KCMO

Inside this thread we will be listing off breeds of horses that begin with "B". Everyone is welcome to participate. If you decide to help out please post a short description and/or history on the breed and upload a photo of the horse into the breeds catagory in the gallery, then link the picture to your post.
(if you take your description from a source, example wikipedia then please credit them at the end of your post or whoever you quoted from.)

tikitowel

Belgian Draft Horse

The Belgian horse, Belgian Heavy Horse, or Brabant is a horse breed comes from the West-Brabantian region of Belgium. They are one of the strongest of the heavy breeds. On average the Belgian will grow to be slightly over 1 ton or 2,000 pounds. Colors normally are a type of light chestnut sometimes called a "sorrel," with a flaxen mane. They are considered a draft horse. Historically, though it is possible they may have had ancestors who were destriers in the Middle Ages, their main use was as a farm horse. They are still used as working animals, but have also become popular as show horses, gaming horses, and even as trail riding horses. Although the overall percentage of draft breeds among American horses has declined, the number of Belgians has increased.-From wikipedia

postit

Barb

invaders reached the region. There is considerable controversy over whether the Barb and It is not exactly known where the Barb developed, but the breed originated in Northern Africa during the 8th century, about the time that IslamicArabian horses share a common ancestor or if the Arabian was a predecessor of the Barb. It is possible that a native horse of the region was influenced by the crossing of multiple "oriental" breeds, including the Arabian horse, Turkmenian or Akhal-Teke, Caspian horse, with Iberian horses brought back from Europe by the Moorish invaders after they conquered southern Spain. Today there are several varieties of Barb, including the Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian.

The Barb is a light riding horse with great stamina. It has a powerful front end, high withers, short back, a sloping, narrow croup, and carries its tail low. It is hardy, with clean legs, and small, round, sound hooves. It does not have particularly good gaits, but gallops like a sprinter, which has influenced the racing breeds such as the Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse, and Standardbred. It usually is gray, but bay, black, chestnut, and brown horses are also found. The Barb stands 13.3-14.1 hands high.

The Abaco Barb can come in different colors than the usual Barb, including splash overo (a color which is rare in other horse breeds), pinto, roan, chestnut, black, and other colors.

The Abaco Barb is an endangered strain of the Spanish Barb horse breed that resides on the Island of Abaco in the Bahamas. The Abaco Barb is supposed to have descended from horses which had been ship wrecked on the Island during the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the Caribbean. The entire population of wild Abaco Barbs that run free on the island of Abaco once numbered over 200 horses. However, beginning in the 1960's, several events took place that led to the breed's severe decline from over 200 horses to just 3 individuals, including the paving of new roads through or near their territory, wild dog attacks on foals, and in some instances, people killed some of the horses. Several Abaconians intervened against the slaughter and brought the three horses to a farm near Treasure Cay. A herd of 35 built up again, yet since 1992 over half the horses have died. There have been no foals since 1998, though there was one abortion and one fetus aborted for unknown reasons. By mid-2004, only 12 horses remained. Recently, however, there has been a push to help preserve the breed. One of the remainign stallions, Capella, was made into a Breyer Model Horse in 2005. As the breed is critically endangered, it has been confirmed that no Abaco Barb horses will be sold on the commercial market. Instead, the remaining herd will run free on the preserve on Abaco.-Barb on wiki

Rider

The Balearic is a breed of horse that originated in Spain, and is native to the island of Majorca (Mallorca) off the southern coast, one of the Balearic Islands.

It matures to about 14 hands tall, and it is disputed if the breed should be classified as a horse or a pony. The breed is considered rare, and little information is available.

HISTORY:
The breed is also sometimes referred to as the Balearic Island pony and its origins are obscure. Some claim it is an ancient breed descended from horses of Ancient Greece. There is a claim that original stock came from Skyros in Greece. Because modern government officials in Spain consider the breed unimportant, little is known about it.

Genetic studies suggest that the Balearic is a distinct breed from other Iberean horse breeds, including other breeds that live on various islands in the Balearic chain.

CHARACTERISTICS:
The Balearic is said to be a riding animal that matures to about 14 hands. It is agreed that breed representatives have an upright mane, a primitive feature in horses, but reports differ as to whether the breed is attractive or "scrubby." It is said to have a short, thick, but arched neck, a head with a convex profile but refined bone structure. They are said to have slender legs and carry themselves well.

Most representatives of the breed are bay or chestnut, occasionally gray.

The Balearic is used by the local population in harness for farm work and as a riding horse for basic transportation.

Credits to Wikipedia.

Rider

Banei is a breed of horse, native to Japan. It is used in horse racing, and pulling heavy sleds in Banei Keiba races.There are three main types of Ban-ei horses, the Percheron type, the Breton type, and the Belgian type. While these horses aren't necessarily purebred, they tend to take on the characteristics of the purebreds of those breeds.

HISTORY:
The Ban-ei race horse originated in Hokkaido, Japan. Its main use is for unique draft races, called the Ban-ei Keiba races, in which the horse pulls a heavy sledge (called a Sori). These races, which are only conducted at four racecourses in Hokkaido, are run by such heavy horses bred from stock such as the sturdy Percherons, Bretons and Belgians, which pull a steel sleigh carrying a heavy load, together weighing from about half a ton to one ton (including jockey, sledge, and harness), along a 200-meter separated straight track with two humps.

The dynamic Ban-ei Keiba races, which enjoy a large following, originated as a competition among farmers and locals at least 55 years ago at festivals in the areas in Hokkaido and Tohoku. It started as a competition to test a horse's value for farming from its strength and endurance. Two horses were pulled mutually, and whichever won was more valuable than the other, and so on.

It was in November 1946 that Article 9 of the local horse racing enforcement rules was written, which declared that Ban-ei Keiba racing to become public management. Administrative divisions sponsored in 1946, and the city began to manage it in 1953. The feed circumstances were horrible, and the horses' breeding improvement was advocated by the confusing post-war period. Moreover, these horses had been requisitioned as military horses, and there was rush for production which didn't include quality, and the breeds decreased sharply.

It was left to the public management, with two economic reconstruction policies that included increasing the feed production and promoting the Ban-ei Keiba races. Steadily, over time, this sport became popular and was strictly regulated to protect the horses.

INTERESTING FACTS:
In the Ban-ei Keiba races, muddy racetracks are an advantage, not a hindrance, as in thoroughbred horse racing. While mud may make it more difficult for a horse to gain footing, most draft breeds are bred to work in wet weather. The sledge is often much easier to pull in the mud than it is over dry ground. The horse also may stop occasionally during the race, to gain footing or get their breath before tackling one of the humps.

You could almost consider Ban-ei Keiba races a game instead of a race. The jockey's skill and technique is much more important in Ban-ei Keiba racing in comparison to Thoroughbred racing. The jockey must decide whether to carefully clear the two obstacles, or whether the horse might be able to attack and conquer them in one run-through without a rest.

The horse's speed isn't as important in these races as its endurance is, again unlike Thoroughbred racing. Ban-ei Keiba followers do expect magnificence at these races, they expect dynamic impression.

Credits to angelfire.com

horseplay

It's thought the bashkir originated in the mountains and steppe zones of the Volga and the Urals. It's used as a draft horse and a producer of milk and meat.

The bashkir is stocky and broad. It has high endurance for even the toughest job. Mares can produce an average of 1500 kg of milk in 7-8 months of lactation, a bonus in it's country of origin.

sallyanna

The Budyonny began in the Soviet Union. It's a cross between the Russian Don and the English thoroughbred. It stands about 15-16 hands high. The budyonny makes a good riding or carriage horse and is a good jumper.
The budyonny is mild tempered and easily trained. He's also extremly adaptable to the harshest situations.