Finnhorse

Agricultural and forestry work were the traditional uses of the Finnhorse.

After the slow beginning, the Finnhorse was increasingly appreciated as a riding horse.

Apart from the exchange project of the late 1980s, activity to export the Finnhorse has been minimal.

It was later replaced with the Finnhorse studbook, founded in 1907.

The riding horse section Finnhorse is a capable and reliable mount.

The Finnhorse had a strong image as a harnessed working horse, associated with rural life and old times.

The very word "Finnhorse" was only recently coined, and only became the standard name after 1990.

The decrease of the popularity of the Finnhorse can be result from many factors.

The Finnhorse is most likely descended from a northern European domestic horse.

Many Finns also find the appearance of the Finnhorse comforting.

For a "coldblood" breed, the Finnhorse is quite fast.

Any colours other than chestnut were considered evidence of "foreign" blood, and the goal was to make the Finnhorse an all-chestnut breed.

In combined driving, the pony-sized Finnhorse's size is an advantage, allowing for greater agility.

Horses taking part in the contest must be registered in the Finnhorse studbook.

This reflects the durability of the Finnhorse, and the length of its effective racing career.

The official annual Finnhorse racing championship, Kuninkuusravit was first offered 1924.

However, a 2008 study stated that increased international interest and demand for the Finnhorse was advisable to ensure the survival of the breed.

The Finnhorse is the only coldblood breed raced in Finland.

The Finnhorse is claimed to be among the fastest and most versatile "coldblood" breeds in the world.

Vilkuna considers this practice an important factor in making the Finnhorse an easy-keeping, hardy breed.

At first the only notable objectives of the Finnhorse breeding programme concerned appearance, especially the colour, of the breed.

The German Finnhorse population remains the most notable one outside Finland, with 150 animals.

In 2010, a Finnhorse medaled in international paraequestrian dressage competition.

The trotter type is the lightest Finnhorse.

The Finnhorse is slower to mature than lighter breeds, and thus usually enters harness racing competition at the age of four.