Horses have been our loyal companions for over 6000 years. During that time, more than 600 horse breeds were developed, either naturally or by selection by humans.

Unfortunately, many horse breeds are still unknown outside their country or region of origin. In contrast, breeds that excel in equestrian sports or are popular in the Western world receive more media attention.

Everyone has heard of the fast thoroughbred, the graceful Arabian, or the athletic Dutch hot-blooded horse. But have you heard of the rugged Heiko Horse or the Black Mallorkin Raven?

In this article, we pay tribute to the horses few people talk about by exploring some of the most mysterious breeds on the planet!

Here are ten horse breeds you’ve never heard of:

1. Aegidienberger

The Aegidienberger is a small breed of horse from the region of the same name in western Germany. It is essentially a cross between the Peruvian and the Icelandic horse that became its own breed in 1994.

The purpose of this group was to create a walking horse that was taller than the Icelandic and still able to navigate rough terrain.

Besides having an unpronounceable name, the Aegidienberger also has a unique gait like tölt. Aegidienberger horses have an average height of 13 to 15 hands, and breed registries accept all colours.

Unfortunately, the Aegidienberger has not gained popularity in the equine world. The breed numbers have not crossed 100 since the genealogy book was launched and have declined over the years.

2. Giara’s horse

The Giara is an Italian horse breed that is native to the island of Sardinia. In Italian, its name means “horse of the plateau” which refers to the rocky basalt plateau that these horses call home.

The origins of the Giara horse are obscure. It is possible that the ancestors of the dynasty came to the island with the Phoenicians or the Greeks around 500-400 BC. Giara Horses have been part of the local culture for centuries, and free herds still roam the plateau to this day.

While breed numbers are currently stable at around 700 horsepower, this has not always been the case. Due to the mechanization of the 20th century, the Giara horse has drifted to the brink of extinction. In 1971, the Sardinian Horse Breeding Foundation established a horse breeding center to save horses.

Despite its small size, the breed is considered a horse as its body proportions are more similar to horses than ponies. The Giara horse can range in height from 11.1 to 13.1 hands, and the most common colors are bay, black and chestnut.

3. Horse in the universe

The Balikun Horse is a versatile horse breed from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in northwest China. These horses have been selectively bred for over 200 years, and are likely descended from indigenous Mongolian and Kazakh horses.

Balikun horses are commonly used for riding, packing, and light drag work. The Balikun horse is said to be able to carry loads weighing 220 lb (100 kg) for up to 50 miles (80.5 km) per day.

The locals still use Balikun horses for transportation as the infrastructure linking the distances of the vast area is largely underdeveloped.

Due to their harsh natural habitat, the Balikun horse is exceptionally resilient and resilient. In winter, horses grow thick coats that keep them warm even if temperatures drop below zero.

The Balikun horse has an average length of 14 to 15 years and usually has a bay or chestnut colored coat. Its appearance is a bit more athletic compared to its distant cousin, the Mongolian horse.

4. Hanson Hors

The Henson’s Horse is a relatively new breed of horses from northeastern France. Its history dates back less than 50 years to the end of the 1970s, when the region’s demands for a riding holiday increased. This prompted the breeders to create a breed of recreational horse suitable for equestrian tourism.

The Henson horse emerged from the crosses of the French saddle horse and the Norwegian Fjord horse. A breed association was formed in 1983 to oversee the development of the new breed, and the Horse Book was closed in 1995. The Henson horse has been an official breed in France since 2003.

Since the breed contains 25% to 50% of fjord blood, it is very similar to its Norwegian ancestors. However, the Henson Horse is slightly longer and lighter, standing at 14.3 to 15.3 hands. The breed is often bred with primitive signs, but the bay is also acceptable.

Henson Horses have good bearing capacity and will perform well both under the saddle and in the harness. They are also strong horses and many breeders allow their herds to graze freely in the wetlands of France during the winter.

5. Malorquin

Mallorqín is a rare breed of Spanish horse native to the island of Mallorca, from which it takes its name. Its exact origins are unknown, although genetic studies have found links with the Catalan, an extinct breed of horse.

Similar to the Henson’s horse, the Mallorqín has only been an official breed since 2003. The genealogy book was previously established in 1988, and four years later, a breed community was established. Today, Mallorqín is a popular riding horse among the local community.

The Mallorquín has a typical Baroque outline, but is more graceful than other Iberian breeds. The only acceptable color is jet black, with minimal white markings allowed on the head. The average height of a Mallorquin horse is between 14.2 and 15 hands.

In 2000 and 2007, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations listed the Mallorki breed as “of critical importance”. This means that a breeding institution or program keeps breed numbers stable, preventing the Mallorquin from becoming extinct.

In 2010 the total population consisted of 146 horses, which had increased to 320 by 2018. (Source: Wikipedia.

6. Kaimanawa’s Horse

Kaimanawa Horse is a collective name for all New Zealand feral horses. They are descended from local horses that escaped into the wild in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Horses first arrived in New Zealand in 1814, and within a few decades, several wild herds of loose horses had formed that roamed the Kaimanoa mountain range. Every now and then, locals retrieve some of these animals and train them to ride horses.

As the 20th century progressed, human expansion left less room for wild horses to roam freely. By 1979, the number of Kaimanawa horses had decreased to only 174.

The New Zealand government declared the breed a national heritage, and by 1994, the number of horses had risen to 1,576.

The origins of Kaimanawa horses vary greatly in appearance due to their mixed ancestry. They can be anywhere from 12.2 to 15 hands long and occur in every colour. These horses are also very versatile and often become show jumpers and Pony Club riders in New Zealand.

To protect the horses’ habitat, the government gathers the wild herd every year to control the population. Animals of high genetic value are released to improve the current population, and the rest are offered for resettlement.

7. Heiko Horse

Listed in the Chinese horse breeds list, the Hequ Horse lives in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau. Its origins go back to the Tang Dynasty period in Chinese history (618-907 AD). The ancestors of the Heiko horse were the Ferghana, the Tibetan foal, and the Mongolian horse.

This subspecies is known to live in hypoxic environments at altitudes ranging from 10,000 to 16,000 feet (3,000 to 5,000 meters).

The Hequ Horse has also adapted well to the harsh winter temperatures of the region. The metabolism of the breed enables it to gain weight quickly during the summer and accumulate fat reserves for the winter.

Hequ has remarkable endurance and is often used by locals for horseback riding and light hauling. Once a densely populated breed of horse, Hequ Horse numbers declined due to the mechanization of transportation in China.

The breed includes three subspecies with a distinct body shape: Suoke, Jiaokea, and Kesheng. Hequ hoses average 12.3 to 14.3 hands and are usually grey, black or bay.

8. Noma’s Horse

The Noma Horse or Noma Oma is a rare Japanese breed of horses from the island of Shikoku. Of the eight indigenous Japanese horses, the Noma Horse is by far the smallest.

Horses first arrived in the Japanese islands around the sixth century AD. Initially, these animals worked in agriculture and transporting goods.

In the Middle Ages, larger horses were required for war, and smaller horses such as Numa continued to serve as herd animals. These horses are considered the ancestors of the Noma horse.

Unfortunately, the population of Noma Horse in Japan was decimated by wars and mechanization in the 20th century. By 1978, there were only six horses left, including two in a zoo and four in a private breeder.

Thanks to the founding of the Noma Uma Highland Reserve, the breed numbers rose to 84 by 2008.

Included in the smallest of the horse breeds, the Noma horse is no larger than the Shetland Pony, although it is strong and graceful in mountainous terrain. The breed is primarily a tourist attraction today, but some places also use it for riding purposes or treating horses.

9. Vyatka Horse

The Vyatka horse is a breed of endangered horse named after the Vyatka River in Russia. This Russian horse breed is descended from the original Estonian horses that came to northern Russia with the Novgorod colonists in the 14th century.

The unforgiving climate and terrain of the region have shaped the Vyatka horse into a strong and graceful breed with good endurance. In the 19th century, the Vyatka horse was famous for pulling the troika, a traditional Russian chariot drawn by three horses.

The breed was almost extinct in the early twentieth century but came back to life after the Russian Revolution (1917-1923). In 2003, it had a population of 560 horses. As of 2007, the Vyatka Horse has been listed on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) list of critically endangered species.

The Vyatka is a versatile riding and driving horse that was originally decorated with primitive markings. Today, the Vyatka Horse is usually in the color of bay, chestnut, black or rowan. The Vyatka horse is relatively small, standing about 13.5 hands at the shoulders.

10. Zaniskari

Zaniskari is a rare breed of pony from the mountainous Ladakh region of northern India. Like the Hequ horse, it has adapted to living in a high altitude environment and can tolerate temperatures as low as -40°C (-40°F).

It is possible that the Zaniskari diverged from the Tibetan horse breeds at some point in history. Once common in northern India, the breed’s numbers have been reduced to only a few hundred due to extensive crossbreeding.

The Indian government started a conservation program to save the breed from extinction, and numbers are now stable.

Zaniskari ponies are often gray but can also be black, chestnut or bay. The average height of a Zaniskari horse is 11.3 to 13.3 hands. In India, Zaniskari is a popular ride and Polo ponies are famous for their stability and good endurance.