There are so many beautiful horses in the world, but obviously only a few horse breeds can come on top. I went back through all the breeds I have talked about so far on this blog and chose the most beautiful and unique breeds. With the help of some friends and followers, I narrowed the breeds down to the most beautiful and unique horses. These are the 5 most beautiful horse breeds in the world and what makes them stand out from the others.
Most Beautiful Horse Breeds Worldwide
There are so many exotically beautiful horses in the world, but only a few of these horse breeds can come out on top when it comes to beauty. The 5 most beautiful horse breeds in the world are the Akhal-Teke, Friesian, Knabstrupper, Andalusian, and Arabian.
The Akhal-Teke
| Height | Between 14.2 and 15.3 hands high |
| Weight | 1,000 pounds (450 Kilograms) |
| Acceptable Coat Colors | Any solid coat colors including cremello and other double dilutes |
| Country of Origin | Turkmenistan |
| Type | Hotblood |
The Akhal-Teke is an exotically beautiful horse known for its light built frame and metallic-looking coat. These horses are extremely athletic and can be seen used for endurance riding, jumping, and cross country.
Because of the Akhal-Teke’s rarity, they aren’t common to see making them an even more special and prized breed to those lucky enough to own one.
The history of the Akhal-Teke goes back so far that this breed is sometimes mistaken for the world’s oldest breed. The origins of this breed lie in the country of Turkmenistan, specifically in the Karakum Desert where these horses adapted to survive off of the little food and water available to them in such a harsh environment. It is the places that their ancestors adapted to that gives the breed its endurance, hardiness, strength, and adaptability today.
The things that make this horse one of the most beautiful breeds in the world include:
- Its light, graceful movement
- The famous metallic sheen of its coat
The Friesian
| Height | Between 14.2 and 17 hands high (average being 15.2 hands high) |
| Weight | Between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds (545-635 Kilograms) |
| Acceptable Coat Colors | Black, no markings allowed |
| Country of Origin | Netherlands |
| Type | Coldblood |
The Friesian horse is one of the most famous and prized breed of horses in the world. These amazing horses are known not just for their good looks, but also for their great personalities and temperaments.
This breed is an excellent and very popular choice to compete in dressage. They are a prime option because of their arched neck, powerful stride, agility, excellent conformation, and willingness to please. This breed is known for being a show-stopper in the dressage arena and always puts on a show.
The Friesian is a horse that pretty much is only seen as all-black. Any other colors or markings on these horses indicates that the horse is not a purebred friesian.
Friesians are considered one of the most beautiful horse breeds in the world for these reasons:
- Their manes and tails are thick and luscious
- Their high stepping gait makes these horses look powerful
- Their high set neck with the delicately arched crest makes them appear noble and majestic
- Their striking black coats sets them apart from most other horse breeds
The Knabstrupper
| Height | 15.2 to 16 hands high |
| Weight | 1,100 pounds (500 Kilograms) |
| Acceptable Coat Colors | Any color; must have spots to be considered a purebred |
| Country of Origin | Denmark |
| Type | Warmblood |
The Knabstrupper is a beautiful breed of spotted horse found in the country of Denmark. These horses are now seen all over the world and are popular as jumping and dressage horses.
These horses, because of their spotted coats, are often mistaken as Appaloosas because these two breeds contain many of the same traits and characteristics.
The things that make the Knabstrupper a beautiful horse include:
- Their great conformation
- The unique spotted patterns seen on their coats
The Andalusian
| Height | Between 15 and 16 hands high |
| Weight | Between 900 and 1,200 pounds (410 and 550 Kilograms) |
| Acceptable Coat Colors | Any solid coat color including diluted colors (cremello, palomino, etc.) |
| Country of Origin | Spain |
| Type | Warmblood |
The Andalusian is a beautiful breed of horse who is most commonly seen in the dressage arena. These horses are known for their grace and beauty and popularity as dressage horses.
The Andalusian is considered a true beauty in the horse world for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons include:
- Their shiny coats
- Their incredibly thick and long manes and tails
- The delicate graceful arch in the necks of these horses
- Their great conformation
- The highly prized ‘Spanish’ look they carry
The Arabian
| Height | Between 14.2 and 15.2 hands high |
| Weight | Around 1,000 pounds (450 Kilograms) |
| Acceptable Coat Colors | Bay, Black, Gray, and Chestnut |
| Country of Origin | Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Peninsula |
| Type | Hotblood |
The Arabian is an extremely popular breed of horse known for their fiery temperaments, beauty, and hardiness. These horses are known to be extremely versatile and can be seen in nearly all disciplines of riding.
The Arabian horse is the oldest known breed of horse. This breed is one of the most recognizable horse breeds out there. Known for their dished heads, arching necks, large eyes, high set and carried tail, and fiery temperament, the Arabian horse is one of the most popular breeds of horse in the world.
The traits that these horses carry that make them so beautiful include:
- Their small, fine muzzles
- The prancing gaits they perform
- Their delicate features
- The way they carry their tails in the air
- The large dark eyes of these horses