Shagya Arabian horses

Profile: The Shagya Arabian takes its name from the breed's founding sire, Shagya, a dapple gray foaled in 1810. The breed was developed in the Austro-Hungarian empire of the 1800s to fill the need for a larger, sturdier riding horse while maintaining the endurance and intelligence of the Arabian. In 1947, General Patton brought the first Shagyas, Pilot and Gazall II, to America. Their offspring Bravo is considered the foundation sire of the Shagya in North America.

Characteristics: Shagyas share the high tail carriage and endurance of the purebred Arabian, but they tend to be taller and bigger-boned. The breed standard requires that cannon bones be no shorter than 7 inches.