Can anyone tell me what common horse breeds were around in Colonial Ireland?
The animal we know today as the horse is the result of centuries of selective breeding. By careful selection breeders throughout history have developed various kinds of horses with a wide variety of characteristics to suit many different needs. The Great Horse of the Middle Ages, for example, was bred for size and strength to carry a heavily armored knight and his weapons into battle. The massive horses of such breeds are often called “cold blooded.” The Arabs bred lithe desert horses that were small and swift. These animals are often referred to as “hot blooded.” Cross-breeding of hot blooded and cold blooded horses for certain characteristics produced breeds ranging from riding horses to draft horses.The Thoroughbred is considered by many to be the highpoint of elegance and fine selective breeding. Many persons mistakenly apply the name Thoroughbred to any purebred horse. But a Thoroughbred is a distinct breed of running horses that traces its ancestry through the male line directly
