Finnhorse

Infobox Horse
name= Finnhorse
status =


image_caption= Finnhorse gelding
altname= Finnish Horse, Finnish Universal
country= Flagicon|Finland Finland
group1= Hippos
group2=
group3=
std1= http://www.hippos.fi/hippos/englanti/finnhorse.php
std2=
std3=
features = Dry and strongly muscled, with hard legs and good hooves. |

The Finnhorse or Finnish Horse (Finnish: "suomenhevonen", pet name: "suokki") belongs to general horse breeds, having both warmblood and heavier draft blood influence and characteristics. The breed is also called the Finnish Universal in English, because it is said to fulfill all needs for horses in Finland, from agricultural work to speedy harness races to riding. It is the only native horse breed in Finland. The Finnhorse is among the fastest and most versatile coldbloods in the world.

Breed characteristics

Finnhorses have considerable speed, liveliness, endurance and longevity. They are forward-going, willing, hardy and tough horses. Finnhorses are strongly muscled, with hard legs and good limbs and hooves. They have a reliable and alert character and are easily handled, and most horses have relatively low, steady movements. Draft-type Finnhorses are heavier and have a longer body than horse of the trotter and riding-horse types. In spite of their fairly small size as compared to many draft breeds, Finnhorses have considerable pulling power and can pull very heavy loads. [ [http://www.suomenratsut.fi/page.php?page=40&lan=1 Suomenratsut ] ]

Finnhorses typically stand 15-17 hands (150-170 cm) high, but pony-sized (under 148 cm high) Finnhorses are also bred.

Due to selective breeding through much of the 20th century, the dominant color of Finnhorses is chestnut, often flaxen and with white markings commonly found on the face and legs. Other colors are bay and black and more rarely gray, roan, skewbald, palomino or silver dapple. In 2000, most Finnhorses were different variations of chestnut (92%), bays (6%) or blacks (1.2 %). [ [http://www.suomenhevonen.info/hippos/sh2007/pdf/SHjulkaisu_englanti_nettiin.pdf SHjulkaisu_englanti.indd ] ]

History

The Finnhorse is a descendant of the northern European domestic horse and resembles such breeds as the Estonian Native, but its exact descent is unclear. The earliest signs of this horse date back to the Bronze Age, and its known history is about a thousand years old. It has played an important part in all the events of the Finnish history, being used for various military purposes and as a workhorse.

The present-day Finnhorse is purebred: no outside influences have been allowed since the studbook of the breed was established in 1907. (While accidental and even intentional Finnhorse crosses are born sometimes, the resulting animals tend to neither look good nor perform well.) The studbook is kept by Suomen Hippos, the Finnish Trotting and Breeding Association. In 1924, the breeding programme of the Finnhorse was divided in two branches, the heavier draft and the lighter all-round horse. In 1971, four branches (draft, trotter, riding horse and pony-sized horse) were established.

The Finnhorse today

There are now about 20,000 Finnhorses in Finland, and about 1,000 foals are born every year. In the 1950s, there were 400,000 Finnhorses, most of them drafts; the huge decline in their numbers since then, due to diminishing demand for horses for agricultural work, stopped in the 1980s, and the Finnhorse population is now slowly increasing again. The Finnhorse would probably not have survived if it had not been used for trotting races as well as agricultural work.

There are few Finnhorses outside Finland, although they have been imported in small numbers to, e.g., Germany and some small-scale breeding has also taken place abroad. Finnhorses have never been popular in other countries.

Very nearly all Finnish horses have been registered since 1971. There are four breeding sections: J = trotter, R = riding horse, T = draft and P = pony-sized Finnhorse. Some horses are registered in several breeding lines. In 2007, the 100th anniversary of the Finnhorse studbook is celebrated.

Uses

Nowadays, approximately 75 % of Finnhorses are used in harness racing, with riding being the second most popular use. Many Finnhorses are used for multiple purposes, starting their career in trotting races and later moving on to riding, sometimes with considerable success. Finnhorses take part in both their own competitions and open classes in dressage, show jumping and eventing and are also used in endurance riding, Western riding and - quite successfully - combined driving. There are few draft horses left. Approximately 1000 Finnhorses are used as lesson horses and in riding therapy. Finnhorses are popular as pleasure horses.

Harness Racing

The Finnhorse is not only one of the most versatile horse breeds in the world, but also one of the fastest coldblood breeds. Finnhorse harness races have been held in Finland since the second half of the 19th century, with the official annual Finnhorse racing championship ("Kuninkuusravit") starting in 1924, and they continue to be a popular spectator (and betting) sport.

The most successful Finnhorse trotter up to date is the stallion "Viesker". [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/fakta.php?Numero=3376 Sukuposti.net ] ] Viesker won the stallions' annual championship and the title "Trotting King" five times in a row in 1996-2000 and was the first Finnhorse to trot faster than 1.20,0 (1.19,9a in 2002). The current trot-racing record of Finnhorses, 1.19,4a, is held by the stallion "Sipori". [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/fakta.php?Numero=8531 Sukuposti.net ] ] The most successful Finnhorse trotter mare up to date is "I.P. Sukkula". [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/fakta.php?Numero=3224 Sukuposti.net ] ] She won the mares' annual championship and therefore the title "Trotting Queen" three times, in 1996, 1999 and 2000. The reigning "Trotting King" and "Trotting Queen" are "Saran Salama" [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/sukutietokanta.php?Numero=13313 Sukuposti.net ] ] and "B. Helmiina" [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/sukutietokanta.php?Numero=81078 Sukuposti.net ] ] , who both took their second win in the competition in 2007.

Riding

Although originally bred as draft and harness horses, Finnhorses are also good all-round riding horses, popular as lesson horses at riding schools and as pleasure horses. They are particularly well suited for trail riding and horseback trekking, even endurance riding: the Finnhorse "Uusi-Helinä" [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/fakta.php?Numero=108737 Sukuposti.net ] ] , ridden by Ritva Lampinen, successfully finished the endurance riding world championship competition in Stockholm, Sweden in 1990, finishing 28th. There are some successful dressage horses such as the stallions "Kelmi" [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/fakta.php?Numero=3971 Sukuposti.net ] ] and "Jaime". [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/fakta.php?Numero=7998 Sukuposti.net ] ] Most Finnhorses used in dressage compete on the national 4th level (US) or Grade IV (GB). Each year, some Finnhorses compete in show jumping in the 130 cm classes; most Finnhorses are reliable and fairly good jumpers. Finnhorses are also good for combined driving. A Finnhorse, "Jehun Viima" [ [http://www.sukuposti.net/fakta.php?Numero=14656 Sukuposti.net ] ] , driven by Heidi Sinda, was a member of the Finnish singles driving team that finished 2nd at the driving world championship competition in Conty, France in 2002.

References

External links

* [http://www.saunalahti.fi/penelope/e/Finnish_Horse.htm The Significance of the Finnish Horse in the Winter War and the Continuation War]
* [http://www.littlewind.net/finnhorse.html Satu M's Finnhorse Page - Photographs address the different coat colors of the Finnhorse]
* [http://www.suomenratsut.fi/page.php?page=40&lan=1 Suomenratsut - A Finnish organization that works for the conservation of the breed by promoting their use as riding horses]
* [http://www.suomenhevonen.info/hippos/sh2007/pdf/SHjulkaisu_englanti_nettiin.pdf Suomen Hippos - Get to know Finnhorse]
* [http://www.hevosmaailma.net/finn.shtml Hevosmaailma.net - A lot of pictures of the Finnhorse] fi
* [http://www.sukuposti.net/ Sukuposti.net - Pedigree database]
* [http://www.hippos.fi/hippos/englanti/finnhorse.php Suomen Hippos - The Finnish Trotting and Breeding Association]
* [http://www.suomenhevosliitto.fi/ Suomenhevosliitto ry - The Finnhorse Association] fi
* [http://www.suomentyohevosseura.net/ Suomen Työhevosseura ry - The Draught horse Association] fi