The Albanian horse comes in two types, the Mountain horse and the Plains horse. The Mountain horse is smaller, lighter, more agile and livelier than the Plains horse. The Mountain horse also tends to have better endurance and a higher resistance to disease. The Plains horse (also called Myzeqeja after the Myzeqeja lowland region) is larger, stronger and more robust with an easy ambling gait. That said, these two types have been interbred since the 1990s making the distinction between the two much less clear.

In 1947, Arabian, Haflinger, and Nonius horses were crossed with Albanian horses. Originally, Albanian horses were bred mainly for transportation. Crossbreeding sped up in the 1990s to increase the animal's size for better agricultural work. Breeds are improved in large breeding centers such as Zootechnic Station at Shkodra and also at specialized farms.

ORIGIN
The Albanian horse is a native of the Balkan Peninsula. It is believed to have descended from Tarpan, Mongolian, and Turkmenian horses. Arabian blood was introduced to Albanian horses in the 14th century during the Ottoman Empire.

PHYSICAL FEATURES / PHYSIQUE
Albanian horses are smaller than your average horse. Mountain horses measure from 12.2 to 12.3 hands and Plains horses measure from 12.3 to 13.2 hands. The average male weighs 670 pounds an the average female weighs 573. The Mountain horse is known for its freedom of movement, agility in different terrain. It is said to be very similar to the Hucul pony of Romania (also known as Carpathian mountain pony). The Plains horse is very good at travelling long distances and converts food very efficiently. Both horses are very strong for their size. Traditional colors of the Albanian horse are black, chestnut, grey and bay.

TEMPERAMENT
Albanian horses are known to have a lively temperament. They have high energy and endurance.

USES / ASSETS
Until fairly recently, Albanian horses were used mainly as a source of transportation. Now, they are used mostly for light draft and agricultural work. Only occasionally are they used for riding. They can work in extreme conditions and are very agile in rough terrain.

STATUS
Since 1980, the number of Albanian horses has greatly increased. In the early 1990s, steps were taken to improve the breed for agricultural work. This has continued to today on specialized farms and at breeding centers in Albania. Arabian, Haflinger, and Nonius breeds have been used in improving the Albanian horse.