Breed of the Week: Caspian

The horse this week is the Caspian! The registry is The Caspian Horse Society of the Americas at http://www.caspian.org/. The Caspian horse is on the critically endangered breeds list. The Caspian is pony in size, but is actually a purebred and horse-like in temperament, gate, and conformation, making it ideal for younger riders. Its build resembles a thoroughbred while its endurance is like an Arabian. It's known for being a natural jumper, but also a very classy harness horse. In short, it really is a small, versatile horse. It's a horse that developed in Iran and traces its roots directly back to subspecies 4 of ancient horses (the base of the hot blooded horses), quite possibly making it the oldest domesticated horse in existence. Through DNA testing, it has been shown to be a very unique breed of horse with a link to the Arabian, and further studies show that it might be the base of all hot blooded horses (thoroughbreds, Arabians, etc). It is even thought to be the "ultimate standard for equine beauty and perfection of form" because of its small, elegant stature at only 11-12 hh since about 3000 BC. These horses have proven to be exceptional racers, jumpers, gymkhana horses, hunters, and harness horses. They're such an even tempered breed that even groups of stallions can be turned out together without a hint of aggression and can also be ridden by young children.

I never heard of Caspians before, but after researching them, they sound like an awesome, rare breed.