Heck horse
Two Heck horses in the zoo of Stadt Haag, Austria
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| Country of origin | Germany |
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| Distinguishing features | Intended to resemble the extinct Tarpan |
The Heck horse is a horse breed that is claimed to resemble the tarpan (Equus ferus ferus), an extinct wild equine. The breed was created by the German zoologist brothers Heinz Heck and Lutz Heck in an attempt to breed back the tarpan. Although unsuccessful at creating a genetic copy of the extinct species, they developed a breed with grullo coloration and primitive markings. After the Nazi invasion of Poland, they were introduced to the Białowieża Forest, where a small herd still survives. Heck horses were subsequently exported to the United States, where a breed association was created in the 1960s.
Heck horses are dun or grullo (a dun variant) in color, with no white markings. The breed has primitive markings, including a dorsal stripe and horizontal striping on the legs. Heck horses generally stand between 12.2 and 13.2 hands (50 and 54 inches, 127 and 137 cm) tall. The head is large, the withers low, and the legs and hindquarters strong. The hooves are strong, often not needing shoeing. The gait of the Heck horse is high stepping, which makes them comfortable to ride and which is considered attractive while being driven. The breed is described as being calm, friendly, curious and intelligent, although very independent. The physical description of tarpans was very similar - strong, approximately the same height, and with the same coloration and primitive markings.
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