Here are two more horse breeds lost to history.
The Norfolk trotter first appeared in England around 1750. The animals were known as “travel” horses because they could carry heavy riders for long distances at a fairly fast pace (about 17 mph). They could travel over just about any terrain and were also used as warhorses.
Variously known as the Norfolk roadster and the Yorkshire trotter, this breed was the progeny of a racehorse descended from the Darley Arabian.
In 1822, the Norfolk trotter came to America and, through selective breeding with Thoroughbred foundation sires, produced a number of other famous breeds: the standardbred, the Hackney, the Shales, and the Missouri fox trotter. No one knows exactly when the Norfolk trotter became extinct, but crossbreeding continued to dilute the bloodline until the original breed was lost.
The Yorkshire coach was born from crossing Cleveland bays and Thoroughbreds to produce stronger, faster, more elegant carriage horses. Cleveland bays weren’t fast or stylish enough for this prestigious position, but they had an exceptional disposition. Thoroughbreds were considered prettier, faster, and classier, but much too temperamental to be carriage horses. So breeders crossed the two to get the best characteristics of both. The Yorkshire coach was the result and became the preferred breed for carriage horses—especially in 18th-century London.
Colorful coaches, drivers, and horses decorated the city’s Hyde Park in those days, and the Yorkshire coach made quite an impression. The breed was handsome—typically brown or bay with a thick mane and tail, black eyes, and lengthy quarters. They stood 16 to 16.2 hands tall and high-stepped with grace and pride, almost excessively prim and proper, even by the standards of the day.
This is another breed that was lost through crossbreeding, but its foundation breeds still exist. So Yorkshire coach horses could be reintroduced, if someone were inclined to make the effort.
For more extinct horses, turn to page 23.