Horse Breeds
A guide to different horse breeds
Do you know your Suffolk Punch from your Clydesdale, and can you tell a Cleveland Bay from a Thoroughbred? To the untrained eye, many horses can look quite alike. But, while all domestic horses and ponies belong to the same species — Equus ferus caballus — there are many hundreds of different breeds, all of which have their own unique physical characteristics and temperaments.The sheer number of different kinds of horses and ponies can be overwhelming, even for equestrian enthusiasts. So, to help you brush up on your knowledge, we’ve put together a list of common horse breeds that you’re likely to come across in the UK, along with some facts about the size, traits, origins, and common uses of each type. We’ll cover:Horse breeds by region.English horse breeds,Scottish horse breeds,Welsh horse breeds,Irish horse breeds,Endangered and rare horse breeds,How many horse breeds are there?There are thought to well be over 350 breeds of horse in existence around the globe today. However, given that there’s no scientifically accepted definition for what formally constitutes a horse breed, there isn’t an exact number. Plus, new types of horse are always being bred, meaning that the overall total continues to increase by the day.While the definition is somewhat vague, it’s generally accepted that a breed is a type of horse that displays distinct true-breeding characteristics over several generations. There are a number of societies that protect and promote each one, to help ensure that standards for each type of horse remain consistent. The bloodlines of certain horse breeds are also recorded in General Stud Books, which help breeders ensure that their animals are of true purebred heritage.Some breeds have stricter rules about what does and doesn’t constitute a purebred. For example, certain breeds — including Thoroughbred horses — can only be considered a true example if they possess a very narrow set of characteristics. However, for other types of breeds where the pedigree is less important, the definition of what constitutes a purebred can be much broader and more variable.The reason there are so many breeds is all to do with the history of horses as working animals. Over thousands of years, people have selectively bred horses and ponies to emphasise traits that make them well-suited to different kinds of work, from farming and industry, to sport and leisure. Many breeds are also deeply rooted in the area where they are bred, with characteristics that help them to thrive in certain landscapes and weather conditions — you can learn more about this in our horse breeds by region section.As a result of years selective breeding, horses are quite a unique animal in terms of the sheer variety between different breeds. For instance, how many other animal subspecies boast a size difference quite like that between a Shire horse and a Shetland pony? The incredible versatility and variety of horses is one of the many reasons that these creatures have remained our constant companions throughout the centuries.Horse breeds by region.While many horses and ponies are selectively bred with the intention of making them more suitable for a particular kind of work or sport, the landscape and climate that they are bred in can also greatly influence their physical characteristics. As a result, horse breeds are often closely tied to the place where they first originated. Many are even named after the place where the breed was first established.In this guide, you’ll find information about a number of the most popular and well-known horse breeds from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Given the huge number of different horse breeds out there, it’s important to note that this guide is by no means exhaustive. However, you will find most of the most common horse breeds that you’re likely to encounter in the UK and Ireland.If you’re looking to buy a horse or pony of your own, then this guide is a great place to begin your research, especially if you’re still making up your mind about what size horse you will need, and which type will best suit your needs and lifestyle.Cleveland Bay Horse.Physical appearance: The Cleveland Bay has a large head with a convex face, a long strong neck, sloping shoulders, clean legs, and powerful hindquarters. They have a very handsome, noble appearance.Permitted colours: A rich bay colour (hence the name). Some Cleveland Bays also have a white marking on the forehead.Characteristics and uses: The Cleveland Bay is one of the oldest known English horse breeds, and was originally used for agriculture and pulling coaches. Over the years, Thoroughbred blood was introduced to the breed, and the Cleveland Bay became a competitive sport horse. They’re now quite a popular horse for all kinds of sports, especially showjumping and hunting.Cleveland Bays are also sometimes used at state occasions and royal celebrations, no doubt thanks to their powerful, handsome appearance and beautiful bay colouring. They generally have a calm, sensible disposition.Dale Pony.Physical appearance: The Dale pony is small in stature with a strong neck, broad chest, long sloping shoulders, and strong hindquarters and legs. They usually possess silky feathered legs and thick, shaggy manes and tails that make them hardy enough to stand the unforgiving climate of the Dales. They are closely related to the Fell pony, which is a little more pony-like in terms of build.Permitted colours: Black and brown are common, but bay, brown, and sometimes even grey or roan may be permitted.Characteristics and uses: These plucky ponies are brave, docile, calm, and hard-working, all characteristics that make them very suitable as family ponies. They possess enough stamina and power to excel at trekking and long-distance riding, but can also make fine jumpers, too.Dartmoor Pony.
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the human health crisis is not far off
Start writing... Once upon a time these geeky birds were found everywhere in villages, towns, trees and electric poles, rock tops, houses. Typically, long bare necks on the sides of the road are seen leaning towards the corpse of a pathetic dead animal or circling the sky like a large number of dark clouds.These were innumerable in number; Were too high to count. According to a survey conducted in 1991-1992, there were 40 million eagles in India in 18 protected areas.These have disappeared in just ten years. The number of these has reached the brink of extinction. Of the three major eagle species in India, the long-haired, slender-bodied species of the genus has dropped a staggering 97 per cent, while the white-ramped species became 99.9 per cent worse off in 1992-2007."No bird has been reported to have become so extinct as anywhere else in the world," said Asad Rahmani, former director of the Bombay Natural History Society. There was a sharp drop in the number of overseen passenger pigeons. These passenger pigeons, numbering 3 billion, are considered to be the largest bird in the world. But in the early 1990s, nothing was left. The last bird in the cage, Martha, also died at the Cincinnati Zoo.What's going on?Initially no one noticed the details that the number of eagles came down. There were also rough reports from researchers and reports that villagers said 'eagles were nowhere to be found'.Vibu Prakash, chief scientist of the Mumbai Natural History Society, was the first to document the decline in the famous Keolado National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. In 1987-1988 he estimated that there were 353 pairs of eagles in the 29 sq km park. In 1996, that number halved. He was shocked to see eagles lying dead on plants, trees and even nests.“I was worried and confused. I do not understand what is happening to these birds, ”he recalled.By the year 2000, not a single eagle had survived in Bharatpur. It sounded the alarm. News of similar deaths soon began to arrive from across the country. The White-ramped Eagle, once considered the largest predator on the subcontinent, has become one of the world's most endangered birds.The number of three genera, which numbered in the millions, has recently been estimated to be only about 20,000. Of these, 12,000 were white ramps with long units and only 1,000 were eagles with very rare soft units.In the year 2000, the International Coordinating Center for Nature Conservation declared all three species as critically endangered. These will disappear if no emergency measures are taken to recover them before they become extinct.How did it happen?Finally, many countries are concerned about this. An international team of more than a dozen scientists, backed by the Peregrine Fund, examined the carcasses of eagles in Pakistan and found that diclofenac was the real cause. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug given to animals.The drug is a boon to those who depend on their livestock for their livelihood. It can act quickly. Powerful painkiller and antidepressant. The added advantage is that the price is also very low.Eagles eat carcasses. In the country with the highest number of livestock in the world, the bodies of rotten cattle are most commonly found. Long-necked eagles, especially genus eagles, dig deep into carcasses and eat soft parts. These are capable of digging up an animal or deer bone in just 20 minutes.Of the nine eagle species in India, diclofenac mainly affects three of the five genus species. Prakash explains that the migration of the other two types of eagles to faraway places such as the Himalayas and Central Asian countries, where these drugs are rarely used, is one of the reasons for their survival. Eagles and gray eagles eat hard meat and muscle cords so they are not affected by this diclofenac drug.Frozen negative image in the public domain.Not only do humans care about the safety of these birds, eagles are viewed differently. In India it is worshiped as . It is also seen as a foretaste of death. In the general view, an eagle is thought to attack the weak. There is also the habit of setting an example that is like an eagle when talking about those who take advantage of the misfortune of others. That is, it is seen as a negative symbol in many ways.But these bodies play a valuable role in our ecosystem. As it disposes of the body quickly and efficiently, harmful bacteria do not grow and spread. These contain high levels of body temperature and strong stomach acids that ingest rotten bodies infected with bacteria without causing any adverse effects. Even dogs and rats can eat rotten bodies, but unlike eagles, they can spread germs and spread disease.The extinction of eagles has had another unintended consequence. The eagles are on the verge of extinction, making it difficult for the Parsis or the Zoroastrian community to perform their unique funeral rites. It is customary for them to dispose of the bodies of the dead in places known as 'towers of silence'. There the bodies are mainly eaten by eagles. The Parsis considered land and water sacred and believed that burying or burning the dead would pollute nature.The annual decline in white rump eagles was 43.9%. The relaxed breeding eagle lays only one egg at a time. It has an eight-month reproductive cycle. So if the loss is more than 5 percent, there is not much chance of recovering these.Some signs of hope.
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