Practically everyone has heard of the Quarter Horse. The most populous breed worldwide, as of 2008 there were 3,189,605 Quarter Horses registered with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), making it the largest breed registry in the world.

The Norwegian Fjord is considered one of the oldest pure breeds of horse. While they bear a striking resemblance to the Asiatic wild horse or Przewalski horse, they are in fact more closely related to the European wild horse, the Tarpan, as the Przewalski horse has 66 chromosomes while both the Fjord and the Tarpan have 64.

For millennia, the vibrancy and diversity of the coat colours and patterns of multi-hued horses have held a powerful fascination for humans around the world. This fascination with horses with variegated coats continues today, as evidenced greatly by the widespread popularity of the American Paint Horse, whose identity is closely tied to its colourful coat patterns.

The Iberian Peninsula of southwest Europe contains the countries of Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar, as well as a very small portion of France. The land’s mountainous slopes, arid plateaus, deep river valleys, and expansive coastline have been home to equines for many millennia. Today, there are 17 breeds native to the peninsula, which are thusly named Iberian horses.