Appendix

A.1 Description of the Nordic Native horse breeds

Denmark

The Jutland horse (Den Jydske Hest)

The Jutland horse is Denmark's national draft horse, developed from a heterogeneous stock of horses existing in Jutland around the middle of the 19th century. Its stud book was established in 1881. British breeds such as the Shire and Suffolk are known to have mixed with the breed. The introduction of the tractor in the 1950s led to a considerable decline in the horse population.

The Jutland horse is a muscular draft horse with a gentle temperament. Nowadays the breed is popular in horse shows and festivals. It is especially remembered for pulling the beer wagons at the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen.

The Jutland horse was critically endangered in 1998 when its population comprised of less than 300 horses. In 2003, the Genetic Resources Committee made a big effort to stop the decrease in the number of animals of all the old national breeds. The effort also included the registration of the populations of this breed. The last update of the population size is close to 2000 individuals (2016), changing its status from critically endangered to endangered.

The Frederiksborg horse (Frederiksborg hest)

The Frederiksborg horse is classified as a half-blood, riding- and carriage horse, suitable for leisure riding and sport. The Frederiksborg horse has been used both for riding and as a carriage horse. Despite there being three native breeds in Denmark, the Frederiksborg is described as the national horse of the country.

The Frederiksborg horse was founded in the 16^th century, by the Danish kings, Frederik II and Christian IV, who collected the best horse material from the European royal stables of that time. Their specific aim to create the best horse led to the foundation of the Frederiksborg horse. The studbook of this breed was kept very carefully since then, which makes the studbook of the Frederiksborg horse the oldest record of a domestic animal in the world. It is because of these kings’ breeding efforts that the Frederiksborg horse is the world oldest pedigree domestic animal breed.

In the 18th century, the horses of the Danish kings were popular throughout Europe for their noble blood and elegant forms. In the 19th century, the breed was left to drift, and a lot of the original material was replaced by imported foreign breeds. The breeding material was sold to local farmers, and the breed became a farmer's horse at the end of the 19th century. Crossbreeding with other breeds, such as the Jutland horse, was used to improve the Frederiksborg farm horse.

Intensive selection for colour phenotypes led to the proliferation of a lethal gene in the population. The gene is responsible for white born horses and is referred to as “Frederiksborger Lethal White”. The gene is lethal for embryos that are homozygous for the gene which explains why it previously appeared as low fertility.

The Frederiksborg horse has a purebred conservation programme. However, the breed association accepts controlled crossbreeding to manage the risk of inbreeding. The conservation programme was first initiated in 1997, and in 2003, the Genetic Resources Committee made a big effort to stop the population decline. The effort also includes the registration of the populations of this breed.

The population is conserved by private breeders and controlled by the market. The number of foals born since the financial crisis in 2008 has been between approximately 35 and 60, as opposed to 150-200 in the 1990s. The trend is increasing.

The Knabstrupper horse (Knabstrupperhesten)

The Knabstrupper horse origins at the Knabstrupgaard at the beginning of the 1800s. A single Spanish mare "Flaebe" is considered as the ancestor of the Knabstrupper population today. Flaebe was unusual in colour – deep red with snowflake patterns and a white mane and tail. The breed is described as lively, friendly, sociable, and cooperative in nature, and is known to be hardy and healthy, and tolerable against disease. Furthermore, the Knabstrupper is also known for its appreciable speed and endurance.

Intensive breeding let to regression of the spotted appearance associated with the breed. Further, bad luck combined with inbreeding problems weakened the breed. Since then, crossbreeding has aided in counteracting the rate of inbreeding and population decline. In 1947, the first association promoting the Knabstrupper horse was founded. Later, a country-wide breeding organization was established in 1971. At that time, the only criteria for breeding selection were spotted appearance resulting in crossbreeding with breeds like the appaloosa breed. Other crossbred breeds were Danish warmblood breeds such as Trakehner and Holstein and Frederiksborg horse.

According to the breed association, the number of livings Knabstrupper horses is currently around 2400 animals. The association reports that 90-116 foals are born annually. In addition to Denmark, the breed is also found in Australia, Germany and Italy based on DAD-IS (299 individuals in total). The Danish Agriculture Agency grants support to purebred foals

https://lbst.dk/landbrug/genetiske-ressourcer/husdyrgenetiske-ressourcer/genbanken

Faroe Islands

The Faroese horse (Føroysk ross)

The Faroese horse is the only native horse breed from the Faroe Islands. The breed is hardy and adapted to the Faroese climate. It is smaller than the Icelandic horse, but larger than the Shetland pony. Its friendly nature makes it well suited for children and therapy riding, but the horse is also suitable for landscape management. Unfortunately, the breed is classified as critically endangered as there are only 82 Faroese horses left (April 2024). Of these 82 horses, there are 31 potential breeding mares, and only 2-10 foals are born annually. For the status of the breed to improve from “critically endangered” to “endangered”, the number of breeding mares needs to increase to 300.

Finland

The Finnhorse (Suomenhevonen)

To be accepted in the studbook, the horses of each line need to meet certain section-specific criteria that include size, conformation, performance, gaits, health, and behaviour. Suomen Hippos has defined the criteria for different breeding lines. In accordance with the breeding goal, the:

trotters are athletic and muscular. They have a well-proportioned head and an upright positioned neck. Their body is round and has a strong loin and croup hind end. The movements of the trotters are rhythmic and regular. By nature, they are utterly competitive.
draft horses have a strong build. They have a long and deep body, sloping shoulders, and a good wither position. The draft horses are wide from the point of shoulder and croup and have a strong loin and croup. The draft horses’ movements are regular and forward going. The draft horses are hardy by nature. The genome of Finnhorse mare (draft horse section) has been annotated as a reference genome as the first coldblooded equine genome in the world (Pokharel et al., 2023).
riding horses are athletic and competent. They have a well-proportioned head and an upright positioned long neck, a good topline, and a strong loin and croup. The strides of riding horses are even and flexible. Under saddle, the riding horses can shorten and lengthen the stride in all gait disciplines. On obstacles, the riding horses have good capacity and jumping technique and are brave, but cautious. Riding horses have a natural ability to carry themselves in good balance and are forward going by nature.
pony-type horses are small in all respects. The height at the withers and croups of pony-type horses are 148 cm or less. They have an expressive head, an upright positioned long neck, a good topline, and a strong loin and croup. The pony-type horses’ gait types are flexible and forward going. Under the saddle, the pony-type horses can shorten and lengthen the stride in all gait disciplines. The pony-type horses have an innate ability to carry themselves in good balance. They are versatile and high performing. By nature, they are forward-going, and cooperative.

Iceland

The Icelandic horse (íslenski hesturinn)

The Icelandic horse is believed to be established based on horses brought to Iceland during the settlement 1100 years ago. The closest relatives appear to be the Nordland/ Lyngen, but the breed is also related to the Norwegian Fjord horse, the Faroe Islands horse, the Shetland pony and the Mongolian horse. Considering the value of horses for transportation as well as the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean on small ships, it is likely that the settlers picked strong and sturdy individuals to fund their future herds. For centuries the horse was the primary means of transportation in Iceland. The harsh weather conditions have without a doubt shaped the stock significantly. Records show that the population of the Icelandic horse has fluctuated quite dramatically. The most dramatic decline in the population size was during the Laki volcanic eruption in 1783-84, when the number of horses reduced from 33000 to 8500. Fifty years later, in 1835, the population had grown to 36000 individuals.

The Icelandic horse has served well as a draft horse since the 1800 and was bred as such until the mid-1900s, when materialization took over. The invention and use of tractors led to a considerable decline in the horse population. Organized breeding programmes were established in Iceland in the early 1900s when coordinated horse shows were initiated. Today, the breed has become a highly popular riding and gait competition horse, and selection is based on defined breeding goals. The most unique characteristics of the Icelandic horse are the great colour variation and its versatility with regards to gaiting ability; possessing five gaits; walk, trot, canter, tölt and flying pace. The smooth gait, tölt, has become a well-known quality symbol of the Icelandic horse and greatly contributes to its popularity worldwide.

Norway

Norwegian Fjord horse (Norsk Fjordhest)

The Norwegian Fjord horse, previously referred to as Vestland Fjord horse, originates from the fjord areas in western Norway. The Fjord horse is easy to feed, hardy and sure-footed in the terrain and is therefore well-adapted to variable landscapes. Due to its strength and steadiness, the breed proved highly valuable for transporting important goods through the mountains and along fjords in the early to mid-1800s when the road structure in western Norway was poor. During the 20^th century, the Fjord horse was bred purely on the dun colour that is an important breed characteristic even today.

At the initiative of the Royal Society for the Welfare of Norway (Norges Vel), the first stud book for Fjord horses was published in 1910. The Fjord horse is a versatile horse with many uses. Today, the breed is mainly used for riding, leisure, and sports, but its versatility and calm nature has also proved useful in riding school, for therapy riding and working as well. Based on a systematic study conducted by NordGen (Kierkegaard et al., 2020), 23 easily accessible studies were found that included the breed until 2019. This makes the Fjord horse the most characterized horse breed in Norway.

The Fjord horse is the Norwegian national horse breed that has the largest populations outside Norway’s borders (in Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the USA). In Norway, there are about 5800 Fjord horses, with an estimation of 80 000 Fjord horses worldwide. The annual Norwegian Championship (NM) for Fjord horse is a combined competition where the purpose is to promote the versatile use of the Fjord horse. To emphasize the versatility of the team, the competition consists of various riding and driving exercises. In addition, the award of “Best Young Fjord horse (BUF)” was created to promote young horses. The first NM in Fjord horses was held in 1986. At the end of the 90s, the week surrounding the annual NM for Fjord horse evolved to include extra open classes – increasing public interest and prolonging the competition to last between 5-7 days. This week could be referred to as “the NM week” and has now become a horse festival. The NM in Fjord horses is one of the largest horse competitions in Norway and is becoming increasingly popular with up to 150 participating teams.

The Dole horse (Dølahest)

The Dole horse is a healthy, functional, medium-heavy horse with good working abilities, which is known to be strongly built, versatile, reliable, and calm. The breed originated in Gudbrandsdalen and in the east of Norway in general. The breed was established in 1857 and was bred specifically for agriculture and forestry and transportation. Today, the Dole horse is used as a sports and leisure horse, but it is still used as a workhorse in agriculture and forestry as well.

The Nordland/ Lyngen horse (Nordlandshest/ Lyngenhest)

The Nordland/ Lyngen horse is a highly versatile breed that has not only been used for all kinds of farm work, but also as a carriage and riding horse. It is strong enough to carry an adult rider and is suitable in size and temperament for children and adolescents. The first known and documented exhibition where this breed participated was in 1898 at Lyngseidet in Troms. The organized breeding of Nordland/ Lyngen horses started in the 1930s. At that time, the population was located in the northernmost counties with the main population along the Lyngenfjord in Troms. The breed was recognized by the ministry in 1968, and the first stallion was registered in a studbook in 1969.

The breed has been called Lyngen horse or Nordland horse depending on where in the country it has been, but in 1998 it was decided that the official name is Nordland horse/ Lyngen horse. Nordland/Lyngen horses are well suited for competitions and compete in all riding and driving disciplines. The breed is also suitable for tourist riding and as a pack horse. There are currently about 2300 horses of the breed in Norway.

The Norwegian Coldblooded trotter (Norsk kaldblodstraver)

The Norwegian Coldblooded trotter is a hardy, versatile and strong horse breed that has a common origin with the Norwegian Dole horse. The stallion Veikle Balder, born in 1849 at Korsvoll Dovre, is considered the ancestor of the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter. This stallion left a strong impact on horse breeding and can be found in the pedigree of almost all coldblooded trotters today.

Over time, the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter has been refined into a lighter breed to improve both its speed and agility, and its main area of use is trotting. Trotting is the oldest organized sport in Norway. The first known trotting races were organized in 1832, and in 1875 the Norwegian Trotting Association, Det Norske Travselseskap (DNT) was founded.

Although the breed is bred for a specific area of use, its versatility makes it well suited as a leisure- and competition horse in other riding and driving sports. The Swedish and Norwegian Coldblooded trotters are closely related, and the countries established a cooperation agreement regarding breeding and racing for the Coldblooded trotter in 2000. DNT has 11 federations and 162 local associations spread across Norway. The DNT committee comprises of 6 members, and 3 deputy members chosen by the general assembly of DNT. At present there are approximately 12 000 coldblooded trotters in the country. Veikle Balder, an interest organization that works to safeguard the coldblooded horse is one of DNT’s collaborating organisations.

Sweden

The Gotland pony (Gotlandsruss)

The Gotland pony is a robust popular family pony, used for various purposes such as riding, working, and trotting. It is one of the oldest horse breeds in Europe. For over thousands of years, the breed has adapted to life in Gotland, where horses still graze as a seminatural condition. In appearance, it resembles the Polish Hucul and Koni breeds as well as British Exmoor pony.

The breed shows great endurance and is considered highly disease resistant, making them popular for working and competition purposes. High endurance and robustness are favourable traits which will become more significant with the present issues of climate change and the continuous evolution of diseases.

Although the Gotland pony is one of the oldest Swedish horse breeds, few studies exist concerning its socio-cultural significance. Many Gotland ponies are born on Gotland where they are kept in large herds on the Lojsta heath. During the last 5 years, the population has been stable (approximately 5000) – the reported mares in Sweden is about 2500 (2020), and approximately 250-300 foals are born. Responsibility for the practical breeding work lies with the Swedish Russ Breeding Association (Svenska Russavelsföreningen – www.gotlandsruss.se). The association is also invested in spreading knowledge about the breed.

The Swedish Coldblooded trotter (Kallblodstravare)

The Swedish Coldblooded trotter descends from the lighter line of the North-Swedish horse, which, in turn, descend from the Nordic landrace horse 2000-3000 B.C. It is probably the oldest trotting breed in the world. Together with the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter and the Finnhorse, the Swedish Coldblooded trotter forms a group of the world's coldblooded trotters. The native breed history is in many ways the basis for trotting as a sport in the Nordic countries. Its ability to walk and trot became particularly important in the Nordic climate with the invention of the sled. The versatility of the breed has also made it appreciated in equestrian and driving sports.

Phenotypic traits, genetic diversity based on pedigree data, and molecular genetic diversity within and between breeds of Swedish Coldblooded trotter have been characterized in a reasonable extent. Inbreeding has also been calculated within the framework of research at SLU and NMBU with the Swedish Trotting Association (ST). However, there are no studies that have examined the socio-cultural significance of the breed.

The breeding evaluation of stallions considers various factors, including breed type, health status, performance, breeding index, degree of inbreeding, and the relationship between the stallion and the population. Swedish and Norwegian Coldblooded trotters have cooperated in breeding work across borders since 2000 and currently share a common breeding program. The purpose was to improve the situation of the Swedish Coldblooded trotter, but the introduction of the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter into breeding did not yield the desired results as Norwegian stallions now dominate the populations of coldblooded trotters. Further, inbreeding has increased more rapidly in the Swedish part of the population during the recent years.

The Swedish Board of Agriculture has listed the Coldblooded trotter as a breed that Sweden is responsible for, but it is not categorised as endangered. This is different from the risk status it has in DAD-IS, where it is listed as endangered, which reflects upon the necessity to correctly report numbers into DAD-IS. Today, there are about 12 000 Coldblooded trotters in Sweden. Measures have been taken by the Swedish Trotting Association to prevent population decline (about 15% since 2000) through the redistribution of breeding funds, foal subsidies and the design of the competition system.

The North Swedish horse (Nordsvensk brukhäst)

The North Swedish horse is a medium sized, coldblooded working horse. The North Swedish horse derives from the crosses of local horses in the Swedish mainland, and is described as a dependable, calm, and durable breed. The official breeding association was established in 1924. Prior to this, the breed had had a long history as a human companion: The horse has been illustrated both as a riding horse and draft horse in the petroglyphs from the Bronze Age. After the invention of the harness in the 8th century, the horse was used to pull heavier loads, and as the trade between Norway and Sweden increased, it was this breed that was largely used to transport goods both within Sweden and across the border to Norway.

The industrialization led to the utilization of larger machines and therefore required heavier working animals. Subsequently, different European heavier breeds were imported and crossbred with local breeds. The Ardennes breed in the south of Sweden became most suitable for this kind of heavy work. In the northern regions, however, the North Swedish horse became an asset, because its characteristics were more valuable in smaller agricultural sites. The number of mares in Sweden is approximately 2500, and approximately 420 foals are born annually. North-Swedish horse stallions have been used to mate the Norwegian Dole Horse mares.

The Swedish Ardennes (Svensk Ardenner)

The Swedish Ardennes is described as medium sized working horse. The Ardennes horse has a relatively short history as a native breed in Sweden, as the first horses were imported from Belgium (the origin of the Ardennes breed) in the 1870s. The imported horses were small and durable, and thus suitable for war conditions. After being introduced to Sweden, Ardennes horses were used to cross with local horses, which resulted in stronger working horses for pulling heavy machinery, especially in southern and central Sweden. Unfortunately, the Swedish Ardennes population declined due to the modernization of agriculture and is currently classified as endangered. The number of mares in Sweden is 700 (2018).

Five full generations of Ardennes are required for registration in the studbook, in which case all parents are registered in the studbook. In addition, it is also required that the stallion is DNA tested and that previous matings and foals are registered to ensure that no harmful defects are inherited.

A.2 Questionnaire

The following questions were sent to contact persons in the horse sector for each Nordic country.

Which organisations/government branches regulate horse keeping and breeding in your country?
What laws regulate horse breeding and horse registration in your country?
Which organisations are certified for giving out EU horse passports?
Is there a national registry for all horses in the country? Or what type of registration exists?
Total number of horses in the country
Number of imported horses per year?
Number of exported horses per year?
Number of horses per breed type?
- Native horses (number of horses per breed)
- Other breed categories (warmbloods, trotters, ponies etc.) (Number of horses per category)
Number of foals born per year in the country?
- Per breed category if possible
Is there a national conservation program for the native breeds? If so: how is it organized
Do you have a cryo /gene bank conservation program for the native breeds in your country? If so: how is it organized
Does your country have subsidies for the keeping of native breeds? If so, how much and how is it organized?
Which laws and regulations are regulating the conservation program and the keeping of native breeds in your country? For example, is there any regulation for protecting native breeds?
How many commercial horse breeding organisations are there in your country?
For example: Stud farms, breed association or similar
Which breeds are mainly represented in commercial horse breeding activities?
Is breeding of sport horses mainly within country or mainly import?
How is breeding and registration of horses financed? Can you give approximate numbers of cost/budgets? (government funding, sponsors, fees etc)
Is there any additional information or links that you could provide to complement this information? (reports, etc.)
If you are not able to provide the necessary information from this questionnaire, could you please direct us to a contact person that might be able to answer.