Description of Przewalski horses
Modern horse breeds have come a long way from breeding to improve running or traction performance. Few species of horses have survived in fact in their original form. One of these breeds can be considered the Przewalski horse. This horse has interesting features of the structure of the body and in the entire history of its existence has not been fully tamed by man.
Przewalski's horse
Due to the hunting of wild horses and the destruction of its natural habitat, the breed was on the verge of extinction and is in the International Red Book as an extinct species in the wild. Many facts about these horses seem surprising, especially when compared to the domestic horse.
Habitat of the breed
In ancient times, Przewalski's horse had a large area. He conquered northern China, Mongolia and western Kazakhstan. These Asian horses were named after the scientist who discovered the breed, Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. The natural habitat of these wild horses is the steppe. Herds mostly roamed across southern Asia in search of food and water.
Nowadays, Przewalski's horse does not live in the wild, since the breed is on the verge of extinction due to human actions. Most of the horses are found in zoos and reserves. The last habitat of the Przewalski horse in the wild is the region of Dzungaria, where several representatives of this breed were caught at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was these horses that became the ancestors of the species bred in captivity.
Przewalski's horse exterior
The description of the appearance of Przewalski's horses may surprise many. First of all, the horse looks somewhat unusual because of the donkey features that the breed received from the kulans. The size of an adult is small: the height at the withers reaches 130 cm, the average weight of an adult stallion is about 300 kg.
The body of horses is characterized by increased muscle density, which makes it look quite massive. The neck of the horses is not very long, but powerful, due to which balance is maintained.
The legs are short relative to the body, with prominent joints and strong low hooves. The back is arched in relation to the neck and ends in a strong croup. The horse's head is large in size. This increases the horse's line of sight so that horses can see an approaching danger. The ears are small relative to the head and stand at right angles. The nostrils of the animal are large and pronounced on the muzzle.
A distinctive feature of the Przewalski horse breed is the mane. It is tough and short with missing bangs. Nevertheless, the tail of the horses is long, which helps to escape from the steppe insects.
The hair on the body of stallions sheds depending on the season. In winter, the animal acquires a warm undercoat that protects horses from frost and snow, and in summer the coat becomes smooth and short. Horse suits are distinguished by a stable set of colors.The breeders called this color "Savras". The main color of the horse is light red, and the mane, tail and limbs below the knees are black. The stallion's belly may be slightly lighter than the base color. Sometimes, in some individuals, several transverse dark stripes on the legs can be observed. The Przewalski horse is used for photos on the covers of horse breeding magazines because of its interesting and unusual appearance.
The nature of Przewalski's horse and behavioral features
First of all, it should be noted that Przewalski's horses were not domesticated by humans. To this day, these horses are wild animals. They are wary of humans and other pets. Young males have fierce competition among themselves in the herd, stallions are prone to frequent fights. It is known that Przewalski's horse always wins a domestic horse in a fight.
There are 2 types of herds in nature:
- A herd of several females with foals, the leader of which is a powerful male.
- A herd of young stallions who did not find females or were rejected by them. Such horses are huddled together in one herd to defend against an external enemy. They are also joined by old individuals who were expelled by younger stallions from the breeding herd.
Horses prefer a nomadic lifestyle. They slowly move along a certain route, but in case of danger they can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h. If the herd is breeding, then the horses have their own defense mechanism against predators. Adults become a circle, in the center of which the young are herded.
Likewise, during the race from wolves, strong stallions run last and cover the females and cubs. For halts, the horses use mainly elevations, where the view of the terrain is better. While females and foals are resting, the leader of the herd watches over the surroundings.
Preservation of the number of the breed in modern conditions
Due to hunting and the destruction of natural habitats, Przewalski's horse was on the verge of extinction. This animal species has been in the International Red Book since the middle of the twentieth century, but still, such a circumstance did not save the breed from poaching. The horse breeders were given a difficult task: to revive the population of an endangered species.
The main difficulty lies in the fact that Przewalski's stallions do not tolerate captivity well. They refuse to eat and quickly die, which makes it difficult to keep in zoos. Also, the small number of horses became a big problem for breeders, which is why the breed was rapidly degenerating, since related individuals were interbred. Due to inbreeding, horses were affected by many genetic diseases. The animals were also badly affected by being kept in a confined space: in natural conditions, Przewalski's horse led an active lifestyle.
The studbook of horses is kept by the Prague National Zoo. Since 1992, a program has been launched in Mongolia to return these stallions to the natural habitats of the breed. The choice of the area fell on the Hastein-Nuruu National Park, the center of Takhin-Tal and the western part of Homin-Tal. Today, there are about 400 individuals living in their ancestral territory. The area where the herd of Przewalski's horses lives is strictly controlled by the Convention for the Protection of Animals. Similar programs have also been launched by China and Kazakhstan.
One of the largest projects in Russia related to the preservation of the Przewalski horse breed can be considered the Orenburg reserve. The reintroduction of Przewalski's stallions into this park is in full swing. Thanks to the steppe and semi-desert terrain, animals feel in conditions close to natural ones. It is known that in 2016 the first foal was born on the territory of the reserve.
Breed maintenance and diet
In captivity, the animal lives in national zoos and reserves.Privately, the Przewalski breed is not kept, since each horse has a high value for the restoration of the species. The number of animals is strictly controlled by a special convention.
In zoos, horses are kept in free enclosures and corrals. It is noteworthy that Przewalski's horse needs a lot of space for an active lifestyle, so its enclosure can be the same size as that of larger animals: camels and deer. The stall itself can be small: stallions prefer to walk around the territory, rather than rest in a stall.
The horse's diet is mostly herbs. In the wild, these animals prefer:
- feather grass;
- sagebrush;
- wild onion.
In captivity, the animal may refuse to eat due to character traits, but Przewalski's horses are extremely unpretentious to the very feed. It is important to balance the diet as high amounts of concentrates combined with low activity can lead to excess weight in the horse. Przewalski's horses are poorly tolerated, since in natural conditions it is unusual for them. In animals, problems begin with the cardiovascular system, hormonal failure occurs, and reproductive capabilities are impaired.
This breed consumes less water than domestic breeds due to its southern origin. However, dehydration is as deadly for a Przewalski horse as it is for any other species.
Interesting facts about the life of the Przewalski horses:
- Although the leader of the herd is the male, the route is laid by the oldest female in the herd.
- The Przewalski's horse is the only wild type of horse that has practically not changed over the entire existence of the breed.
- Hybrids from the mating of a domestic horse and a Przewalski stallion turn out to be more persistent and strong than ordinary riding horses, but also have an intractable character.
- In the wild, the herd always has a clear daily routine.
- Przewalski's horse is a social animal. In a herd, horses always communicate by touching and neighing. Horses do not tolerate the absence of their kind around.
- Often a photo of Przewalski's horse is used as a symbol of the extermination of animals by humans.
Przewalski's wild horse is officially an extinct horse in the wild. The only place where you can meet the legendary Przewalski's horse is the reserve. It is almost impossible to keep purebred horses in private, even if you know everything about keeping a Przewalski horse, but nowadays there are many crossbred breeds that are suitable for home.
Breeders continue to work to restore the horse population, and many countries are running programs to reintroduce these animals. Horses of the Przewalski breed are listed in the International Red Book, and for the entire period of its existence this species has never been tamed by man.