Popular Russian horse breeds
Russian horse breeds are the toughest. Over the years of selection, about 30 varieties have been bred. When buying foreign purebred horses, problems with their adaptation very often arise, but domestic horses perfectly adapt to harsh climatic conditions, and some have no equal in endurance, strength and dexterity. By the way, by the beauty of the exterior it is very difficult to compete with some breeds of Russian horses.
Russian horse breeds
Tersk breed
Russian horses of the Terek breed are referred to as universal representatives. They are distinguished by their attractive appearance. They can be used as horseback riding and walk in a light harness. To date, handsome horses are included in the top five of the best varieties. This species appeared more than 65 years ago and has come a long way of improvement.
Exterior:
- the physique is strong, athletic, dry;
- head with a concave profile, expressive, graceful lines;
- height is 154 cm;
- the withers are well developed, blending smoothly into a wide back;
- the croup is even, the lumbar part is short, which is a characteristic feature of Arabian horses;
- legs are well muscled, dry;
- representatives of the species can be of 3 colors: gray, red, bay, mostly gray individuals are found.
The breed of Russian horses is used for training in horseback riding, as well as in horse racing, in almost all types of races. Such representatives lend themselves well to training, therefore they are often used in circus performances.
Bald horse
It took over 20 years to create this breed. The main goal of the breeding was to create a competitive active trotting individual that could compete with American horses. Even today, work is still ongoing to improve the look.
The trotter is tall with a beautiful exterior. His height is 165 cm at the withers. The neck is of medium length, blending smoothly into a pronounced withers. Any Russian horse has a long sloping body. Tendons and joints are clearly defined on the limbs.
Most often there are individuals of a dark chestnut suit or black ones. The purpose of the breeding, as already mentioned, was the use of horses on the run. They also use sled horses and as breeding horses to improve the qualities of other breeds.
The crown of the creation of horse breeding
The Russian riding horse breed is a symbol of Russian equestrian sport. The documentation indicates that this breed was the last to be bred, but its real history began 2 centuries ago. Some time ago, these stately handsome men were on the verge of extinction.
The Russian riding horse breed is very different in appearance from other varieties, it is very difficult to confuse it.Horses are distinguished by their high growth up to 165 cm, their body is not elongated, but more neatly folded compared to that of other representatives. The Russian riding horse is characterized by a lean physique:
- high-yield neck;
- the dorsal region is straight, even;
- scapula under bevel;
- the croup is also at a slight angle, with a well-developed muscular system;
- strong limbs;
- hind legs can occasionally have an X-shaped structure .;
- the color of the pile is black, brown, dark bay without white spots, which is considered a reason for culling.
The horse trotter was bred for military purposes. Over time, such individuals began to be used in all types of equestrian sports. Today, for the most part, stallions of the Russian riding breed are participants in triathlon, show jumping or are used for amateur riding.
Budennovskaya
Russian horse breeds were most often created for universal use. One of the most common breeds is Budennovskaya. When the cavalry in Russia was gone, it smoothly migrated to the category of sports.
This type differs in overall shape. The chest and frontal parts of horses are wide. The head is folded in proportion, the cervical region is elongated. The limbs are distinguished by extraordinary strength, even.
The breed is subdivided into 3 types:
- Oriental;
- large;
- classical.
The growth of individuals of any type reaches 170 cm. The classical type is the standard of the breed. For the oriental, more sophisticated forms and a golden color are characteristic. Large - the simplest and even somewhat coarse in terms of external data. The selection was attended by Don mares and English stallions.
Representatives removed by the Don Cossacks
The Don Russian horse breed was bred by the Don Cossacks. Arabian stallions and local steppe stallions participated in the formation of the breed. Horses of the Russian breed are distinguished by a dry complexion. The limbs and trunk are elongated. The head is slightly humped. The auricles are small, slightly curled, the mane is sparse.
The growth of representatives of this breed is 165 cm. Most often, representatives of brown and red color are found, while the tail is always several tones darker. Horses have a benevolent, flexible disposition, so they are often used today for children's riding lessons.
Frisky trotting horses
The next common representative is the Orlov trotter. This breed is one of the oldest, it was bred more than 260 years ago. Arabian and Danish stallions took part in the selection of this species. The Oryol trotters were created for sledding.
Representatives of the species have an impressive weight, which sometimes reaches 560 kg. They are distinguished by an active, playful disposition. Within the breed, there is a division into types:
- dry;
- massive;
- intermediate.
The first type is distinguished by a neat look with graceful features. The second type is similar to heavy trucks. Intermediate - something in between the first two.
Yakut horse
Such a horse looks rather unusual due to the shaggy pile, the length of which is about 15 cm. The breed is extremely resistant to cold weather. Horses can tolerate frosts down to -60 ° C. Mostly painted gray, brown, bay. Their body is lean, the limbs are short and strong. Height is only 140 cm.
In Yakutia, this horse breed has been bred from ancient times to this day for the sake of obtaining meat and dairy products. In addition, horses are used as a vehicle in snowy areas. They are completely unpretentious in keeping, in winter they can independently get their own food right from under the snow.
Heavy truck from the Soviet Union
The heavy draft horse has gained worldwide popularity for a very long time. When you see such a large horse, one immediately remembers "The story of Ilya Muromets", where the strong hero had a powerful horse Burushka. The breed was bred 60 years ago for the production of meat and dairy products.
The main record holder in weight lifting is a Soviet stallion, the record weight that he can lift is 22991 kg. The height of the heroic horse is about 172 cm and weighs about a ton. The color is red, but sometimes bay representatives are also found. Such horses have a calm, balanced character.
Vladimirsky heavy truck
The next representative also applies to massive rocks. This working breed was bred a little earlier than the Soviet one. Vladimir heavy trucks are used for sledding and as riding horses.
Exterior:
- elongated humpback head;
- the cervical spine is high;
- the body is rather long, turning into a wide back and croup;
- limbs are long, with well-developed joints;
- lively, energetic temperament.
Today, representatives of the genus are in demand as transport for equestrian tourism or for horseback riding. The Vladimir heavy truck broke the record for the fastest trotting delivery of a heavy load. Those who have ridden horses at least once say that riding them is a pleasure, the feeling as if you are sitting on a soft sofa.
Domestic heavy truck
Russian horse breeds are especially popular with breeders around the world. An excellent example of this is the Russian heavy truck, followed by foreign horse breeders. Breeding began in the 19th century. Her goal was to obtain a universal horse breed.
Representatives of the breed are the most unpretentious and economically profitable in home breeding. They are great at getting pasture for themselves on their own. The optimal period of use in the work of one individual is 25 years, which is quite a lot. The horse is not very large, but the body structure is powerful. The neck is muscular, the chest is concave. The dorsal region is wide and strong.
Conclusion
Even in tsarist Russia, Arabian stallions were used to breed new breeds. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible Argamaki, Arab horses became very popular. The breed has been breeding for a very long time on the territory of Russia, so it may well be considered Russian.
To raise military affairs to a higher level, the king ordered to open massively stables and use all the horses brought from abroad for breeding and selection of new species. For the Don Cossacks, the issue of horses has long been resolved: they bred the Don breed of horses. By the way, their ancestors were also the Eastern trotters.
Orlov horses were bred by Count Orlov. For their selection, the ancestor was also an Arabian horse, bought for fabulous money. The Oryol horses were harnessed to harness. They were bred specifically to transport people, because they were not at all afraid of the bumpy, rocky Russian roads.
Donskaya and Orlovskaya are the most famous and demanded Russian breeds. Each area of the huge Russian state was characterized by a certain breed, the qualities of which were adapted to the conditions, roads and climate of the region. For example, Yakut horses can withstand frosts down to -60 ° C. In winter, fluffy horses find food under the snow, tearing it apart with their hooves.
Horses were bred for more than just racing. Heavy trucks and the Yakut breed were bred for the sake of obtaining meat and dairy products. Each breed has its own specialization, although for the most part Russian horses are distinguished by their versatility.
Horses are used today for a variety of purposes:
- Horseback Riding;
- sledding;
- hunting.