Visiting Finland is on my bucket list. Riding a Finn horse is now added to that list!
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Iāve discovered they are actually called āFinnhorseā when I was looking up the trotting races with Finnhorses, āThe worldās fastest coldbloodā I was told in Finland. A really interesting country and Iām sure the Finns wonāt mind me saying they are slightly different from other nations. For one, they are worldās keenest Tango dancers outside Argentina and, second, they are proud to boast that they are good at sports that require crash helmets and often cite rally driving and ski-jumping as examples. A third slightly odd observation, the best hay I have ever seen in my life.
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My next list, for anyone interested!
QH
Hanoverian
Paint
TB
TWH
I would guess TWH as it is gaited and, from my observation on COTH, the gaited horse world is separate from Western and English.
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Iāll continue this as it a peaceful, friendly game in rather troubled timesā¦
Icelandic
Marwari
Maremmamo
SF
QH
QH.
QH, well, the one I have in mind was in Italy. I had a week riding in Sicily, in November, and it was beautiful. Apparently, plants have a second growth after the summer heat as there were many herbs and grasses and the trees looked refreshed. I stayed in a hotel that had stables and a distant view of the sea. Each day we would ride out and then had one night away at the end of the week, staying at an alpine sports centre. Who knew that a Mediterrean island had a ski resort? Fascinating. According to my guide (at that time of year I was the sole guest) every village we rode through or past was the haunt of thieves, robbers, cheats or snobs with the single exception of the village she lived in! Strongly held views. The past was remarkably close, with frequent talk of the Greeks, Normans and Arabs, people who passed through the island centuries ago. Indeed, the ski resort was a place named āplateau of the battleā after a confrontation between Arabs and Normans. Horse was a bay QH (Italians are big on western riding and home of the Spaghetti Western) and generally used for big people who couldnāt ride. Closed down. I was put on him a couple of days into the week but not certain why I was swapped. No problem, Iāll ride anyone. The first couple of hours he was dull and slow but then as we continued along and I left him on a loose rein, sat balanced in the saddle, he began to perk up and look around. At the end of the week, working up the mountainside to reach the ski resort I was very glad we were passing through mist because the drop was horrid. I get vertigo. QH picked his way neatly. Riding down the next day was one of my nicest rides ever, travelling down from Alpine meadows through Mediterrean forest and down to the shrubby lowlands all under a glorious blue sky.
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I say, with your travel schedule, Marwari.
Youāve been to northern Europe so I believe youāve ridden an Icelandic. Since youāre in Europe (I think), youāve likely ridden a SF, and I was going to mention QH, and Maremmamo (which I had to look up).
But Marwari is in India. COTH Untacked did a great story on them once, which is how I know about them. On the one hand, SF is probably a common horse youāve never ridden, and with your travel schedule, youāve probably been to India! This was a hard call but on geography alone, Iāll say: Marwari.
SF in second place.
Iāll say Marwari.
Mostly because, if you rode one, Iāll be insanely jealous 
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Iāve travelled a good deal, Iām British and Iāve ridden all my life. Soā¦ The Marwari is a slightly odd creature. I always watch the ears to help read the reaction and mood of a horse but the ears of a Marwari are so curved they make an almost perfect circle and it is impossible to say if they are pointed forward or back. Think of the slight curve of an Arab ear and take it to the extreme. My Indian experience pre-dates the organised riding tours now offered, travelling to the Pushka Horse Fair in Rajasthan. We turned up at the āCountry Clubā (owned by a member of the former royal family of what has become Rajasthan) where there were horses available to ride. We were offered a choice of accommodation: a roof top or a goat shed. We opted for the goat shed, which, to be fair, had been swept out and whitewashed. The smell lingered. The horses were lean, sharp, tough as old boots and rode like a TB: there was a lot of brain at work. The local people loved to see the horses and would chuck stones so they could watch the horses run. Everyone was really proud of their warrior past, and really proud of their colourful warrior horses, though at the time the breed was critically rare. From such a small acorn has grown an entire business of highly organised, escorted tours with grooms in spectacular uniforms and accommodation in royal palaces or tented camps established under the desert stars. I suspect the grooms and escorts help prevent the stone chucking. The breed is now better recognised, better protected and India has become wealthier so there are more of them. If you get ever get the chance to ride one, take it!
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Wow, that is such a great experience!
As an aside, I am trying to remember the title of a (English speaking) movie I saw a few years ago, featuring a young man and a little girl, set in the early 20th century. She helps him while heās in the hospital (scenes in B&W), and he tells her bed time stories about his time in India amongst princes, villains and horses (scenes in color). The horses featured in the āstoryā part of the film are all Marwari. I loved that movie and canāt remember its title now and itās so frustrating!
Here is my list, for fun!
Clydesdale
PRE
APHA (Paint)
Dale pony
Fjord
OK, Iāll take a punt. Iāll presume that you are in the US. Clydesdales are popular as peaceful riding horses in America but riding draft horses is much less common in the UK (becoming more so, got my eye on a ride on Dartmoor www.adventureclydesdale.com). PRE, again, increasingly popular in the USA for dressage so there is s good chance youāve met one. We have the amazing coloured cobs in the UK and Ireland, now available in America in increasing numbers (and indeed across Europe) as āGypsy Cobsā but theyāre not the same as American Paints. Their coat colours and markings are v different. Paints are an American native so, again, likely youāve ridden one. Fjord is a popular breed around the world because of their fantastic colour and nice temperaments. So my guess is the Dales Pony is your lie because it is a rare breed here in the UK and I donāt think it has travelled much.
Guess again!!
So I had an imported Dales pony in training with me for a few years! She was one of my all time favorites:) Her owner had visited the UK and fell in love with the Dales ponyā¦so she imported a young mare with grand plans to help get the breed going in the US. I rode the mare and showed her a bit for a few yearsā¦then she would come back to my farm to foal out once they started breeding her. She ended up with a few foalsā¦the owner kept the fillies and sold the colts and continued to breed the fillies. I donāt think she every did more than create her own herd of Dales ponies.
I adored that mareā¦she was a little firecracker though!! A bit too sensitive for the owner (a beginner rider) to ride for awhileā¦though eventually she did settle more as she got older. I loved how sensitive she was. She used to talk to me constantly and was the sweetest non-marish mareā¦just a lot of fun to ride!
OK, I both hate and love you. What a great traveling and horse experience!!! Thank you for sharing!
OK, springboarding from Willesdonās postā¦
Iām going to say that Dale pony is out there enough that you wouldnāt put it on the list unless you rode one. Clydesdales are popular enough that you very well could have ridden one. Same with Paints. PREās are somewhat specialized for dressage and working equitation so that could be a hit: the other breeds are more general purpose. Fjord are not uncommon but could be a plant after mentioning the Dale Pony.
Iām going to say: Fjord. Second place: PRE or Clydesdale. I want to say PRE but so few people lead with their ālieā. Iāll say PRE but I donāt feel committed. Ha!
You should go with your gut!! LOL Iāve never ridden a PREā¦though as I am getting older and have been riding some really hot and reactive baby warmbloods the past few years, part of me has considered going that route next time I go horse shopping!
We had a boarder who bought a Cyldesdale as a 3yo for a riding horse (she was a very tall person and wanted a super quiet trail horse)ā¦so I did ride him in the beginning to help her along with the training. I will say that he had a very comfy canterā¦and when he bucked it was so slow motion it didnāt even make you come off the saddle.
I had several Paint/Pinto horses and got started riding in that world. And the owner of the Dale pony also bought a Fjord for her kids (she rode one on a vacation trip and bought one the next week)ā¦so he did some training time with me as well. He was fun but not as fun as the Dales pony!
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That is a lovely story, thank you. It is s pity the breed didnāt become established. They are ponies with a lot of virtues but are critically endangered according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watch list. I was going to go for Fjord next but your client, who sounds like a bit of an impetuous character, provided you with another opportunity.
