List Of U.S. State Horses
Some breeds, such as the American Quarter Horse in Texas and the Morgan horse in Vermont and Massachusetts, were named as the state horse because of the close connection between the history of the breed and the state. Others, including the Tennessee Walking Horse and the Missouri Fox Trotter, include the state in the official breed name. School children have lobbied for the cause of some state horses, such as the Colonial Spanish Horse being named the state horse of North Carolina due to the presence of the Spanish-descended Banker horses in the Outer Banks, while others have been brought to official status through the lobbying efforts of their breed registries.
Official state horses are one of many state symbols officially designated by states. Each state has its own flag and state seal, and many states also designate other symbols, including animals, plants, and foods. Such items usually are designated because of their ties to the culture or history of that particular state. In addition to being state symbols in their own right, horses have also appeared in state symbols; for example, a horse's head appears on the seal of New Jersey.
State horses
State | Breed | Description | Image | Year designated | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Racking Horse | The Racking Horse is a breed of horse known for its ambling gait. The breed association is headquartered in Decatur, Alabama. | 1975 | ||
Florida | Florida Cracker Horse | The Florida Cracker Horse was first brought to what is now Florida in the 1500s by Spanish explorers, and it played a large part in the development of the state's cattle and general agriculture industries. | 2008 | ||
Idaho | Appaloosa | The Appaloosa has made a substantial contribution to Idaho history, mainly through its association with the Nez Perce Indian tribe. | ![]() |
1975 | |
Kentucky | Thoroughbred | The Thoroughbred is the center of a multi-billion dollar breeding and racing industry in Kentucky. | ![]() |
1996 | |
Maryland | Thoroughbred | Maryland has a long history of breeding and racing Thoroughbreds, and today maintains an extensive network of breeding farms, training centers and racecourses. | ![]() |
2003 | |
Massachusetts | Morgan | The foundation sire of the Morgan breed, named Figure, was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts in 1789. | ![]() |
1970 | |
Mississippi | American Quarter Horse | The American Quarter Horse, is well-suited for the intricate and quick maneuvers required for rodeo events. | ![]() |
2024 | |
Missouri | Missouri Fox Trotter | The Fox Trotter is a gaited breed developed in the Missouri Ozarks. | ![]() |
2002 | |
New Jersey | Horse (state animal) | As of the designation of the horse as the state animal, New Jersey contained over 4,500 horse farms housing almost 40,000 horses and played host to a horse industry that extensively contributed to the preservation of natural lands in the state. | ![]() |
1977 | |
North Carolina | Colonial Spanish Mustang | This state breed references the Banker horse of the Outer Banks, descended from Spanish stock. | 2010 | ||
North Dakota | Nokota (honorary equine) | Nokota is a name given to a population of horses in the badlands of southwestern North Dakota, named after the Nakota Indian tribe that inhabited the area. | ![]() |
1993 | |
Oklahoma | American Quarter Horse | Oklahoma was home to Quarter Horses ridden by cowboys, Native Americans, pioneers, and others who built Oklahoma as a state. | 2022 | ||
South Carolina | Carolina Marsh Tacky | The Marsh Tacky was developed in the swampy Low Country region of South Carolina, and has played an integral part in the state's history. | ![]() |
2010 | |
Tennessee | Tennessee Walking Horse | The Tennessee Walker is a gaited breed initially developed in middle Tennessee. | ![]() |
2000 | |
Texas | American Quarter Horse | The history of the Quarter Horse is closely intertwined with that of Texas, where the breed was used for ranching and racing. The American Quarter Horse Association is headquartered in Amarillo, Texas. | 2009 | ||
Vermont | Morgan (state animal) | The Morgan breed was developed mainly in Vermont, where the founding stallion, Figure, lived most of his life and died in 1821. | ![]() |
1961 | |
Virginia | Chincoteague Pony (state pony) | The Chincoteague herd is owned and managed by the volunteer fire company of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island. Although referred to as a pony breed, the Chincoteague is phenotypically a horse. | ![]() |
2023 |
Proposed breeds
State | Breed | Description | Image | Year proposed | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona | Colonial Spanish Horse | The Colonial Spanish Horse has a long history in Arizona, mainly through the Wilbur-Cruce strain originally bred near Arivaca. | ![]() |
2010 (re-proposed in 2011) | |
Nevada | Mustang | Senate Bill 90 (SB90) would make the wild mustang Nevada's official state horse. However, the bill remains controversial. | ![]() |
2023 | |
Oregon | Kiger Mustang | The Kiger Mustang is a strain of Mustang found in a feral state only in southeastern Oregon. | ![]() |
2001 |
State symbols
Horses, both official state horses and not, are present in the emblems of several states.
State | Symbol | Image | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Delaware | State quarter – Caesar Rodney on horseback | ![]() |
1999 | |
Idaho | License plate – Appaloosa | 2003 | ||
Kentucky | State quarter – Thoroughbred | ![]() |
2001 | |
Maryland | Obverse state seal – Knight on horseback | ![]() |
1969 | |
Minnesota | Former state seal – Native American on horseback | ![]() |
1858, 1971, 1983, 1987 | |
Nevada | State quarter – Mustang | ![]() |
2006 | |
New Jersey | State seal and coat of arms – Horse | ![]() |
1928 | |
Pennsylvania | Coat of arms and flag – Horses | ![]() |
Coat of arms: 1875 Flag: 1907 |