When we buy our horses they come with a passport. Also, they are now mircochipped which helps identify them. Most owners know the points of a horse, but not everyone will know the sizes and different terms that come along with the ‘horse world’.
The above picture shows the image that is used in passports to note any whorls, or changes in colour and scars. Most vets will also put any freebrand or brands on here as well.
The height of the horse or pony.
Horse and ponies heights have always been measured in hands. It is usual for a hand to be 4 inches. Now with metrication height can be registered in centimetres. The chart opposite will show you the difference between the two different measurements.
Horse are 14.2 hh and over, which is also known at 148 cm in most publications. Ponies are under 14.2 hh and some smaller ponies like Shetlands are measured in inches or centimetres.
It is a good idea to have a height stick available when trying to work out a horses height, but be careful as some horses and ponies find this a little unnerving when you try and take their measurements.
A lot of different breed associations will also required a height measurement certificate for showing and some show jumping classes and pony racing etc.
Different Horse Breeds.
For a horse to be accepted as a breed the horse of pony must be recorded in the stud register of that particular breed. or must have the qualifications for registration. If those qualifications are not met then the horse or pony may be refereed to as ‘of that type’.
So of the British Breeds are :
Arab, Anglo-arab
Hackney
Clevland Bay
Irish Draught
Thoroughbred (horses)
Shetland
New Forest
Dartmoore
Exmoore
Dales
Fell
Highland
Welsh
Connemara
There are stud books for all of the above horses and ponies and the Thoroughbred is registered with Weatherby’s where you can find there racing information at well. We will be looking at the different breeds in another post at more depth. In the meantime if you are interested in any of the subjects on this blog, please feel free to look at the other posts or go to our FaceBook pages Hot of the Hoof and Sam Goss Coaching.
Thank you.