Even though there are almost 60 million horses in the world today, there are some types and breeds of horses that are scarcely seen anymore. These breeds of horses are in need of a comeback to their numbers otherwise they risk falling into extinction. These are the 10 most endangered horses in the world.
10. Hackney
| Height | 14 to 15.3 hands high |
| Weight | 1,000 pounds or 453.5 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | They can be any solid color but are most commonly bay |
| Country of Origin | Britain |
| Type | Hotblood |
The hackney is a smaller hotblooded breed of horse who is primarily known for its high stepping gait and great success driving carriages and carts under harness. This breed of horse originated in Britain, specifically in the Norfolk region.
The origins of this gorgeous breed go back to the 1300s when the King of England required a light riding horse with an impressive trot.
The founding breeds for the Hackney horse were the Arabian, the early Thoroughbred, and the Norfolk Trotter. Certain members of this new trotting breed were saved and not sent to war as many of the other Hackney horses were.
Today the numbers of these horses are dwindling because of the lack of popularity in harness and driving horses. This small light breed is no longer very suitable for riding as it has a very delicate frame.
9. Shire
| Height | Over 17 hands high |
| Weight | Around 2,000 pounds or 900 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Bay, Chestnut, Gray, or Black |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Type | Coldblood |
The Shire is a huge coldblooded breed of draft horse that is famous for its enormous size and incredible strength. Sadly, as many people don’t know, the Shire is an endangered breed whose numbers are dwindling down to less than 3,000 members in the entire world. Some breeders are worried that without the proper conservation efforts, the breed could be extinct in the next 10 years.
The Shire was descended from a number of popular breeds. Some of the breeds that went into creating this horse include the Friesian, the Flanders Horse, the English Great Horse, and the Forest Horse.
The pulling power of the Shire has not beed matched by any other horse. Their popularity as carriage and farm horses before the world wars was incredible. Sadly, like many other breeds, the numbers of the Shire breed were threatened with the outbread of the first and second world wars.
Today, there are conservation efforts and more breeding to try and presever thisbreed and restore their numbers.
8. Caspian
| Height | 10 to 12 hands high |
| Weight | 800 to 1,000 pounds or 360 to 450 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Bay, Gray, and Chestnut |
| Country of Origin | Iran |
| Type | Warmblooded Pony |
The Caspian is a pony that not many people know about. These friendly ponies are actually considered to be a miniature horse breed rather than a pony breed.
By some people, the Caspian pony breed is thought to be the oldest ponybreed in the world. This is mainly because of the breed’s appearance and how it so closely matches that of the ponies discovered from ancient times.
These ponies are really well tempered. They are so docile that some stallions are even able to be handled by children and turned out together.
This pony does best under saddle ans a children’s pony, but they can also adjust to working under the harness well too.
There is believed to be less than 2,000 Caspian ponies left in the world, many of which are still in Iran.
7. Przewalski’s Horse
| Height | Up to 13 hands high |
| Weight | 800 to 1,100 pounds or 360 to 500 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Sandy Dun with stripes |
| Country of Origin | Central Asia & Malasia |
| Type | Warmblood |
The Przewalski’s horse is believed to be the last completely feral horse breed left in the world. These horses are not able to be broken or fully tamed and only live in the wild except for breeding and conservation facilities.
There is believed to be less than 2,000 members of this breed left in the wild today.
6. Dales Pony
| Height | Up to 14.2 hands high |
| Weight | 1,000 pounds or 453.5 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Mainly black but can be bay |
| Country of Origin | England or Britain |
| Type | Coldblooded Pony |
The breed of pony is a gorgeous animal that descended from breeds like the Friesian and the Welsh Pony. These ponies are mainly used as riding ponies and are large and strong wnough to carry adults.
Back in the day, these ponies would work in lead mines and work on farms. Today they are strong hardy ponies who thrive at high altitudes.
These ponies have dwindling numbers and it is estimated that there are les than 1,000 members of this breed left alive in the world.
5. Suffolk Punch
| Height | Between 16 and 16.3 hands high |
| Weight | Between 1,400 and 2,100 pounds or 635 to 950 kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Chestnut |
| Country of Origin | Britain |
| Type | Coldblood |
The Suffolk Punch is a handsome and remarkable breed of horse that is prized for its docile temperament and incredible pulling power.
These horses are hardy andimals with a long lifespan for their type.
They were primarily used on farms and for pulling carriages back in the 1700s and were great for poor farmers as these horses can strive off of minimal feed and work for long hours.
These horses are extremely driven and will do anything you ask them to. Sadly however, there are just around 800 members of the breed in the entire world. Even though the numbers of these horses are few, conservation effors have been gradually increasing the number of these horses over time.
4. Exmoor Pony
| Height | 11.1 to 12.3 hands high |
| Weight | Between 800 and 900 pounds (365 to 410 kilograms) |
| Acceptable Colors | Dun or Bay |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Type | Warmblooded Pony |
Even I didn’t know that the Exmoor pony was an endangered breed. This pony finds itself in the top 5 most endangered horses in the world. The reason that these ponies are so endangered is because of the fact that the moorland where mayn Exmoor ponies run wild is shrimking thus reducing the number of ponies that can live there.
To try to restore the numebrs of this breed, these ponies are in a strictly regulated breeding program where only the best stallions are allowed to pass on their genetics to the next generation of Exmoor ponies.
There is likely only around 800 of these ponies left in the world today, but this number is gradually increasing with the increased breeding and conservation efforts taking place.
3. American Creme Draft
| Height | 15 to 16 hands high |
| Weight | 1,600 to 2,000 lbs or 725 to 900 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Palomino or Cremello |
| Country of Origin | United States of America |
| Type | Coldblood |
The American Creme Draft is a big gorgeous breed that is known for its gleaming golden coat color and incredible strength. The breed is maninly used ot pull carts, wagons, and carriages, though sometimes these horses will make an appearance on a farm.
This breed of horse has really low numbers, Low enough to be considered a critically endangered breed. There is believed to be less than 400 of these horses left in the world. There are currently conservation efforts in place t try and restore this breed’s numbers.
2. Newfoundland Pony
| Height | 11 to 14.2 hands high |
| Weight | 400 to 700 pounds or 180 to 320 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Black, Bay, Chestnut, Gray, Roan, White, and Dun |
| Country of Origin | Canada |
| Type | Warmblooded Pony |
This Canadian pony breed is a breed that is used both for riding and for harness work. These ponies are close to extinction and they rank as the second most endangered horse breed in the world.
In the past, these ponies were wor horsers and they performed tasks such as carrying and transpoting people and goods from place to place.
When European settlers began to make their homes in Canada, the ponies that they brough with them bred and created the stock for this breed.
Sadly there are only around 400 or so of these ponies left inthe entire world with only 250 of these that are able to breed. Without the proper conservation efforts, this breed is likely to go extinct.
1. Galiceño
| Height | 12 to 13.2 hands high |
| Weight | 600 to 800 pounds or 272 to 362 Kilograms |
| Acceptable Colors | Black, Bay, Gray, Chestnut, Dun, Palomino, Buckskin, Roan, Cremello, Perlino, & all other solid colors |
| Country of Origin | Mexico |
| Type | Warmblooded Pony |
This breed of pony is the rarest and most engangered horse breed in the entire world. These ponies have numbers that are thought to be below 100 in the entire world. Because of how close thery are to extiction, certain wildlife and animal conservation association are desperately trying to make this breed have a comeback.
These small horses are though to be descended from the Garrano horses from Portugal. They were mainly used for general riding but for unknon reasons have had their numbers go so low that they face likely extinction.
Because most of the members of this breed are not in breeding condition, the future of this breed is uncertain.