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Modern light
horses, all descended in part from the Arabian
horse, the oldest surviving breed of known lineage, include the Thoroughbred, celebrated as a race
horse; the American saddlebred
horse, known for its easy gaits; the Morgan and the quarter
horse, favored for riding and cow herding; and the Standardbred, or trotter, developed for light harness racing. The Appaloosa and the Pinto, much used in cow herding, are distinguished by their patterned colors. The palomino is not a breed but a color type. Among the small
horses are the Shetland pony and Welsh pony. The terms cow pony and polo pony refer to the animal's use rather than its size or breed. Although little used for work today,
horses are widely owned for recreational riding and show activities. Yearling: a
horse of either sex that is between one and two years old. The size of
horses varies by breed, but can also be influenced by nutrition. The general rule for cutoff in height between what is considered a
horse and a pony at maturity is 14.2 hands as measured at the withers. An animal 14.2h or over is usually considered a
horse and one less than 14.2h is a pony. However, there are exceptions to the general rule. Some smaller
horse breeds who typically produce individual
horses both under and over 14.2h are considered "
horses" regardless of height. Likewise, some pony breeds, such as the Welsh pony, share some features of
horses and individual animals may occasionally mature at over 14.2h, but are still considered ponies. The
horse (Equus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten living species of the family Equidae. The
horse (Equus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten living species of the family Equidae. Mare: a female
horse four years old and older. The most widely known use of
horses for sport is
horse racing, seen in almost every nation in the world. There are three types: "flat" racing; steeplechasing, i.e. racing over jumps; and harness racing, where
horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a small, light cart known as a sulky. Most race
horses in the developed world are Thoroughbreds, a breed which can reach speeds up to . In the case of a specialized sprinting breed, the American Quarter
horse, speeds over have been clocked. In harness racing, performed by Standardbred
horses, speeds over have been measured. A major part of the economic importance of
horse racing, as for many sports, lies in the gambling associated with it. Gelding: a castrated male
horse of any age, though for convenience sake, many people also refer to a young gelding under the age of four as a "colt."
All
horses move naturally with four basic gaits: the four-beat walk, the two-beat trot or jog, and the leaping gaits known as the canter or lope (a three-beat gait), and the gallop. Besides these basic gaits, some
horses perform a two-beat pace, instead of the trot. In addition, there are several four-beat "ambling" gaits that are approximately the speed of a trot or pace, though smoother to ride. These include the lateral slow gait, rack, running walk, and tölt as well as the diagonal fox trot. Ambling gaits are often genetic traits in specific breeds, often referred to as gaited
horses. In most cases, gaited
horses replace the standard trot, a 2-beat gait, with one of the four beat gaits. During Roman times the Gauls and other Europeans used
horses of the heavy, northern type for pulling loads and other work. In the Middle Ages huge draft animals, over 16 hands (64 in./160 cm) high, were bred to carry armored knights as well as their own armor. As cavalry warfare declined, such medieval inventions as the
horseshoe and the rigid
horse-collar (see harness) made draft
horses more useful for work. By the 19th cent. the draft
horse had replaced the ox in N Europe and North America. Draft breeds common in the United States were the Belgian, the Clydesdale, the Percheron; and the Shire, also the most common draft
horse in England. It is thought that the largest
horse in (recorded) history was a Shire
horse named Sampson, who lived during the late 1800s. He stood 21.2˝ hands high and his peak weight was estimated at . The current record holder for the world's smallest
horse is Thumbelina, a fully mature miniature
horse affected by dwarfism. She is tall and weighs .