Riwoche Horse

The Riwoche Horse is a lesser-known breed found only in the Riwoche Valley of Tibet.

This hardy breed is known for its sure-footedness and agility, as well as its strength and resilience in difficult terrain.

If you’re interested in learning more about this fascinating breed, keep reading!

Riwoche Horse Breed Info

Here are some of the key things you need to know about the Riwoche horse:

Height (size) Around 12.0 hands high
Colors Dun-colored coats with black forelegs and a dark dorsal stripe leading from the base of their short, black, upright mane to their black tail. Some striping is also visible on the back of their legs.
Country of Origin China (Tibet)
Common Uses Riding, packing

Riwoche Horse Facts & Information (Breed Profile)

The Riwoche is a small horse native to northeastern Tibet’s Riwoche region, thus their name. 

The breed was discovered in 1995 by the French ethnologist Michel Peissel and his team in a remote valley that was 17 miles long (27 km), and could only be accessed by traveling over a mountain pass that was 16,000 ft high (5,000 m).

Their primitive look and small stature sparked suspicion at the time that they may be an evolutionary link between the wild Przewalski’s Horse and the modern domestic horse; and they did have a striking resemblance to horses in the ancient cave paintings.

In spite of this, more recent research has shown that the Riwoche breed is genetically indistinguishable from other modern horses. 

Still, their primitive markings, short, upright mane, and small stature, along with the fact that they come from one of the first cultures to domesticate the modern horse, show that they are a very old breed.

Although almost unknown outside of their homeland, Riwoche horses are crucial to the Bon-po people of that area.

The horses are utilized for both riding and packing, but are otherwise allowed to wander freely with their herd throughout the valley.

If you’re interested in learning more about this fascinating breed, keep reading!

Alternative Names

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Temperament/Personality

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Physical Characteristics

The head is wedge-shaped and very unusual, with slanted eyes, small ears, a small jaw, a straight, flat forehead and unique ‘duck-bill’ nostrils.

Overall it is a compactly built horse with relatively small hindquarters.

Colors

Dun-colored coats with black forelegs and a dark dorsal stripe leading from the base of their short, black, upright mane to their black tail.

Some striping is also visible on the back of their legs.

Height (size)

Around 12.0 hands high

Stallions

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Mares

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Weight

Around 660 lbs (300 kg)

Blood Type

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Common Uses

Riding, packing

Health

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Popular Traits

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Feeding/Diet

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Country of Origin

China (Tibet)

Ancestors

Unknown