Best Horse Breed for Beginners | The Ultimate Guide

best-horse-breed-for-beginners

The best horse breed for beginners the ultimate guide begins with the American Quarter horse. Next is the Morgan Horse, Tennessee Walking horse, Kentucky Mountain Saddle horse, Missouri Fox Trotter horse, and the Clydesdale. These breeds are best because of their calm traits.

The first time I rode a horse it was an old American Quarter horse named Bob. He was the calmest and kindest horse I’ve ever come across. While his old age helped the process of being gentle, he was just a calm-mannered creature.

Riding a horse can be a difficult skill to learn. Luckily choosing the right breed can help make it easier. Choosing the best horse breed for a beginner is important because these horses have been bred for their calm and friendly traits, through selective breeding.

This is why these horses have made this list. These horses have been bred using selective breeding, so that they are the calmest and friendliest of their kind, making them the best horse for a beginner.

“When you are on a great horse, you have the best seat you will ever have.”

– Winston Churchill

What Makes a Good First Horse

A good first horse should be a tolerant horse. When a horse is calm and well-mannered, it usually means it has had good training and has been around for a while. It is also good when a horse does not have a sensitive mouth.

The background of the horse has just as much importance as the breed. A horse that was raised with a bad owner, will not be a horse that is easy to ride or that would be good for a beginner. Having the right teacher when owning your first horse is also just as important.

When you purchase your first horse you will want to know as many details as you can about the horse, such as cost, history, and more. Source.

Best Horse Breed For Beginners Top Pick

Our number one top pick for the best horse breed for beginners is the American Quarter horse. American Quarter horses are calm and level-headed; not hot-headed, and temperamental. They are known as workhorses and will be able to be ridden regularly, which is something a beginner will need.

One of the most important parts about a beginner horse is the amount of time you have to bond with it. Horses are social and you will need to spend some time with them every day to get that connection.

The American quarter horse is considered well-mannered, cooperative, and safe to ride. This is an obvious best choice for someone new to owning a horse and riding a horse. These horses are fast, strong, and ideal for beginners.

See our article Are Horses Native to America here.

What Breed of Horse is the Calmest?

We chose the American Quarter horse as our top pick because it meets all of the requirements for beginners, one of which is being calm. However, other horse breeds are also calm, such as Morgan horses.

Morgan horses are one of the earliest breeds to be bred in America because they are calm and well-mannered. Appaloosas have also been known to be calm horses that behave well. Good temperament is something horse breeders look for when breeding.

Cob horses are also calm horses that are known to be great for people who need a horse that is not too energetic. Cob is a body type, not a breed. These horses are horses that have strong bones, and hooves, and that are calm enough for a nervous rider to ride.

What Breed of Horse is the Most Gentle?

Being calm is important, but so is being gentle. A beginner will need to have a horse that is gentle with them. You don’t want a horse that is not broken in well, that will buck you off, or be overly rambunctious.

Shire Draft horses are known to be very gentle. They have even been called gentle giants. These horses are large, however, they are well-mannered, gentle, and very suitable for someone who is a beginner.

The American Quarter horse is once again a good pick for being gentle. They have the strength to be a workhorse but the temperament to be gentle, loving horse, that over time, is easy to bond with.

A younger rider may consider having a pony first.

best-horse-breed-for beginner-child
Best horse breed for beginners.

Other Good Horse Breeds for Beginners

So now that you know The American Quarter horse is our top pick, let’s look at some of the other horse breeds that we recommend for beginners. These horses also have a lot of the good traits mentioned in the horses above.

The Morgan horse is a great beginner choice. They are known for being calm, versatile, and gentle. They bond well with beginners who spend time with them, and have even been known as “the horse that chooses you.”

Tennessee Walking horses are great first horses. These horses are known to be great riding horses. This makes them a good breed to learn how to ride. Besides being known as show horses, they are also all-around good horses in general.

The Kentucky Mountain Saddle horse is a great riding horse. These horses are known to be great for many things, riding, farm work, and more. They originated in Kentucky are were used as workhorses. They are calm and kind.

Missouri Fox Trotter horses are medium-sized horses. They were bred in Missouri for trail riding and farm work. This makes them great for beginners who need a calm, well-mannered horse to start with.

The Clydesdale horse is a horse native to Scotland. These are strong horses that were bred as workhorses. They are elegant horses that bond well with beginners that show them the right attention.

Best Horse Breeds for Jumping

Even if you are a beginner, chances are you will want to advance to horse skills such as jumping. Horses that jump need to be well trained, so if you are a beginner you will need to make sure your jumping horse is already trained well, or you have a teacher who is also a great trainer.

The Dutch Warmblood is a great horse for jumping. They are beautiful horses that are well-built for jumping and other activities. They are versatile and well-mannered, making them great for beginners.

The Irish Sport horse is another great jumping horse that would be a good fit for beginners. These horses are versatile riding horses, that are calm, gentle, and excellent athletes.

What Horse Breed Has the Worst Temperament

Horses that have bad temperaments are known as hot horses, or hot-blooded. They generally are not good for beginners. The most notorious horse with a temper is the Mustang. These horses are mostly wild and can see humans as a threat around their mares.

Mustangs that are broken in, are usually ridden by experienced riders who have a lot of skill. Many racehorses are known as having bad temperaments because breeders for racing do not take temperament into account, only strength and speed.

Final Thoughts

If you are a beginner at horse riding you will want to choose your first horse wisely. You will also want to have an experienced teacher, which is worth its weight in gold.

Having a horse that is aged is also a good idea, we suggest having a horse that is 10-20 years old. You can purchase a younger horse only if your teacher is experienced. Source. Now that you know what you need to look for in a beginner horse, you can get out there and find the horse that is right for you.

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What is a popular riding horse?

The Thoroughbred is a highly popular riding horse.

Chad Fox

Chad Fox is a writer and researcher from Austin, Texas. He is passionate about Texas and the lone star lifestyle.

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