Old English Black Horse Breed Now Extinct

Old English Black

The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings and the events leading to it.

Old English Black is an extinct horse breed.

During the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, the conquerors took some of the Great Horses from Europe across the English Channel and crossed them on native mares. Eventually, a distinct type evolved that was known as the Old English Black Horse.

Despite the name, the breed had not been a color breed. For a long period of time, bays and browns were more commonplace than blacks. There were also roans, grays, and chestnuts among them. The color markings were not unlike those of Clydesdale horses, with the desired pattern being four white stocking and a well-defined bald face.

Eventually, the Old English Black Horse became extinct as a distinct breed and its bloodlines merged into other breeds. The Old English Black Horse heavily influenced the bloodlines of the Clydesdale and Shire, and these breeds today have many features inherited from their ancestors.