| There are hundreds of different breeds of horses, but | | | | performance similar to a hot blood, but a calmer |
| they are grouped into three broad categories: cold | | | | disposition and easy trainability which one associates |
| blood, warm blood and hot blood. | | | | with a cold blood. Due to their physical characteristics |
| Cold Blood. In Europe, horses were originally bred for | | | | and solid temperament, they are used mainly for riding |
| farm work and as working horses. Their main function | | | | and sports (e.g. show jumping, dressage). Example |
| was to pull things (e.g. plow, cart, barges, forest logs). | | | | warm blood breeds are the Friesian and Hanoverian. |
| They were bred for strength and endurance, able to | | | | These three terms (cold, hot, warm) of course refer to |
| pull heavy objects and to work many hours each day. | | | | their climate of origin and their temperament, not to the |
| This resulted in breeds with big muscles, on heavy | | | | temperature of their blood. All horses have |
| frames, with large joints. Such horses also needed to | | | | approximately the same body and blood temperatures |
| be calm an obedient; the last thing you wanted was a | | | | (about 38°C or 100.5°F) and as mammals |
| horse running off with a cart or farm equipment. Their | | | | they are all 'warm blooded' from a biological |
| coats, manes and tail hair were thick and long to | | | | classification perspective. |
| protect them from the European winters. Such horses | | | | All breeds are bred for certain characteristics, but the |
| are not fast, but are very solid working horses. Sample | | | | desired objectives tend to change over time, with the |
| breeds are the Shire and the Clydesdale. | | | | result that the breeding direction changes as well. As |
| Hot Blood. In the middle-east and some of the other | | | | an example, the Oldenburg warmblood was bred in |
| warmer climates, horses were bred for riding and | | | | the late 1800s to be an elegant carriage horse, in the |
| racing. Such horses are built for speed and distance, | | | | early 1900s the direction changed to be a farm and |
| rather than power and endurance, so had much lighter | | | | artillery horse, and in modern years to be a sport |
| bodies and in particular more delicate legs. Their coats, | | | | horse. Consequently, the breeds have changed over |
| manes and tails have relatively short hair in response | | | | time not only due to the success of breeding |
| to the warm climate. Also, their blood vessels are | | | | programs but also due to the changing direction of |
| nearer the skin surface in order to dissipate heat | | | | breeding programs. More generally, as the historical |
| better. Their temperament is spirited and competitive, | | | | functions of horses have been taken over by |
| traits that help them win races. The Arabian and the | | | | machines (e.g. farm work by tractors, transport by |
| Thoroughbred and among the best known hot bloods. | | | | cars), the breeding objectives have been more |
| Warm Blood (also known as warmblood). These | | | | towards sports and pleasure riding. This change in the |
| breeds fall between hot and cold bloods in terms of | | | | objectives and use of individual breeds has resulted in |
| both build and temperament. In some cases, the | | | | a parallel gradual evolution of the three categories of |
| breeds have originated by crossing a cold blood breed | | | | warm, cold and hot bloods. |
| with a hot blood breed. They have an athletic build and | | | | |