[1]: 11  Morphological research published in 2012 characterised eight distinct breeds or types with different regional distributions.

[6]: 40 Eight distinct breeds or regional types of horse are found in Ethiopia.

[4]: 5 [5]: 1 The Abyssinian type or breed is found mostly in the northern part of Ethiopia, particularly in the Semien Mountains in the area of Gondar, in the Amhara Region.

[4]: 10 The Bale breed or type has poor conformation, with a heavy belly and sway back.

It is found in highland areas of the Bale Zone of the Oromia Region, in the southern part of the country.