Description of the Don horse
The Don horse is the oldest domestic horse breed. Its appearance was facilitated by the Cossacks on the Don. This is a large riding and harness horse, which is distinguished by its endurance and pickiness. Such pets do not have a very high speed compared to other breeds, but the Don horse breed perfectly overcomes long distances. In one day, such a horse is able to overcome up to 300 km.
Don horse breed
External characteristics
The Don breed of horses, or, as it is also called, Donchak, originates from the steppe horse. Steppe horses at one time were divided into 2 lines, one of which was this horse. The first line differs from its ancestors in a darker color, short in stature. It is only 1.5 m, which means that such a horse was only waist-high for a tall Cossack.
The constitution of the animal is dry, but with all this, the horse has long legs and a neck, which can be seen in the photo. However, even with such legs and neck, these horses can hardly be called beautiful, the photos confirm this. Rather, they were valued for their strength and speed. The stallion is very nimble, fast, hardy, just such a horse is needed by the Cossack. But over time, this type of steppe horse crossed with other breeds, in particular, with the English one. As a result, this led to the fact that the species of the breed disappeared.
The Don breed of horses, on the contrary, was gaining momentum, becoming more and more popular. Handsome Don stallions are stately, have a high growth
The Don breed of horses attracts not only by external characteristics, but also by the qualities of character and strength. The external exterior is as follows:
- golden color.
- a thick mane;
- a wide head shape with a narrow nape, however, when passing into the neck, wide, because of which the movements of the head of such a horse may seem constrained;
- ears of medium size, slightly pointed, characterized by mobility;
- eyes and nostrils set wide apart;
- deep gaze;
- massive and strong physique, evoking memories of the cavalry time;
- distinguished by the bulge of the back, while well-formed;
- wide, well-developed chest;
- strong immunity;
- endurance.
History of the breed
Already from the name it is clear that this breed appeared on the Don and its history is associated with this place. The first Don horses were notable for their flexibility and agility, they felt great when running with obstacles, they walked well on sharp turns. At the same time, as for the conditions for animals, they got along with any food and were unpretentious. This state of affairs made this breed extremely beneficial for combat service. At the same time, Donchak's life expectancy was approximately 20 years.
In the 19th century, a new type of these horses was born. Historical facts say that the atamans Platov, Martynov and Ilovaisky contributed to the appearance of this breed. How long did they have to improve this breed in order to have a suitable trotter?
It was on such horses that the conquest of new lands by the Cossacks took place.In the literature, these horses are described as brave and tireless, distinguished by their special horse strength. These trotters initially had excellent inclinations, but with the improvement of their appearance due to the addition of new blood, they changed for the better. This trotter acquired its external characteristics thanks to the Karabakh blood. Thanks to this, the Donskoy stallion does not have a bay, red or gray tint, but it has a golden-red color. It should be said that this is his classic color. You can see in more detail all the features of the color of animals in the photo.
Breed improvement
In order for Donchak to have even more attractive characteristics, they were used to mate thoroughbred horses, including Arab ones. Just thanks to such crosses, foals of a golden-red color were born.
The renewed Donchak was presented at the exhibition and positively evaluated by experts.
Areas of use
The Don horse breed is actively used in various competitions. Sometimes she can also be seen on amateur travels. Although this horse is wild, its temperament is quite tame: compared to others, it is surprisingly easy to discipline. That is why such horses are allowed to communicate with children. They are easy to ride and easy to harness. If the mounted police still existed, then the Donchaks would certainly have been chosen for the service. This is because it is not difficult for the Don breed of horses to gain high speed, to ride for a very long time, because their endurance is amazing. The surprisingly good character of the Don horse would have played an important role in the choice.
The Don breed of horses interacts well with a person, listens to him. If the rider had to take part in a chase somewhere on a narrow street, Donchak, thanks to his athletic form, would have coped with this task. They say that in Soviet times, the Don breed of horses was actively used in the carriage race.
Not without regret we have to note that today Donchak is rare, its breeding is limited. Usually he can be seen somewhere in a factory that exclusively breeds these horses.