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There were originally two
types of Finnish horse - the Finnhorse Draft and the Finnish Universal. Over
the years, the two breeds have been widely interbred, and the heavier draft
has largely disappeared. The Finnish Draft was bred on a purely functional
and practical basis and was rather common in appearance.
They were a comparatively
small draft horse, standing around 15.2 hh, but were incredibly strong and
capable of the hardest agricultural tasks. They were kind and willing, with
a fast-stepping, naturally active stride. The horses developed from
crossbreeding between the native ponies from countries along the Baltic
coastline and imported foreign breeds, and so exhibit both coldblood and
warmblood characteristics. They are of a medium weight for a draft,
averaging 1,270 lb and should have an attractive head that is not too large,
a strong neck, and powerful shoulders and quarters. Their legs should be
clean and well muscled, without much feather. Generally they are chestnut,
gray, or bay, and occasionally black or brown - white markings are
acceptable. Their studbook was opened in 1907 and they have to undergo quite
stringent performance testing which is designed to keep the breed clean.
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Horse Breeds page
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