Breed Standard

Tarpan horses are rare. Our current registry of Heck line Tarpan horses in the US and Canada numbers under 100 with only half of these of breeding potential. Records were lost for both Heck line and Stroebel Tarpans, although we have segments of the historical registries, including the North American Tarpan Association (NATA) and the Stroebel Tarpan Registry of America. We are now seeking to rebuild the registries, focusing on the past 20 years.

Tarpan horse DNA  
DNA testing on a set of genetic markers reveals the alleles that give a high probability an individual is descended from a Tarpan horse—either as a purebred or as a cross with another known breed.  Basing our registry on DNA data help us to conserve the breed, enabling us to protect the breed’s genetic integrity and also promote its diversity.

Researchers in the laboratory at Texas A&M University (TAMU) maintain the dataset of Tarpan horses of Heck bloodlines
( TAMU Animal Genetics ) TAMU scientists also conduct DNA analyses of horse displaying potential Tarpan horse traits with colleagues in Europe. Some records for Stroebel Tarpan horses are kept by the veterinary lab at University of California-Davis.

After DNA verification, we currently register Tarpan Horses with Heck bloodlines as:  
1. Purebred Tarpan Horse with Heck bloodlines*: Traditional black dun (grulla) color, height 12-14 hands, dorsal stripe, typically has stripes on legs, two-tone mane and tail. Mane upright if trimmed.  May have white markings due to recessive color genes. Homozygous black color can be tested for breeding animals.
2. Purebred Tarpan Horse with Heck bloodlines: Non-traditional golden or rose color. These are horses that meet all requirements for (1) except they have recessive red alleles from both parents.
3. Tarpan Horse Cross with Heck bloodlines: Black dun, golden dun, or other coloration, may have white markings, height may vary outside 12-14 hand range, DNA test identifies Tarpan Horse and another breed in ancestry.

Some observable qualities of Tarpan Horses of Heck bloodlines include:
• Small size yet powerful build
• Hard dense hoof that rarely needs trimming and does not need shoes
• Highly protective and nurturing with offspring, other animals, humans
• Level-headed and, independent (they like to think it was their idea)
• Curious, desiring to be involved in your activity, acutely but calmly aware of surroundings• “Easy keepers” that do best on a forage-based, rather than a grain-based diet.
• They thrive in hilly grass pastures with some natural forest cover and clean, running water or waterers.

*Consistent with the description of the Tarpan horse in Ellen J. Thrall, 1975, American Tarpan Studbook (1954-1973), Caballus Publishers, Fort Collins, CO, p. 4.

If you have or know of someone who has a Tarpan horse, please inform us.  Identifying and documenting Tarpan horses can help us conserve this unique breed.   

Please click here for the registry of Heck Tarpan horses in North America as of April 2, 2024.  Please contact us for copies of the historic registry at  tarpansconserve@gmail.com (please write: “Tarpan Horse Registry” in the Subject line).