Caspian horse

📜 Origin and history

The Caspian horse originated in Iran, in the Caspian Sea region - according to historical and genetic studies, it is one of the oldest lines of domesticated horses, which may have contributed to the development of modern warmbloods, such as Arabian types.

The breed was rediscovered in 1965 by the Iranian aristocrat Louise Firouz, who found small horses with a characteristic build in the mountains near the city of Amol and decided to preserve and breed them. The breed was originally thought to be extinct.

Today, only a small number of individuals exist worldwide (less than ~1000) and the breed is considered critically endangered.

🐎 Appearance and exterior

The Caspian horse is a small, elegant and neat horse, which, despite its size, shows the features of a real horse (not a classic pony):

Height: usually 10–12 hands (≈ 102–122cm) at the withers - so it is a small size, but it is really a horse, not a pony by specific standards.

Body: proportionally strong and harmonious - with a long, gentle neck, deep chest and well-muscled hindquarters.

Head: has a discoid profile with a raised forehead, large dark eyes and small ears.

Legs and hooves: narrow, but very strong, with a thick wall and a high-quality hoof structure - they often do not need shoeing unless they are intensively loaded on hard surfaces.

Coat and colors: common colors are bay, chestnut, gray and dun, with minimal white markings.

In appearance and temperament, it appears elegant and athletic, relatively light and agile in its stride.

🧠 Nature and temperament

The Caspian horse is intelligent, docile and friendly, which makes it an excellent companion for riding and working with people:

✔️ Easy to learn - responds very well to training, more so than a typical pony or cold-blooded horse.
✔️ Intelligent and attentive - perceives the load and quickly learns new tasks.
✔️ Affectionate and loyal - works well with humans, which makes training and everyday work easier.
✔️ Dynamic temperament - more "sticky" and energetic than independent; although suitable for children, it is sometimes more sensitive and therefore also suitable for light riders with adequate experience.

🏡 How they live and what their requirements are
🐴 Environment and housing

They need a spacious stable with good access to a paddock or pasture, as their natural habitat is movement and freedom.

Given their size and stamina, it is advisable to have a safe paddock or pasture where they can naturally run and spend time.

🐮 Nutrition

They are good at efficient digestion - they can feed well on a minimum amount of quality hay or pasture.

Any supplements or grains are better added only in case of intense activity, as overfeeding can lead to problems such as laminitis.

🧼 Care and training

Regular hoof and tooth checks.

Adequate gait and obedience training.

Daily exercise and mental stimulation - these horses thrive when they have a task or routine.

🩺 Health and common diseases
💪 Health profile

The Caspian horse is generally hardy and relatively healthy, but like all smaller horses, it can have specific vulnerabilities:

✔️ Laminitis: the most common disease when overweight or under-exercised – therefore, it is important to control feed intake and exercise regularly.
✔️ Dental problems: due to the smaller head size, teeth can become crowded, which requires regular check-ups and dental adjustments.
✔️ Hyperlipidemia: in mini horses, if they are starved or stressed for a long time, a metabolic problem with increased lipids in the blood can develop.

In general, however, the breed does not have many specific genetic diseases identified as common – often the problem is more in nutrition and care than in genetics.

🐎 Uses and disciplines

The Caspian horse is extremely versatile – even though it is small, it is very capable of:

🏇 Riding for children: ideal for children and smaller riders due to its size and temperament.
🏆 Equestrian disciplines: dressage, jumping, endurance and equestrian competitions at the children's level.
🚗 In harness: a horse with good durability and solid build is also suitable for harness work or vaulting.
🐎 Shows and exhibitions: often presented in halls and show rings for its appearance and elegance.

📊 Types or lines of the Caspian Horse

The Caspian Horse is not formally divided into a number of subspecies, but there are various breeding lines and variants that differ in emphasis on the type of performance, height and genetic line:

🌟 Original Iranian lines - closest to the historical Caspians.
🌟 Lines in Western breeding practice - often selected for show performance, riding and a more elegant exterior.

However, there are no generally recognized official groups such as "type A/B/C" - rather, these are breeding lines with slight differences in quality, height or temperament.

🌟 Breed Advantages

✅ Strong historical and genetic value - one of the oldest types of horses.
✅ High intelligence and willingness to cooperate - easy to learn.
✅ Universal use - from children's riding to show and harness.
✅ Strong hooves and low foot care - they often do not need shoeing.