Montauk Pioneer - August 29, 2008

The Hampton Classic Horse Show gives way to letting us watch some of the world's most beautiful horses in action. There are certain types of horses that are great in competition but in general, there are so many different types of horses, how do you tell them apart?

Quarter horses are great for new riders because of their even temperament. They have speed and power, and the breeds that are usually shown in competition are large, more muscular horses with wide jowls. Their coloring ranges from black and brown, chestnut, palomino, buckskin and grey just to name a few. The American Saddlebred was known originally as the Kentucky Saddler. Selective breeding of the Thouroughbred, Canadian and Narragansett Pacers and the Morgan Horse makes this type the most entertaining show ring horse. The Saddlebred can perform a slow gait, a fast flamboyant four beat gait and a prancing four beat motion with a pause before each foot falls. You might have seen this type of horse perform in shows where it almost looks like they are dancing. They also have good jumping ability.

The Arabian type is affectionate and bonds well with people. They are friendly and are willing to work. They were domesticated by the people of the Middle East around 1500 B.C. The Clydesdale is known for its large size and can grow to over 2,000 pounds. This work horse has a positive attitude and you can clearly see when the feet are raised from the ground as they take a long stride. This type was named from the town Clydesdale in Scotland and was used for farming where it would pull heavy loads.

The Hanoverian comes from northern Germany and is even tempered as well as strong and athletic. This type does extremely well in competition including jumping, dressage and eventing. In the 1992 Olympics, the Hanoverian won 13 medals and 8 medals in the 1996 Olympics. The Morgan is known as the first American breed and was once the official horse of the United States Army. A stallion named Justin Morgan began the popularity of this type and was originally named Figure but was given his owner's name. He competed throughout his life in racing and hauling contests and was never beaten. The Palomino was a popular breed during the days of the Crusades. Queen Isabella was known to own about a hundred of these and since it was her favorite, a commoner wasn't' allowed to own one. Mr. Ed and Trigger are two popular Palominos that had careers in Hollywood and were registered with The Palomino Horse Association. The Thoroughbred is best know as a racing horse. They are trained young to accept a saddle and bridle. No state has more Thoroughbred horse farms than Kentucky and most of the champions that win races come from Kentucky.

There are more breeds of horses than those I have named here. I can go on and on but I wanted to introduce any of the kids reading this to some of the main breeds that you hear about more often than others. If you get a chance to go to the Hampton Classic Horse Show this week, a great day to go is Saturday, August 30th, because that is Cablevision's Kids Day. Have fun and I'll see you there!