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Horse Breed
From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium
A horse breed is a distinct type of horse with characteristics of size, temperament, and suitability for particular kinds of work that generally "breed true", that is, are passed to descendants if a pair of horses of the same breed reproduce. Over the world, because of geographic isolation, a number of different natural breeds of horses originated. Additionally, horses have been selectively bred for centuries and breeds have been purposefully and incidentally crossed to make new breeds. Until the 20th century, horses represented the major means of transportation and an important source of heavy farm labor for much of the world. Although there are still areas where this is true, horses now are primarily used for sport and recreation. Accordingly, as the role of a horse in societies that maintain horse population changes, so do the principal breeds of horses.
When it comes to choosing a horse, the breed of horse is usually a major consideration.
