Horses – How to Choose the Right Breed for your Needs and Experience Level

Horses have a long history of being one of the animals that helps humans. Pulling carts alongside Victorian Canals, to helping medieval man to hunt for food, horses have always been helpful to humans in many ways. As well as being an animal that has helped in the past, nowadays they are still much loved by many people – whether you find them represented in beautiful art works like these bronze horse sculptures by https://www.gillparker.com/horses-limited-edition-bronze-sculptures-to-buy or as therapy animals working with people who are struggling with mental health problems.

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Of course, what is a popular past time enjoyed by many people is horse riding – this is something that as well as being great exercise is a good thing to learn, as you also learn to respect and bond with the horses. There are certain horse breeds that are bred specifically to be good for riding – here are the most popular horse breeds for riders…

For Children – When it comes to picking a first horse for a child you want to make sure that your choice is a good fit for both the child and the horse. Good horses for kids tend to be the smaller breeds as of course they are not as daunting and much easier height-wise for a child to ride. Shetland ponies are strong and hardy little horses which are a great choice for children, and Welsh ponies are also a good choice, as they are very patient and also highly intelligent which makes them a lot easier to be able to train.

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For a Gentle Ride – If you want to enjoy a gentle plod through the woodlands or along the lanes, then a good bet is to go for a horse with a clam and stable temperament. Shire horses are ideal for this. Originally a working breed, these strong gentle giants were used for pulling machinery on farmland. Although they are no longer required for this job in the modern world, they remain popular for their fantastically calm temperaments and easy-going natures. They are a large breed but are sturdy and intelligent.

For a Faster Pace and Competition Riding – If you want to take your riding skills to the next level and enter into competitions and feel some more adrenalin then you will be looking for a faster horse. The breeds that you could look into are the Friesian – a fantastic horse for agility and show jumping, being easy to train and very intelligent, as well as very beautiful. Another breed that you might be interested in may be the Andalusian. These horses are extremely bright, but they are also very wilful and need a firm hand and experience so are ideally suited to a rider who has plenty of experience with training. Dressage is a great skill that these beautiful horses excel at.