No matter which breed you pick, get a horse that is at least 5 years old and has at least 1 year of professional training. Some good beginner breeds include the American Quarter Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse, Kentucky Mountain Horse, Shire Horse, Morgan, and Cleveland Bay.
Great pony breeds include the Pony of the Americas, Welsh Pony and Cob, and Shetland Pony. Keep in mind, though, that ponies can be stubborn and full of personality. Make sure to spend some time meeting different ponies and find one with a personality that matches yours.
Seek out trail breeds like the American Quarter Horse, Morgan, Missouri Fox Trotter, Rocky Mountain Horse, and Kentucky Mountain Horse.
Popular draft breeds include the Clydesdale, Shire Horse, Percheron, and Belgian Draft.
Cold-blooded steeds are large, with many standing over 66 in (170 cm) tall, and heavy, often weighing more than 1,500 lb (680,000 g). Look for great cold-blooded breeds like the Clydesdale, Coldblooded Trotter, Icelandic Horse, Rocky Mountain Horse, Shire Horse, and Percheron.
Popular warm-blooded breeds include the American Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, Friesian Horse, Mustang, Andalusian, Irish Draught, Cleveland Bay, and Tennessee Walking Horse.
Hot-blooded horses are usually small and slender. Good hot-blooded breeds include the Arabian, Thoroughbred, Marwari, and Morgan.
When selecting your horse, focus on its individual temperament, not the temperament you think it’s supposed to have. Before buying a horse, ask to meet and test ride it. This will help you figure out if it has the type of temperament you want.
Standard cowboy breeds work well for the majority of Western riding events, including reining, barrel racing, cutting, penning, and roping. Common cowboy breeds include the American Quarter Horse, American Paint Horse, Mustang, and Appaloosa.
Great English riding horses include the Hanoverian, Morgan, Friesian, Andalusian, Lipizzaner, Dutch Warmblood, and Belgian Warmblood.
Common English pleasure riding breeds include the American Saddlebred, National Show Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse, Morgan, and Arabian. For Western pleasure riding, stick with tried-and-true saddle breeds like the American Saddlebred or similarly elegant species like the American Quarter Horse and Paint Horse.
Popular dressage breeds include the Andalusian, Danish Warmblood, Hanoverian, Lusitano, Oldenburg, and Westphalian.
The most common racing breeds are the American Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, and Arabian. For barrel racing, you’ll need to get a breed used for Western riding.
Popular endurance riding breeds include the Arabian, Criollo, and Marwari.
Great show jumping breeds include the Belgian Warmblood, Danish Warmblood, Hanoverian, Holsteiner, and Oldenburger.
For vaulting, go with horse breeds like the Clydesdale, Belgian Draft, Percheron, and Shire Horse.
