for riding and other uses. In the 21st century, most Finnhorses are bred to be trotters, but the breed is also popular at riding schools and for recreational riding. The Finnhorse is a relatively unknown horse breed outside of Finland, with no organised efforts to promote it internationally. The very word "Finnhorse" was only recently coined, and only became the standard name after 1990. However, a few Finnhorses exist outside Finland, having been exported in small numbers to nations such as Germany and Sweden. As part of an equestrian exchange project carried out in the 1980s, a number of Finnhorses were sold to Austria and Germany in 1985 and 1987. In Germany, the horses were used as foundation bloodstock for the Freund stud, which went on to breed dozens of Finnhorses, selling them in Germany and Austria. A number of horses were also exported to the Netherlands. The German Finnhorse population remains the most notable one outside Finland, with 150 animals. Apart from the exchange project of the late 1980s, activity to export the Finnhorse has been minimal. However, a 2008 study stated that increased international interest and demand for the Finnhorse was advisable to ensure the survival of the breed. To this end, the objectives of the national breeding program, as of 2008, include increasing international recognition of the Finnhorse and generating demand for the breed for recreation and lower level equestrian education; to make it the standard breed used in Finland for equestrian tourism; and to improve the opportunities for Finnhorse trotters to participate in Swedish and Norwegian heats. Within Finland, the Finnhorse is considered to have value as the national horse breed with cultural ties and strong support from a variety of Finnhorse organisations. On the other hand, progress in popularizing the breed internationally is complicated by its low population and lack of international recognition. The strengths of the breed in international disciplines are considered to be its good health and working qualities, its versatility, and its novelty value outside of Finland. The versatility of the breed's "universal" horse type, a Finnish concept, has plusses and minuses: It creates a challenge in marketing because of its vague status to buyers who currently tend to seek conventional horse types, and as a result it lacks a strong advantage over specialized breeds. Yet, the versatility of the Finnhorse can also be an advantage; more specialised breeds may be limited