Cherry Blossom season is here, and I've noticed that HP currently lacks ANY living breed of Japanese Horses. So, we should totally fix that! :D

The Kiso Horse (also called the Kisouma) is one of the eight indigenous breeds of Japan, with seven out of eight of those breeds being on the brink of extinction. The Kiso horse is no exception, with less then 140 members of the breed left as of 2023. The breed is the only one that comes from the main island of Japan, and originated in the Kiso Valley.

Historically the breed was used as farming and pack horses, but were also very well prized by Samurai as they are amongst the larger of the Japanese breeds and having a smooth gait which allowed for mounted archery and combat.

The Kiso horse stands at 12.2 to 13 hands high, and the breed is known for commonly having a dorsal stripe. The Kiso currently has coat colors of bay, seal brown, chestnut, dun and buckskin in the few living horses left. However there is ample proof that the breed came in black, grey, and palomino as well prior to 1960.

Today the breed is maintained by a conservation group, and are used for tourism, therapy, mounted archery and historical re-enactments from the era of the Samurai.

There is also a nice little Youtube video on the Kiso horse by DiscoverTheHorse, showing the Kiso in action, including mounted archery!

Riding the Kiso Horse in Japan!

So yeah! Let's celebrate the cherry blossom season and spring and bring back this historically awesome little horse!

1. Kiyoko

2. Swirly

3. Naima

Also I was doing a lot of research on Japanese breeds recently. Maybe some day when I'm bored I should make a little educational post about all the breeds, because the history of the horse in Japan is fascinating.