The Jielin horse is an indigenous Chinese breed known for a larger, more powerfully built frame than most other native Chinese horse types. Developed in north-eastern China — the region broadly associated with what is now Jilin Province — it reflects centuries of selection for agricultural draught and transport under the cold continental climate of the Chinese interior.
Jielin horses stand approximately 14 to 15 hands (142–152 cm), larger than breeds such as the Jianchang, and carry greater bone and muscle mass, particularly through the the heavier bone mass through the hocks, cannon bone, and pastern. The breed presents in bay, chestnut, grey, and black the range of coat colours the breed presents in. Primary historical uses include field cultivation, heavy load transport, and light riding. Modern agricultural mechanisation has reduced working demand, and the Jielin is now bred in smaller numbers, primarily for meat and as a light riding horse. No international breed registry exists; the breed is documented within China's national equine breed survey.