all Arabians have black skin, except under white markings. They have thin skins and do not grow a lot of hair, which allows the sweat to evaporate. Anglo-Arabians are a cross between a thoroughbred and Arabian. The edge Arabians might have over thorough- breds here is that their hooves are famously durable. In international endurance competition, the horse must be at least eight years old. Arabians set the foundation for many breeds, including the thoroughbred. EVENTING Common breeds: Thoroughbred (pictured at right), Irish Sport Horse, Dutch warmblood Thoroughbreds dominate eventing (also known as the Three Day Event) because of their versatility and speed for the cross-country competition and their agility and strength for the stadium-jumping portion, even though other breeds are more adept at dressage. Thoroughbreds also have the endurance to undergo three straight days of strenuous competition. The Irish Sport Horse, a cross between the Irish Draught Horse and the thoroughbred, is known for its fantastic jumping ability. JUMPING Common breeds: Dutch warmblood, Belgian warmblood, Holsteiner, Selle Francais (pictured at right), Hano- verian, Westfalen, Oldenberg. International stadium jumping is dominated by the European-originated warmbloods, with their strong shoulders, neck and hind quarters that allow them to power over fences. One of the world’s best jumpers is the Selle Francais, a more refined horse than the German and Scandinavian warmbloods and which more resembles a thoroughbred. The Selle Francais was not named a breed until 19 58, but its origins go back centuries to Norman war horses. The breed is not based exclusively on bloodlines but on the grading of mares and stallions for jumping ability, conforma- tion and movement before a horse can be registered as a Selle Francais. REINING Common breed: Almost exclusively the American quarter horse (pictured at left). The quarter horse — the fastest breed in the world at running a quarter-mile, hence its name — is known for its ability to go from full gallop to a stop or turn on a dime before taking off again. These stocky horses are heavily muscled and compact and feature powerful hind quarters and shoulders, muscular necks and legs that are shorter than a thoroughbr ed. Quarter horses generally are taller than Arabians and shorter than thoroughbreds. They are commonly bred to thoroughbreds, and while the resulting foals are considered quarter horses, they must meet certain performance standards to be registered as such for breeding purposes. The American Quarter Horse Association, with more than 5 million registered horses, is the world’s largest breed registry. VAULTING Common breeds: Most are warmblood-type horses such as the American Sport Horse (pictured at right) or Irish Sport Horse, as well as Hanoverians. Vaulting horses typically have descended from heavy draught horses such as Belgians or Percherons that were carefully upgraded over the decades with the infusion of hot-bloods (thoroughbreds or Arabians) to give them the mix of strength to hold up to three people, as well as the stamina and agility to canter in a small circle for an extended period of time. A strong, broad back and a very calm temperamen t — including the abili ty to keep a rhythmic pace no matter what the human athlete is doing on its back — is essential. The backs of some horses might allow only a six-inch width for the human competitors, a good vaulting horse might have 10 inches. Vaulti ng horses, which can take at least two years to fully train, must be geldings or mares at least age 6 to compete in recognized vaulting competition.
