Sable Island Pony

The first horses on Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada were brought to the island during the late 1700s. Many people believe that they arrived on the island from many shipwrecks. However, this romantic notion is false - they were in fact intentionally left on Sable to graze and multiply, and were most likely seized from Acadians during their expulsion from Nova Scotia at the hands of the British. Although often referred to as ponies due to their small size, they have a horse phenotype. One of the first horses on the island for which there was a record of importation was the stallion, Jolly, who was taken there in 1801. Their ancestry is unknown, but they are related in some way to Spanish horses.   Th ...

Saddlebred

Please see our description of American Saddlebred horses.

Salerno

The Salerno, or Salernitano, horse is a saddle-horse, originally from the plains of Battipaglia, Eboli and Paestum, in the province of Salerno (Campania). It is a very ancient breed, which was improved during the period of Spanish domination by crossing it with Andalusian and Oriental horses. It has also been used to improve Russian breeding stock. The Salernitano horse was once used by the army. In the second half of the nineteenth century it was crossed with pure-bred English horses, which changed its original appearance. It was chosen to help produce special Italian cross-breeds, such as Posillipo, Merano and Fiorello, winners at the Olympics between the years 1956 and 1972. This is a horse for riding, very popular in ...

Samolaco

Samolaco are a rare breed of horse originating from Valchiavenna and Valtellina, in Lombardy, northern Italy. They get their name from the town of Samolaco, near Chiavenna in the province of Sondrio. They are gravely endangered; however, they are not among the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" recognized by the AIA, the Italian breeders'' association. The population is listed in DAD-IS as over 12 in 1994, and under 100 in 1998; one further example of the breed may have been identified during a television broadcast.   Samolaco horses are thought to originate from crossing between indigenous horses and Spanish horses abandoned in about the 17th century by the garrisons of Spanish fortificati ...

San Fratello

The Sanfratellano dei Nebrodi, or San Fratello, horse is an Italian breed originating in Messina (Sicily). The account of its origins is of great historical and sociological interest. It was not a “padronal breed”, raised by a noble or baronial family enjoying ascendancy during a certain historical period, but rather a population of horses connected to the people and history of a particular part of Sicily. Today, as 1000 years ago, the Sanfratellano di Nebrodi horse lives free and well-protected in its “cradle of origin”, a Natural Park extending for 87,00 hectares and containing 21 inhabited communes. The breed is the subject of “studies and research”, undertaken, in particular, by the “Istituto Sperimentale Zootechnico ...

Sandalwood Pony

Sandalwood Ponies originated in Indonesia, on the Sumba and Sumbawa Islands. They are named after the Sandalwood trees, which are a major export of the country. Sandalwood ponies are one of the finest in the country, partly due to the great amount of Arabian blood. They are very nice children''s ponies. Sandalwood Ponies have been exported to Australia and other Southeast Asian countries for use as racing ponies. They have been crossed with Thoroughbred blood and are used in racing on Cambodian and Thai racing tracks.   Sandalwoods have incredible endurance. They are very easy to manage. Generally they have a nice head, small ears, a short, muscular neck, and a deep chest with a sloping shoulder. Their back is usually ...

Sanhe

Sanhe means three rivers in Chinese. Where these three rivers meet is some of the best forage or grassland in all of China. Sanhe horses are found in the northeast of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and are used mainly for riding and pulling loads or carting. They are considered the most developed of the Chinese horse breeds.     During the Liao dynasty, about 1000 AD, the region was known for the quality of its horses, some of which were sent to the emperors by nomadic tribes. During the Qing dynasty seven hundred years later, the Soulun breed was bred in this area. The Soulun were famous for their appearance and performance under a saddle. These horses were used as cavalry horses against invaders. ...

Sarcidano

Sarcidano Horses ( orCavallo del Sarcidano) are a rare breed of semi-feral horse originating from the Altopiano del Sarcidano ("plateau of Sarcidano") in the commune of Laconi in the Oristano province of Sardinia, Italy. They are one of the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" recognized by the AIA, the Italian breeders'' association. Although they should never exceed 148 cm (14.2 hands) at the withers, they are officially considered a cavallo or horse, and not a pony.   No use of the Sarcidano horse is documented. In 2001 the possibility of starting a few horses for use in trekking were considered.   Sarcidano horses appear to have ancient Spanish ancestry in common with th ...

Sardinian Anglo-Arab

Please see our description of Anglo-Arabo-Sardo horses.

Schleswig

Schleswig (also known as Schleswiger Heavy Draft, or Schleswiger Kaltblut) horses are from the Duchy of Schleswig, Germany. They are thought to be the origin of the Schleseiger Draft Horse along with the Jutland Heavy Draft Horse. Although not a certainty, the Schleswiger Heavy Draft''s ancestors not only worked in agriculture tilling and pulling, but the Schleswigers probably descended from the large war horses of the Middle Ages.   In 1860 an imported English stallion, Oppenheim LXII, either a pure-bred or a part-bred Suffolk Punch, was introduced, and became the foundation stallion of the breed. In 1888 the breeding of warmbloods and coldbloods was separated, and in 1891 various associations of coldblood breeders ...

Schwarzwalder Fuchs

See Black Forest Horse.

Sella Italiano

Sella Italiano horses were developed in Italy. The Italian Government has passed a law that created a stud book for the new breed. The breed is blending the remnant indigenous Italian breeds of Maremmano, Salernitano, and Persano horses with Anglo Arabo Sardo, Purosangue Orientale, Arabian and Thoroughbreds. The progeny of said horses can be registered as Sella Italiano if they can pass a “performance test”. Furthermore, the stud book is open to other European warmbloods if they can pass the performance test and be approved by the breed registry. They are intended to produce a sport horse which can compete successfully at the international level. Their minimum height at the withers is set at 156 centimetres (15.1 hands; 61 i ...

Selle Francais

Selle Francais horses comes from France, where they are popular as a racing horse and have an incredible ability for high jumping. One in particular, the Selle Francais Baloubet De Rouet, was the winner of three World Show Jumping Championships. Over time they have been cross-bred Norfolk Trotters and English Thoroughbreds. Anglo Norman horses and French Trotters were the result of all some of the breeding. Over time various styles of the Selle Francais horse have been developed for drafting and also for riding. A specific horse named Orange Peel was placed into the blood lines to increase the riding abilities.     Selle Francais orses are full of energy and extremely smart. They are also considered to pe ...

Seminole Pony

Please see Florida Cracker Horses.

Senner

Senner, or Senne, horses are a critically-endangered German riding horse. They are believed to be the oldest saddle-horse breed in Germany, and are documented at least as far back as 1160. They are named for the Senne, a natural region of dunes and moorland in Nordrhein-Westfalen, in western Germany, and live in feral herds there and in the Teutoburger Forest to the east.   Senner horses were bred principally as a riding horse, even in times when working horses were in demand; they were also used as a carriage horse. Senner stallions stood at the royal stud of Weil bei Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg and at the state stud of Lipizza in the Austrian Empire. Today, they are competition or recreational riding. &nb ...

Shagya Arabian

Shagya Arabian horses were developed in the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the 19th century at the Bábolna, Mezohegyes, Radautz, Piber, and Topolcianky stud ranches. Today can be found in Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Poland, and Czech Republic.   Shagya Arab horses originated in Hungary and were developed to create a much taller and sleeker version of the traditional Arab styles. One of the major founding sires was Shagya (hence the breed’s name), a gray Arabian (or perhaps part-Arabian) stallion with some ancestors of the Kehilan and Siglavy strains. Born in Syria in 1810, he was taller than the average Arabian of the time, standing 15.2 1/2 hands (62.5 inches, 159 cm) at the withers. Sha ...

Shetland Ponies

Shetland Ponies are the smallest of the British breeds, and unlike other pony breeds, do not increase in height when bred on more favorable land and in a milder climate. The early 1800s saw a demand for this breed from outside the Shetland Islands (Scotland) where it developed initially this was mainly for circus animals and children’s ponies. However, with the abolition of child labor in the coal mines demand grew even further and large numbers of ponies were sent to England for the mines. Buyers from the US had also become interested in the breed and large consignments were shipped across the Atlantic. In 1822 it was estimated there were 10,000 ponies on the Shetland Islands but by the 1890s this figure was d ...

Shire

Shire Horses are the largest – and among the oldest – of the British horse breeds. Among its ancestors were the chariot horses of the Britons – described and admired greatly by Julius Caesar two thousand years ago. For centuries its primary role was as a War Horse (its original name). It has also been known as the Great Horse and the Strong Horse. Strengthened by crossing with horses imported from Europe (e.g. Friesian Horeses), the breed was steadily increased in size and strength as the chain mail and then plate armor of its riders increased in heaviness. This attained its greatest weight in the reign of Henry VIII. An Elizabethan writer estimated that the average Great Horse could carry up to four hundredweig ...

Siciliano indigeno

This is an Italian breed, originally from eastern Sicily. We should really refer to it as a breed of horse with a definite oriental stamp, rather than as a pure and distinct breed. In fact, we can individuate two distinct ethnic groups: that originating from the eastern parts of the island (Catania, Siracuse and Ragusa) has more distinctly dolichomorphic characteristics, while the group from the interior is more mesomorphic in form. The latter also has more of a tendency towards deformed or irregular characteristics. It is a saddle-horse, used for riding in the countryside, or for jumping. In the past it was used to pull carriages, or as a working horse. It is tough, powerful and tenacious. ...

Silesian

Silesian (or Kon slaski, or Slunski kun) horses are warmblooded horses from the area of historic Silesia, which lies mostly within modern Poland. They are the heaviest of the Polish warmblood breeds, and have been influenced mainly by Thoroughbred and Oldenburg horses, and partly by East Friesian and German halfbreds. The Oldenburg influence was particularly pronounced after World War II, when imported stallions were used to keep the breed from becoming extinct. Two types are recognised in the breed standard, an old and a new. At 3 years old, stallions of the old type stand 160 - 170 centimetres (15.3–16.3 hands) at the withers, mares about 2 cm less; the girth is 190 - 210 cm (75 - 83 in), and the cannon-bone circumference ...

Single-Footing

Single footing horses come in many varieties, sizes, colors and coat patterns. They must be of good temperament, willing, have endurance, easy to train, have good gait, and be smooth at all speeds of gait. They are a light breed with a solid conformation. They must be able to perform an even 4-beat gait. Some are able to reach speeds of up to 20 mph. At the fastest speeds these horses will be traveling with one foot on the ground at a time, thus the name "single-footing." The horse will not have a head nod or bob. The Single Footers generally travel with head up, "star gazing." They also tend to round their backs instead of arch them. "Many may stretch out, lowering their heads at the racing single-foot. The horse may have other g ...

Skyros Pony

Skyros Ponies are believed to be descended from horses brought to the island of Skyros during the 5th to 8th centuries BCE by Athenian colonists. It is possible that they were used by Alexander the Great in his conquests, and also possible that they are the horses depicted in the friezes of the Parthenon.   They developed mainly as semi-feral horses in the mountainous area on the southern part of the island, although individuals were caught and tamed by farmers for agricultural uses. The advances in agricultural mechanization during the 1960''s called into question the survival of the breed, as they were no longer needed for farm work and their numbers were already low. The prevalence of feral donkeys in the same ...

Slovak Sport Pony

Slovak Sport Ponies are raised in the areas of Vel''ké Pole and Nitra, Slovakia, and were developed from Thoroughbred, Arabian and Slovak Warmblood breeds crossed with Welsh and German riding ponies.   A genealogical record was established in 1984. They are mainly gray and sometimes black. Adult males and females weigh on average 354 kg and 248 kg with a height at the cross of 143 cm and 140 cm respectively. They are on average 13.3 – 14.2 hands height.

Sokolsky

Sokolsky, or Sokolka, horses originated in Poland. They are used for heavy draft and farm work, and are a tough breed with great stamina.   Sokolsky horses were developed in the 1900s, and has been heavily influenced by Belgian, Ardennes, Norfolk, Dole/Gudbrandsdal, and Anglo-Norman stock. The result of this breeding is a heavy draft horse that is not excessively large, with stamina, toughness, and good gaits.     Sokolsky horses usually stands between 15 and 16 hands high, and are chestnut or bay. They have a slightly heavy head with a straight profile, set on a long, broad, and muscular neck. Their shoulders are well-formed and sloping, resulting in their good gaits. They tend to have deep ...

Somali Pony

Somali Ponies are from Somalia in East Africa. They are genetically horses but are considered Ponies because they are pony sized (only 13-13 1/2 hh). The severe climate and poor food sources, in Somalia, have contributed to their smaller size. They are bred by most tribes excluding the Esa and Géri. The Dolbanhanta tribe is the breeder of Somali ponies.     They have heavy heads, short, thick necks, with inharmonious conformations. They are able to carry light weight very well and for long distances. They have extremely hard hooves; some say harder than the Arabian horses. They can gallop and perform better without shoes because of the terrain and the nature of their feet. They can go three days or longer ...

Sorraia

Sorraia horses come from Portugal and Spain. They received their name from where they where originally bred: the Raia and the Sor rivers that flow between Spain and Portugal. They were initially utilized for herding bulls all over Iberia. They look similar to Przewalski’s horse or Tarpan horses, and are often mistaken for them. They are found all along the Iberian Peninsula. Many experts have taken into account that these Sorraia horses could be responsible for many other horse breeds, even some bred in North Africa. They are currently undergoing a preservation project. They can be found in Libson as well as all along the Atlantic coast of Portugal. There were two variations of the Sorraia horses that were taken to North America so ...

South German Coldblood

South German coldblood, or Suddeutsches Kaltblut, Horses are descended from the Austrian Noriker. In the end of the 19th century the Noriker was introduced to Bavaria. Holstein and Oldenburg breeds were added to the breeding program in Upper Bavaria. In Lower Bavaria Oldenburg, Cleveland Bay, Clydesdales, and Belgian Draft Horses were used as outcrosses by those breeders. Over time the German breeders used the original Noriker blood to upgrade their breeding program. The South German Horse was first named the Pinzgauer Noriker because it was bred in the region of Salzburg Province of Austria. In time, the German bred breed became known as the South German Heavy Horse.   Mainly bred in Bavaria and Baden ...

Soviet Heavy Draft

Soviet Heavy Draft horses originated in Russia at the end of the 19th century and became established by the 1940''s. The need for a strong but relatively fast draft horse breed was recognized in Russia during the latter part of the 1800’s . The initial breeding took place at the Khrenov stud, and from there expanded to the Pochinkozsk stud. They were created by crossing native mares with imported Belgian stallions. The native mares were a mix of Percheron, Ardennes, Suffolk Punch, Danish and various saddle horse breeds.   By 1936, during the Soviet era, three state breeding centres were established: Pochinkovsk, Mordovian and Gavrilovo-Posad. Alexandroz farm in the Vladimir region and Yaroslavl farm branche ...

Spanish Barb

Spanish Barb horses originated in America. They are a cross between Barb and Andalusian horses. They are known to be extremely resilient, good riders, and possess an immaculate cow sense. Andalusian ancestry has given them good conformation and responsiveness.     They average in the range of 13.3 to 15 hands high. They are found in bay, dark bay, and black, with grays appearing because of Andalusian influence. Their head is narrow and refined with a convex profile, their neck is arched and their withers pronounced. Their thick body is indicative of its staying power, although they have thin legs, that are not. Overall, they are an elegant mix of the Andalusian and Barb horses.     ...

Spanish Jennet

The original Spanish Jennet was a type of horse more than a distinct breed, and became extinct. However there have been effort to recreate a colored variety of gaited horse that resembles the historical Jennet or "Spanish Jennet."   The Jennet was a smooth-gaited type of horse popular in the Middle Ages, known for their presence, style and smooth ride. They were often ridden by European nobility. Some early Jennets sported pinto or leopard patterns.     Most of the Medieval horses bred during the 1500''s in Spain and elsewhere were not "breeds" in the modern sense of the word. The Jennet from Spain became more uniform in type due to a single geographical region producing them as well a ...

Spanish Mustang

Please see our description of Mustang horses

Spanish-Norman

Spanish-Norman horses are considered to be an exclusive and rare breed. Genetically Spanish-Norman horses are a blending of Andalusian and Percheron horses. They are suited for many disciplines including fighting. They were used on the battlefields in Europe by noblemen. In 1991 the Spanish-Norman Horse Registry was created to record the pedigrees of this special breed. The Registry was started by Allan and Linda Osterman Hamid of Hamid Hill Farm, Ltd., Woodbury, Connecticut.   They stand between 15.5hh and 17 hands. Their colors include gray, bay, and black. They are an extremely athletic breed, are calm, docile, intelligent, easy to train, willing, have long arched necks, short backs, solid shoulders, powerf ...

Spiti Pony

Spiti Ponies (also known as Chamurthi Ponies) are a gaited pony from India. They are indigenous to the Pin Valley which is found in a Buddhist tribal district called Spiti.   Spiti is a unique and isolated area located in the state of Himachal Pradesh in north-western India, a high altitude desert which is closed off from the rest of the country for 6 months of the year by snow on the high passes which access this region. To the east lies Tibet, in the west is another remote district often linked with Spiti, called Lahaul, to the north is the famous high altitude area known as Ladakh, and to the south lie the foothills of the Himalayas. Once the high passes are crossed, you enter a completely different landscape ...

Spotted Saddle

Spotted Saddle are light riding horses from the United States. They were developed from small gaited pinto ponies of Spanish ancestry. These were crossed with larger American breeds such as the Morgan and Standardbred, developed after the American Revolution, to increase size while retaining coloration and the desired gait. After the American Civil War, additional gaited blood was added, with contributing breeds including the Tennessee Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, Paso Fino, and Peruvian Paso. Mustangs from the American West were also incorporated. Originally developed in central Tennessee, and selectively bred for pinto coloration, they were used for general pleasure and trail riding. The result is a colorful, smooth-gaite ...

Standardbred

Spotted Saddle are light riding horses from the United States. They were developed from small gaited pinto ponies of Spanish ancestry. These were crossed with larger American breeds such as the Morgan and Standardbred, developed after the American Revolution, to increase size while retaining coloration and the desired gait. After the American Civil War, additional gaited blood was added, with contributing breeds including the Tennessee Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, Paso Fino, and Peruvian Paso. Mustangs from the American West were also incorporated. Originally developed in central Tennessee, and selectively bred for pinto coloration, they were used for general pleasure and trail riding. The result is a colorful, smooth-gaite ...

Suffolk Punch

Suffolk Punch horses have a long and well-established history as a draught animal of English origin. Arthur Young, one of the earliest writers on British livestock, and who himself came from Suffolk, was the first to refer, in 1771, to the area’s ''noble breed of horfes'', as a distinct breed. He noted that even in his childhood (he was born in 1741) the Suffolk was referred to as ‘The Old Breed.’ It is almost certainly the oldest existing pure breed of draught horse to have originated in England. William Youatt in 1837, and David Low in 1845, both equally renowned as recorders of early livestock in Britain, also wrote enthusiastically of the Suffolk, noting its distinctive ''stout or punchy form'', with large head and de ...

Swedish Ardennes

Swedish Ardennes horses were developed in Sweden when the Count C.G. Wrangle brought large Ardennes horses to the country in 1872. By 1880 most parts of south and central Sweden had imported or crossed Ardennes. These heavier horses were bred with the horse of the Swedish countryside. The resulting horse was very mobile and marked by longevity. So successful was the breeding effort that a stud book was opened in 1901.   For years, the wild horse population of Sweden was indiscriminately crossed with other imported breeds. Even when studs began focusing their breeding efforts, however, horses were chosen more for their outer looks than well examined conformation standards. By 1874, this had all changed and examination ...

Swedish Warmblood

Swedish Warmblood horses were developed at Stromsholm and Flyinge. They are descended from imported stock in the 17th century from Denmark, Germany, England, Hungary, France, Russia, Spain, and Turkey. These horses were extraordinarily varied, but along the way became the Swedish Warmblood. The decade from 1920 to 1930 was an important decade in the development of the breed. The three most noticeable influences on the breed were Tribun, Hamlet, and Thoroughbred Hamplemann, all Hanoverians Schwabliso. After 1945, the Trakehners Heristal, Heinfried, Anno, and Polarstern had a dominant effect upon the breed. Heristal was a descendant of the great English racehorse Hyperion. He produced 15 stallions and 44 mares that were entere ...