Rare Horse Breeds Trivia Quiz

Answer: Comtois

The Comtois is a light draft horse. It's one of the older breeds, thought to originate from horses brought into France by the Burgundians around the 4th century. In the 16th century, the Comtois was used to improve the horses of Burgundy, and was used as a cavalry and artillery horse.

The Comtois is a short draft horse, averaging around 14.3 hands. Its color is any variation of the chestnut, with a flaxen mane and tail.

Answer: Shire

Sampson was renamed Mammoth when his adult size became apparent. His height is recorded as over seven feet (21.2 hands) and his weight was estimated at over 3,300 lbs.

Answer: False

While there is a similarity between the names, the two breeds are very different. The Canadian Sport Horse was developed from imported English Thoroughbreds and horses that belonged to the local farmers. They are known for the ability to jump, and excel in events such as jumping, dressage, foxhunting and driving. They can be any color but spotted (Appaloosa.)

The Canadian Horse was used in the development of the Morgan, and can come in a small variety of colors, mostly browns, bays and blacks.

Answer: Galiceno

The Galiceno originated in the Galicia province of Spain. Some of their ancestors are the Lusitano and Andalusian. They range from 12 to 14.1 hands, technically making them a pony. They are used in trail and endurance riding, and also cutting and reining. They can be any solid color.

Answer: False

There are three sizes within the breed: Gypsy Cob (or Classic Gypsy), which is around 14.2 hands, the "Mini Vanner", which is around 12.2 hands and the third type, which is a lighter horse, bred primarily for its trot.

The Gypsy Vanner is known for its flashy, pinto coloring, heavy feathering, and thick mane and tail. It can be a solid color. It is descended from several heavy breeds, including the Shire, Friesian, Clydesdale and the Dales Pony.

Answer: Hungary

As its name suggests, the Hungarian Horse originated in Hungary, with the bloodlines going back several centuries. It's good at many events, including jumping, eventing, dressage and driving. They can be any solid color.

Sometimes, a Hungarian Horse will be born with a slate-blue mark in the shape of a three-leaf clover on its muzzle. Such a horse is said to bring the gift of good fortune for the family, and the family would be safe from danger. If a Clover horse was stolen, it would find its way back to the true owner. There is at least one Clover horse alive today (as of 2007), a filly named "Magyar Velvet," the first to be born in 50 years.

Answer: Mangalarga Marchador

The Mangalarga Marchador is the national horse in Brazil, and is the most popular horse in the county. While it was developed in Brazil, it can trace its lineage back to Portugal. The unusual name comes from the hacienda Mangalarga, which was one of the first haciendas to promote the Mangalarga Marchador. The second part of the name comes from the the gait that the breed has, a smooth, rhythmic gait that's natural to the breed. The marcha comes in two forms, the marcha batida or the marcha picada. The picada is a bit smoother than the batida. In both gaits, there are times when three legs support the body, which accounts for the smoothness of both gaits.

The Mangalarga Marchador can come in many colors, but bays, grays and chestnuts are the most popular.

Answer: True

The Marwari originates in India, and is known for its ears, which are hooked, so much so that the tips touch each other. They are used for endurance and pleasure riding, and dressage. They are a sturdy breed, and like the Arabian, designed for the desert.

They can come in many colors. From www.Marwarihorse.com "Flat chestnut colouring is a result of interbreeding with non oriental foreign import and should not be considered for show or breeding stock." A white horse can be used specifically in religious ceremonies.

Answer: Moyle

The Moyle was developed in Idaho, by a rancher who traded one of his horses for a Mormon's horse, who had galloped for 28 miles for the Pony Express. The mare was in foal, and gave birth a month later to a filly. This line of horses is recognizable due to the appearance of the frontal bosses above their eyes. There are only two other horse breeds in the world known for having frontal bosses, a strain of Andalusians, and the Datong of China.

The Moyle is a hard-working ranch horse. On the Moyle ranch, most cowboys ride only one horse, instead of a string of horses that most ranches have for their cowboys. Another characteristic is that most Moyles do not have chestnuts (the growth on the inside of the front legs.)

Answer: Mustang

The Pryor Mountain Mustang is a type of Mustang. It originated in the Pryor Mountains, which are between Montana and Wyoming. The Pryor Mountain Mustangs are a gaited breed, with smooth gaits that are good for a person with back knees or a bad back.

They are small horses, ranging from 13 to 15 hands. They have the typical conformation for Spanish Colonial horses. They can come in a variety of colors, and many horses have primitive markings, such as zebra striping, cobwebbing and dorsal stripes.

I hope you've enjoyed my quiz. If you want to learn more about these amazing horse breeds, I got my information from the book "96 Horse Breeds of North America" by Judith Dutson, and multiple web-sites.