Horse Classification

There are more horse breeds than we can count, but there are only three classifications that horses fall into: cold blood, warm blood, and hot blood.  The differences in the horses in each classification are as follows:

1.       Cold Blood: Horses that are classified as cold bloods are a big muscular draft horses that are born and bred as work horses to pull heavy loads or plow fields.  An example would be the Clydesdale.

2.       Hot Blood: Horses that are classified as hot blooded are born and bred for speed. There are only five breeds of horses that are classified as “hot blooded.” They are as follows: (1) the Akhal-Teke; (2) the Barb; (30 the Turkoman (now extinct); (4) the Arabian; and (5) the Thoroughbred.  Hot bloods are highly intelligent horses.  They learn quickly and they are naturally athletic and versatile.  You are probably most familiar with the hot blood Arabian horse and the hot blood Thoroughbred horse.

3.       Warm Blood: Originally the term “warm blood horse” meant that the horse was a cross between a cold blood (draft) horse and a hot blood (one of five breeds) horse.  Accordingly, the warm blood breeds got started when European carriage and war horses were crossed with Arabian of Thoroughbreds.  The result was a tall riding horse that had more refinement that a draft horse, but was larger, more durable and had a more easy-going temperament than a hot blood.  Today, there are actually tow different meanings of “warm blood horse.” The first meaning refers to a specific subset of horse breeds, the second meaning refers to horses that have a moderate temperament.