How to recognise the Caspian breed

The small and beautiful Caspian Horse, which originates in Northern Iran, is unique. Found in the mountains and villages near the Caspian Sea in 1965 by Louise Firouz, while looking for small riding ponies for her riding school, its extraordinary history was soon revealed and it’s immense importance to the development of the modern blood horse was discovered.

Ancestors of these small horses, named ‘Caspian’ by Firouz, were feted and loved many centuries ago. King Darius the Great (ca.500 BC) honoured those which drew his lion-hunting chariot on his Royal Seal, now in the British Museum.  Amongst the Tribute animals carved in the frieze on the great staircase at his Palace at Persepolis are a pair of tiny horses, led by Lydian grooms. Research on writings, statuettes, friezes and other ancient objects show that the breed was known before 3,000BC. Extensive tests on blood and bone, plus comparisons with ancient skeletal remains, have shown that they are almost certainly the original ‘Horse Type Four’, proposed by Elwyn Hartley-Edwards to be the ancestor of all modern hot-blooded horses and ponies known today, including the Arabian. Yet later wars and invasions caused the loss of many artefacts and great libraries. These horses ‘disappeared’ and were not heard of again until ‘rediscovered’ by Firouz, many hundreds of years later.

The modern Caspian has differences in skeleton and blood haemoglobin from other breeds.  Standing between 10.2 and 12.2 hh, it averages around 11.2, with the conformation of a small well-bred horse. Look for an elegant and characteristically narrow body, with a deep girth, fine sloping shoulder, short, usually in-pointed ears, and small muzzle in a short, fine head. Cannons are slender but strong and hooves are tough and oval-shaped (often similar front and back) with small frog. They are seldom shod unless working consistently on hard, abrasive tracks or roads. All colours are found except skewbald or piebald, some bays having an iridescent quality to their coats.

The Caspian looks, moves, thinks and behaves like a horse and learns quickly. Paces are smooth, with a long low stride at the trot and, if required, it can keep up with a normal horse except at flat gallop. Possessing an extraordinary flair for jumping, it has also proved to be highly competitive at pony racing, dressage and gymkhana, for show-driving, cross-country or scurry. Temperaments are usually friendly and curious - most Caspians are characters, which quickly become part of the family, giving a small child a comfortable, responsive ride and making a light driving pony for Mum or Dad in term-time.  Caspians can live outside in winter, with a field shelter in winter, hay and a supplementary feed.

Breeders usually find the stallions easier to handle than many other breeds and the foals can only be described as fabulous! The Caspian Horse Society maintains studbooks for both pure and part-bred Caspians, promotes the breed, publishes newsletters and magazines to members and maintains Stallion and For Sale lists.

More information and contacts can be found on the Caspian Horse Society website.

Photo by Caspian Horse Society