History
History of the breed from inception to present...
Horses from the Heavenly mountains district on the China/Siberia border were known as Heavenly Horses. They appear in ancient art and are mentioned in ancient Chinese writings. We are not 100% certain of their roots but they appear to have surfaced into the region of the Ferghana Valley. Some accounts refer to them as "blood sweating horses" while others, "horses of the air." Obviously scarce in number when discovered, they were jealously guarded by their original caretakers. Coveted by Chinese Emperors and Persian Royalty, great battles were fought to own some of them. Battles were not only fought for ownership but upon their backs. Reports that "long after riders had been knocked from their backs, the brave Tiger Horses fought on alone" reached the Emperors ears so he sent for some of them. The acquisition of the original 12 Tiger Horses, appears to have taken a 12 year journey fraught with danger.
It is thought that when seen from a distance, their glistening spots, wet with the sweat of battle, were mistaken for blood drops, hence the name "blood sweating horses." Others argue that swamp insects worried the horses to the point of creating open bloody sores. Whatever the truth, we know today that insects prefer to settle on our solid colored horses and not those with many spots. Perhaps the insects see the clusters of spots as larger insects to avoid, we can only speculate.
It is the philosophy of TIGRE to share our knowledge with others. Obviously we encourage membership, but we readily share our formula for success with those who merely ask. We urge interested parties to join TIGRE and to work together towards increased numbers of both members and top quality Tiger Horses. Our emphasis however is on quality, rather than quantity. We CAN bring back the Tiger.
TIGRE horses are well publicized and known throughout the USA and in many foreign countries as a unique new breed of horse. We are kept busy supplying photographs and text for equine publications around the world. This is only possible because of copious examples of successful Tiger Horse production. We have multiple international members, as well as registered horses. If you do not see the word TIGRE on the registration certificate of horses claiming to be registered Tiger Horses, then the horse is not an official Tiger Horse.