Exmoor: The Exmoor Pony is the oldest of the nine British breeds and is least influenced by outside breeding. The Exmoor was first prized as a chariot horse by invading Roman forces.
Fell Pony:The Fell Pony arrived in Great Britain as an ancient Wild European Pony type that came across the land bridge during the ice age. The ponies dispersed throughout the United Kingdom, and the resulting habitat helped form and shape the modern Fell Pony.
Florida Cracker:The Florida Cracker descends from Spanish horses such as the Barb and the Spanish Jennet that arrived in the southern United States in the 1500s.
Friesian:The Friesian is one of Europe’s oldest breeds and gets its name from the Friesland region in the north of the Netherlands. The breed almost became extinct worldwide during the turn of the 20th century, as many Friesians were crossed to other breeds to create a faster horse for trotting races.
Gypsy Horses:Gypsy horses, registered as Gypsy Vanner Horses, Gypsy Cobs and Gypsy Drum horses, are a relatively new concept to most people, but not to the Romany (gypsy) “Traveller” of Great Britain.
Hackney:The Hackney was developed in Great Britain in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and was descendant of the Norfolk Trotter, Yorkshire Roadster, the Arabian and the Thoroughbred. Their early ancestors were even thought to be Friesians.
Haflinger:The Haflinger hails from the Southern Tyrolean Mountains of Austria and Northern Italy and is thought to have been there since medieval times. In fact, the horse gets its name from the Tyrolean village of Hafling.
Hanoverian:Like most German warmbloods, the Hanoverian is named for its region of origin: Lower Saxony in northern Germany was formerly the kingdom of Hannover. In 1714, King George I of England—originally the elector of Hannover—sent several English Thoroughbreds to Germany to refine the native stock.
Highland Pony: The Highland pony is one of the two native pony breeds hailing from the north of Scotland. It is the largest and strongest of all the native ponies of Great Britain.
Icelandic Horse: The Icelandic Horse was most likely brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the 9th century. Although the breed shares characteristics with the Mongolian horse and the Lyngen or Nordland, little is actually known about its ancestry.
