Global Horse Culture

Horses of the world, 1934 version

It's interesting to see which breeds of horses were widely known in past times. Looking at show programs or books about horse breeds from past decades (or centuries) reveals which breeds were popular or recognized then, and it's often quite different from today.

The map pictured was issued in 1934.

The breeds described are (from bottom center, moving clockwise):

Italian Horse Breeds

Here's a cool website with a very complete listing of Italian horse breeds. The breeds are listed in the menu on the left side. Clicking each will give you a description (in Italian, of course) [update: a reader points out this listing is now available in english at this link] and photos (usually towards the bottom of the page). There is quite a diversity, from mountain ponies to saddle horses and draft horses. Many of the saddle horses derive from combinations of Iberian, Arabian and Thoroughbred blood. Worth a browse, even if you don't speak Italian.

The Coudelaria de Alter

The Coudelaria de Alter (Alter Stud Farm) in Portugal is a grand and historic horse breeding and training facility where the rare Alter Real breed originated and is still preserved today. The facilities are sprawling and elaborate, including broodmare and breeding facilities and laboratories; multiple arenas, both indoor and outdoor; areas for cross country riding; even a mounted falconry facility (scroll down to see photos on that page). 

The Alter Real is related to the Lusitano, but of a more specific bloodline, having been bred for the Portuguese School of Equestrian Arts (equivalent of the Spanish Riding School). The horses are typically bay in color, consistently larger than the Lusitano, and selected for their abilities in classical dressage. The breed has been nearly lost at times, due to war, and there were past attempts to rescue it by introducing Arabian, Hanoverian, Andalusian and other breeds. You can read a brief overview of the history in English here.

There are some nice photos of a demonstration by the Portuguese School of Equestrian Arts here.

This short video shows the huge herd of broodmares strolling through the stud farm on their way to their pasture. It's a beautiful moment, shot by a visitor (the farm is a popular tourist destination for horse lovers).

Possibly the Wackiest Driving Video Ever

This troupe in Germany has a really...unique...talent! I don't know what else to say, just watch and marvel:

Thanks for the tip, Katja!

An Intriguing Old Horse Movie

Bridlepath, an excellent horse blog, has a review of an old movie called "White Mane," featuring Camargue horses. I haven't seen it, but it looks quite interesting. Check it out here.

Yikes!

Riders at a festival in France ride their horses through a wall of fire. Other photos from the festival in danielguip's photostream feature the Breton horse, a handsome medium-weight draft horse.

An Unusual and Difficult Trick

This horse has been trained to canter on three legs! The jambette - a classical movement in which the horse holds one leg in the air for a few moments - is blended with the canter for a few strides. Surely an extremely challenging movement to teach and perform. It is done well here, appearing rhythmic and effortless.

YouTube user EmpressIllyria has a small collection of other video clips showing some rare and difficult movements from the old European riding schools. Check out the superb Spanish Walk shown here.

Mane Braiding 101

There are lots of resources online for learning more about braiding the mane and tail in a variety of styles, though most of them are text and photos, not videos. I like the videos better myself, and found a few to share. Most of these videos are made by professional braiders and are supplemental or promotional for instructional DVDs that they offer for sale. I have not reviewed any of the DVDs, so I can't comment on those, but these online videos are interesting and/or useful:

Top Knot Horse Braids - two videos showing basic braiding (plaiting in British English) for manes and tails.

A neat slideshow article about the life of a professional horse braider (not instructional).

A cool promotional video for Lucky Braids' instructional video (main site here).

The Oldest Breed in the World?

The Retuerta horse is a breed that runs wild in Andalucia, in southern Spain. According to this fascinating article the Retuerta horse "is said to be the oldest surviving breed of horse in Europe, if not the world – and the most unique, having no genes whatsoever in common with any other known race on the planet." It continues:

Studies into the Retuertas have been ongoing since the 1980s. The DNA of this endangered species of horse has been closely examined along with that of another ten breeds from Europe and North Africa, and was found to have nothing whatsoever in common with any of them. Neither the English thoroughbred nor the Pura Raza Española; neither Arabs nor British mountain and moorland ponies, and were found to be no relation whatsoever to native Spanish breeds such as the Losino, Mallorquín, Menorquín, Asturcón, the Spanish Trotter nor the Basque ‘pottoka’ breed.

There are some more photos at this link.

Update: here is the original scientific study that led to the news cited above.

Traveling by Litter

In past centuries in Brazil (and other places, too) wealthy ladies sometimes traveled by litter - that is, by a sort of miniature carriage without wheels, which was carried by men or mules. These were used when roads were not passable by wheeled vehicle and protected the woman from prying eyes and the exertions and dirt of travel, which were put upon the men or beasts of burden instead. This particular type, which caught my eye at an exhibition at a museum in São Paulo, Brazil, is carried by two mules, which are led by two men. It appears to me to be a rather awkward form of transportation, but interesting nonetheless.

The image is from 1900. The original image, and images of other types of litters, can be found at the Museu Histórico Nacional. The description there says that litters were used in Brazil in the 17th century, to transport government officials and later, in the 18th, and even up until the 20th centuries, were a means to carry women as well as men. In town, they were usually carried by slaves, but for longer distances the mule-borne version was much more practical.

The National Museum of Coaches, in Portugal, has some beautiful examples of fancy European litters in their collection. This one is a particularly ornate mule-borne type of litter.