The North Swedish Horse is a small heavy horse originating in Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. According to different sources, it is considered a light draft horse

Draft horse

A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...

 or a "universal type horse". The breed also has lighter lines, bred for harness racing

Harness racing

Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...

. The North Swedish Horse is active and tough, and resembles closely its near relative, the Dølahest. It is still used for forestry work.

History and breeding

The North Swedish Horse has ancient origins closely connected with those of its neighbour, the Norwegian Dølahest. The breed has been cross-bred to a great extent, and it was only after a breed society was established at the end of the 19th century when a more uniform type was created. Dølahest stallions from Norway were used, and at the beginning of the 20th century stringent performance tests for breeding stock were introduced.

Nowadays, the breeding it strictly controlled, and the animals intended for breeding are thoroughly tested. The primary qualities desired in a breeding horse are good character, pulling capacity and fertility. The legs and hooves

Horse hoof

A horse hoof is a structure surrounding the distal phalanx of the 3rd digit of each of the four limbs of Equus species, which is covered by complex soft tissue and keratinised structures...

 are examined by X-ray

X-ray

X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...

.

Characteristics

The North Swedish horse is agile and easy to train. Its conformation is compact and robust, while being relatively light for a draft horse. Regarding its small size it is very strong and durable, and its has an energetic, long-strided trot. A typical character is gentle and willing. The breed is known for its longevity and great health.

The North Swedish Horse is economical to feed and very active. It is a rather dumpy horse, with a big head and long ears. The neck is short and thick. The shoulders are sloping, the body is deep and the back long. The quarters are rounded, with a sloping croup. The legs are short, with substantial bone. The mane and tail are abundant. The horse is any solid colour and is high.

Use

The North Swedish Horse is one of the few cold-blood breeds used in harness racing

Harness racing

Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...

. The current world record of coldblood trotters, 1:17.9 (per kilometre) is currently held by Järvsöfaks

Järvsöfaks

Järvsöfaks is a Swedish trotter. He holds the current coldblood trotter's world record in wins, consecutive wins , and the coldblood trotter world record time, 1:17.9 per a kilometre. His bloodlines include both Swedish and Norwegian coldblood trotters....

, who is of part Swedish, part Norwegian

Dole Gudbrandsdal

The Dole Gudbrandsdal, Dølahest or Dole is a draft- and harness-type horse from Norway. The Dole Trotter is alternately considered a subtype of the Dole Gudbrandsdal and a separate breed; it is also considered a part of the Coldblood trotter type...

lineage. North Swedish Horses are well suited for agricultural and forestry work. In Sweden they are popular for recreational equestrian activities.