What is the Finnhorse used for?

What are the different types of Finnhorses?

Since 1971, Finnhorses have been bred in four breeding sections: harness trotters, riding horses, pony-sized horses and draught horses. Horses of each breeding section need to fill section-specific criteria for acceptance to a breed-

What makes a Finnhorse a good horse?

These European horses are warmblood animals, and in turn, have the influence of other heavier draft breeds. Resultantly, the Finnhorse emerged as the jack of all trades, equally good in trotting races as well as in farm work.

Where did the Finnhorse originate?

Although multiple hypotheses exist on the origins of the horse in Finland, an indigenous wild horse origin is thought improbable, as significant numbers of domesticated horses were imported from earliest times. The Finnhorse is most likely descended from a northern European domestic horse.

What is a Finnish horse used for?

Finnhorses are suitable for both riding purposes and pulling vehicles in horse races, and also as a workhorse. The Finnish horses were originally bred to meet the different needs of the local people. The Finnhorses descended from the Northern European domestic horses.

What is the temperament of a Finn horse?

Finnhorses are lively, with both a reliable and alert temperament. The breed standard encourages a horse that is “honest and sincere”; eager to cooperate with humans, obedient, and willing to work. They are hardy with good endurance, robust health, and are generally long-lived.

Is Finnhorse a good riding horse?

The riding horse section Finnhorse is a capable and reliable mount. It lacks some traits required for competing at the highest levels of international riding sports, but its combination of size and good temperament makes it suitable for both adults and children.

Do you need a Finnhorse test?

This test is required for riding-type horses, and optional for pony-sized horses in lieu of the driveability test. The ancestors of the modern Finnhorse were important throughout Finnish history, used as work horses and beasts of burden in every aspect of life from antiquity well into the 20th century.

What are the four disciplines of a Finnhorse?

This meant that the Finnhorse had to adapt fast, developing unique skills that are now categorized into four disciplines: Riding, draught, trotter, and pony type. The Finnhorse on Jorvik are a well-rounded mix, dubbed as a riding and all-round type.

What is the closest relative to a Finnhorse?

A genetic study in 2014 concluded that closest relatives to the Finnhorse were the Estonian horse, Mezen horse, Yakutian horse and Mongolian horse. Contrasting early types: A small, stocky roan Finnish horse from Karelian Isthmus, photographed in 1909. 12.3 hands (51 inches, 130 cm) high.

What is the origin of the Finnhorse?

The Finnhorse is most likely descended from a northern European domestic horse. One theory suggests that horses arrived from the west, brought to what today is western Finland by the Vikings during the Viking Age, circa 800–1050 CE.

How many Finnhorses are there in the world?

The horse population, consisting almost entirely of Finnhorses, remained stable for 50 years. The rebuilding of the country after two wars had increased demand for horse power, and by the 1950s, the breed reached its all-time peak, with an estimated 409,000 animals, with a great majority of the horses being of the draught type.

What is the history of horses in Finland?

Because the Finnhorse breed and its progenitors were the only horses in Finland for centuries, the history of horses in Finland parallels the history of the Finnhorse itself. The documented history of the distinct breed begins at the turn of the 13th century.

What happened to the Finnhorse in Finland?

After 1959 the Finnhorse was no longer the only horse breed that was allowed to race in Finland; the importing of faster, light trotter breeds and the introduction of Parimutuel betting brought professionalism and new life to the harness racing sport.

Where do Finnhorses come from?

In Germany, the horses were used as foundation bloodstock for the Freund stud, which went on to breed dozens of Finnhorses, selling them in Germany and Austria. A number of horses were also exported to the Netherlands. The German Finnhorse population remains the most notable one outside Finland, with 150 animals.

What kind of horse is a Finnhorse?

The Finnhorse is claimed to be among the fastest and most versatile “coldblood” breeds in the world. In Finland, the term “universal horse” is used to describe the Finnhorse and breeds such as the Fjord horse that are relatively small with a body type that is heavy for a riding horse but light for a draught.

What kind of horse is a Finnish horse?

The Finnhorse or Finnish Horse ( Finnish: suomenhevonen, literally “horse of Finland “; nickname: suokki, or Swedish: finskt kallblod, literally “finnish cold-blood”) is a horse breed with both riding horse and draught horse influences and characteristics, and is the only breed developed fully in Finland.

What are some interesting facts about the Finnhorse?

Interesting Facts 1 The Finnhorse is the fastest coldblooded trotter in the world. 2 In English, the horse is sometimes called the Finnish Universal since the Finnish people considered the breed to be able… More

Why aren’t there more breeds of horses from Finland?

It stands to reason that there aren’t many breeds that come from this climate as it is largely inhospitable to the equine animal. There is only one breed native to Finland and that’s the Finnhorse which I have a particular fondness for based on the image below alone.

Why is the Finnish horse called a universal?

In English, the horse is sometimes called the Finnish Universal since the Finnish people considered the breed to be able to fulfill all of Finland’s horse needs.

What is a Finnhorse on Jorvik?

The Finnhorse on Jorvik are a well-rounded mix, dubbed as a riding and all-round type. With these four diverse backgrounds, the Finnhorse is suitable for many forms of riding, from cross-country and hacking to everyday riding and for use in riding schools.

What are Finnhorses bred for?

In the 21st century, most Finnhorses are bred to be trotters, but the breed is also popular at riding schools and for recreational riding. The Finnhorse is a relatively unknown horse breed outside of Finland, with no organised efforts to promote it internationally.

What kind of horse is a Finn horse?

This is the only breed that developed fully in Finland and is a unique combination of both cold and warmblood genetics. Finnhorses are suitable for both riding purposes and pulling vehicles in horse races, and also as a workhorse.

What kind of horses do they ride in Finland?

Finnhorses are popular as recreational riding horses, and well-suited for use at riding schools, trekking, and riding therapy. Of the ten horses currently employed by the mounted police of Helsinki, two are Finnhorses, though they are considered a bit small for the job.

Should we test all horses for equine EIA?

The greatest risk of acquiring EIA today in the United States is from the “untested reservoir” population. While two states require annual testing, no one has yet been successful in testing 100% of the horses in their jurisdiction. To test every equid would allow us to eradicate EIA from the population.