Equus caballus (species)
- Scope note
- Hooved animal. Original populations of Equus caballus were once found in the steppe zone from Poland to Mongolia. Now domesticated, horses occur throughout the world and in feral populations in some areas. Three of the several early breeds of horse - Przewalski's horse from central Asia, the tarpan from eastern Europe and the Ukrainian steppes, and the forest horse of northern Europe - are generally thought to have been the ancestral stock of modern domestic horses. According to this line of thinking, Przewalski's horse and the tarpan formed the basic breeding stock from which the southerly 'warm-blooded' horses developed, while the forest horse gave rise to the heavy, 'cold-blooded' breeds. All modern breeds are divided as light, fast, spirited breeds typified by the modern Arabian, heavier, slower, and calmer working breeds typified by the Belgian, and intermediate breeds typified by the Thoroughbred. They are also classified according to where they originated (e.g., Percheron, Clydesdale, and Arabian), by the principal use of the horse (riding, draft, coach horse), and by their outward appearance and size (light, heavy, pony).
- Date of creation: 29-Apr-2024
Accepted term: 29-Apr-2024 
