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The Finnhorse or Finnish Horse ((フィンランド語:Suomenhevonen), literally "horse of Finland"; nickname: ''Suokki'', or (スウェーデン語:Finskt kallblod), literally "finnish cold-blood") is a horse breed with both riding horse and draught horse influences and characteristics, and is the only breed developed fully in Finland. In English it is sometimes called the Finnish Universal, as the Finns consider the breed capable of fulfilling all of Finland's horse needs, including agricultural and forestry work, harness racing, and riding. In 2007, the breed was declared the official national horse breed of Finland.〔 The Finnhorse is claimed to be among the fastest and most versatile "coldblood" breeds in the world. In Finland, the term "universal horse" is used to describe the Finnhorse and breeds such as the Fjord horse that are relatively small with a body type that is heavy for a riding horse but light for a draught. There are four separate sections within the Finnhorse stud book, each with different goals: to develop a heavier working horse, a lighter trotter type, a versatile riding horse, and a proportionally smaller pony-sized animal. The combined breed standard for all four sections defines the breed as a strong, versatile horse with pleasant disposition. The average height of the breed is , and the most typical colour is chestnut, often with white markings and a flaxen mane and tail. The exact origins of the early Finnish horse are currently not known. Because the Finnhorse breed and its progenitors were the only horses in Finland for centuries, the history of horses in Finland parallels the history of the Finnhorse itself. The documented history of the distinct breed begins at the turn of the 13th century. Outside influences by many light and warmblood breeds were recorded beginning in the 16th century, making the breed larger and more usable. An official Finnhorse studbook was founded in 1907, producing purebred animals in significant numbers for many years. Due to mechanisation of agriculture and the dismantling of Finnish horse cavalry in the later half of the 20th century, the Finnhorse population plummeted from a high of just over 400,000 animals in the 1950s to a low of 14,100 in 1987. However, the breed managed to survive thanks to its popularity for harness racing and its versatility as a mount. ==Breed characteristics== The breed standard defines the Finnhorse as a multi-purpose horse of average height, and sturdy conformation. The ideal Finnhorse is easy-to-handle, versatile, and combines strength, agility, speed and endurance.〔〔 Finnhorses are lively, with both a reliable and alert temperament. The breed standard encourages a horse that is "honest and sincere"; eager to cooperate with humans, obedient, and willing to work.〔 They are hardy with good endurance, robust health, and are generally long-lived. The breed standard describes the head of a Finnhorse as dry and the profile straight, not long or convex, with well-spaced, short ears. The neck should be well-shaped and not underslung or ewe-necked;〔 the body should be on the long side, but rounded and proportionate; and the croup should neither be level nor with a too-high connection to the tail.〔 Finnhorses are strongly muscled, with good bone, sturdy "dry" legs, and strong hooves.〔 Finnhorses typically have thick manes and tails, and the legs have light feathering.〔 The average height is .〔 Pony-sized Finnhorses—under —exist as well, and are licensed for breeding in a separate section of the official stud book.〔〔 Finnhorses have good gaits that are regular with elasticity,〔 and relatively low, steady action.〔 They are fast for a coldblooded breed,〔〔 known as good trotting horses and used for harness racing.〔 In addition to these general traits, there are four separate breed sections in the Finnhorse studbook, and a Finnhorse's overall conformation should be typical of the section in which it is recorded,〔 though some horses are registered in multiple sections. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Finnhorse」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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