Best Riding Horse Breeds Explained

The world of equestrian sports can be compared to the world of motor racing. Each type of competition requires its own car: for Formula 1 races – a light and fast car, for rallies – passable and hardy off-road vehicles.

The same goes for equestrian sports – a whole bunch of horse breeds with specific characteristics has formed over the years. For example, the English Thoroughbred is indispensable for horse racing, the Hanoverian Horse – for show jumping, and the Holsteiner – for dressage.

A wide range of horse breeds is available nowadays. Depending on the style of equestrian activity you want to take part in, you should consider various equines. Here, we’d like to mention top-notch horse breeds that are quite versatile and can be used in an array of horse shows.

The Oldenburg Horse

Conformation

While observing these stately creatures, you may notice the heritage of the Friesian ancestors – the powerful and muscular conformation, the long body, strong legs with large hooves. The Oldenburgs inherited a hump-nosed profile from the Hanoverians.

The most striking features of the breed are the graceful set of the neck, the convex back, smoothly going into a wide muscular croup, strong forearms, short wide pasterns, powerful hocks, and a high base of the tail. As for the coat colors, the most common are dark shades including black, dark bay, and brown.

Use

Modern Oldenburgs are used as companions for equestrian sports but they can be confidently called universal horses. They have an innate predisposition for show harness as well as a lot of strength to become a good assistant at the farm. Thus, the breed is perfect as a draft horse vs riding horse for sure.

The Holsteiner Horse

Conformation

The Holsteiner horses are strong and tall, the average height at the withers is about 16-17 hands. Describing the exterior of the equine, experts note the following striking features:

  • an elongated noble head with expressive eyes;
  • straight or slightly round profile;
  • the neck is long, high, but wide at the base;
  • the back is sloping, muscular, going down to the wide strong croup;
  • the limbs are high, muscular with strong joints;
  • the most common coat colors are bay, black, less often gray, and red.

Use

The championship of the Holsteiner horses in equestrian sport is undeniable. They are among the five best horses for show jumping and dressage. The breed always grabs the top lines on the tournament lists.

The Dutch Warmblood

Conformation

The modern Dutch horse has a beautiful built and significant height – up to 17 hands at the withers. The general exterior has the following characteristic features:

  • the noble head with attentive expression;
  • the slanting shoulders and well-marked withers;
  • the chest is deep and wide;
  • the strong back and muscular croup;
  • the high legs with broad bones and short pasterns;
  • the coat is mainly brown and bay.