 More than with any other animal, the breeding of horses by humans illustrates clearly the process of artificial selection. From a small number of nondescript horse types that existed over three thousand years ago, humans have, through selectively determining which horses should breed, developed and maintained the wide number of horse breeds which exist today. Artificial selection is a process where people determine, in advance, the qualities of the animal they want to produce. Then they select the animals that most exhibit these qualities, and allow only those to breed. After many generations, the traits which the breeders desire will be strongly shown by the descendants of the original animal. The hundreds of breeds of dogs that exist were developed this way, from an original single variety. So too has the horse developed over the centuries, branching into a variety of types with a wide range of characteristics. In these pages we would like to show you some of the many breeds of horses that exist today, and tell you a little about each one's history. We also provide a page of links to major horse-related websites for you to explore and enjoy. Links | World's Smartest Horse of Oklahoma's excellent Animal Breeds project, and other on-line sources. |