13. Endangered Horse Breeds of North America (Pt.1)

History from Horseback

We did it again. We yapped so much that this topic has to be another 2-part series. This time, Keagan and Keely discuss rare and endangered horse breeds that originate in North America.

There are around 400 breeds of horses in the world. Somebreeds are less known than others, because they are considered rare or endangered. The stories of how most breeds became threatened are similar to one another. Mechanization rendered horses obsolete in their main uses for transportation, agriculture, and warfare. This resulted in a global drop in the equine population around the early-to-mid 1900’s. Ironically, the United States, a country known for the iconic cowboy on horseback, was particularly quick to replace horses with machines in the early 1900’s.

Luckily, there were horse lovers whose passion for their favorite breed led them to action. Today we will recognize their efforts by exploring the rare and threatened breeds of equine originating from North America.

Sources:

• The Livestock Conservancy
• ASHDA website
• Spanish Barb Horse Association
• Foundation of Shackleford Horses
• Blue Oaks Center
• Carolina Marsh Tacky Association
• Santa Cruz Island Horses
• Rancho del Sueño

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